Imaging support apparatus, magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, and imaging support method

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising an imaging support apparatus and an RF coil configured to excite a subject, the imaging support apparatus comprising:

• processing circuitry configured to
• acquire input of information expressing a field of view of a subject and one of a plurality of pieces of first information, each of the plurality of pieces of first information indicating an attention region to which attention is paid for diagnosing a disease or a case of the subject, the attention region being narrower than the field of view,
• specify one of a plurality of pieces of posture information corresponding to the acquired one of the plurality of pieces of first information on basis of second information, wherein the second information has the plurality of pieces of first information and the plurality of pieces of posture information associated with each other in advance, each of the plurality of pieces of posture information indicating information about a posture of a joint part of the subject expressed by text information or image data, each of the plurality of pieces of posture information being specified based on the associated one of the plurality of pieces of first information, each of the plurality of pieces of posture information expressing a posture of the subject that enables imaging of the disease or the case indicated by the associated one of the plurality of pieces of first information in the field of view of the subject, and
• cause a display to display the specified one of the plurality of pieces of posture information, wherein
• each of the plurality of pieces of posture information expresses the posture of the subject suitable to excite a region to be excited,
• the plurality of pieces of first information, the plurality of pieces of posture information, and a plurality of pieces of imaging surface information are associated with each other in the second information, each of the plurality of pieces of imaging surface information indicating information about an imaging surface in imaging of the subject,
• each of the plurality of pieces of imaging surface information expresses a position of a slice section in the imaging of the subject, and
• the processing circuitry is configured to
• specify a position of a slice section associated with the acquired one of the plurality of pieces of first information, from the second information,
• cause the display to display the specified position of the slice section when it is determined that imaging of the attention region is possible on basis of a posture of the subject and a sensitivity of a coil in a pre-scanning that is performed before the imaging of the subject, the coil receiving a magnetic resonance signal generated from the subject due to influence of a high-frequency magnetic field, and
• cause the display to display a notification screen to notify that imaging of the attention region is impossible when it is determined that imaging of the attention region is impossible on basis of the posture of the subject and the sensitivity of the coil in the pre-scanning.

An imaging support method comprising:

• acquiring input of information expressing a field of view of a subject and one of a plurality of pieces of first information, each of the plurality of pieces of first information indicating an attention region to which attention is paid for diagnosing a disease or a case of the subject, the attention region being narrower than the field of view;
• specifying one of a plurality of pieces of posture information corresponding to the acquired one of the plurality of pieces of first information on a basis of second information, wherein the second information has the plurality of pieces of first information and the plurality of pieces of posture information associated with each other in advance, each of the plurality of pieces of posture information indicating information about a posture of a joint part of the subject expressed by text information or image data, each of the plurality of pieces of posture information being specified based on the associated one of the plurality of pieces of first information, each of the plurality of pieces of posture information expressing a posture of the subject that enables imaging of the disease or the case indicated by the associated one of the plurality of pieces of first information in the field of view of the subject;
• and
• causing a display to display the specified one of the plurality of pieces of posture information, wherein
• the plurality of pieces of first information, the plurality of pieces of posture information, and a plurality of pieces of imaging surface information are associated with each other in the second information, each of the plurality of pieces of imaging surface information indicating information about an imaging surface in imaging of the subject,
• each of the plurality of pieces of imaging surface information expresses a position of a slice section in the imaging of the subject, the method further comprising
• specifying a position of a slice section associated with the acquired one of the plurality of pieces of first information, from the second information,
• causing the display to display the specified position of the slice section when it is determined that imaging of the attention region is possible on basis of a posture of the subject and a sensitivity of a coil in a pre-scanning that is performed before the imaging of the subject, the coil receiving a magnetic resonance signal generated from the subject due to influence of a high-frequency magnetic field, and
• causing the display to display a notification screen to notify that imaging of the attention region is impossible when it is determined that imaging of the attention region is impossible on basis of the posture of the subject and the sensitivity of the coil in the pre-scanning.

An imaging support apparatus comprising:

• processing circuitry configured to
• acquire input of information expressing a field of view of a subject and one of a plurality of pieces of first information, each of the plurality of pieces of first information indicating an attention region to which attention is paid for diagnosing a disease or a case of the subject, the attention region being narrower than the field of view,
• specify one of a plurality of pieces of posture information corresponding to the acquired one of the plurality of pieces of first information on basis of second information, wherein the second information has the plurality of pieces of first information and the plurality of pieces of posture information associated with each other in advance, each of the plurality of pieces of posture information indicating information about a posture of a joint part of the subject expressed by text information or image data, each of the plurality of pieces of posture information being specified by the associated one of the plurality of pieces of first information, each of the plurality of pieces of posture information expressing a posture of the subject that enables imaging of the disease or the case indicated by the associated one of the plurality of pieces of first information in the field of view of the subject, and
• cause a display to display the specified one of the plurality of pieces of posture information, wherein
• the plurality of pieces of first information, the plurality of pieces of posture information, and a plurality of pieces of imaging surface information are associated with each other in the second information, each of the plurality of pieces of imaging surface information indicating information about an imaging surface in imaging of the subject,
• each of the plurality of pieces of imaging surface information expresses a position of a slice section in the imaging of the subject, and
• the processing circuitry is configured to
• specify a position of a slice section associated with the acquired one of the plurality of pieces of first information, from the second information,
• acquire a locator image generated by a pre-scanning that is performed before the imaging of the subject,
• cause the display to display the specified position of the slice section when it is possible to form the specified slice section on the locator image, and
• cause the display to display a notification screen to notify that imaging of the attention region is impossible when it is impossible to form the specified slice section on the locator image.