Customized spatial saturation pulse sequence for suppression of artifacts in MR images
AssigneeGE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC
InventorsJingfei Ma, Yuval Zur
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Artifacts in MR images caused by signals emanating from outside the design spherical volume (DSV) of the system are suppressed using customized spatial saturation pulse sequences interleaved with imaging pulse sequences. The spatial saturation pulse sequences are each customized to a specific region and are stored in a library for selective use when needed to suppress artifact producing signals emanating from specific regions outside the DSV.
Claims16
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, which comprises:
- a polarizing magnet for producing a homogeneous polarizing field in a designed volume;
- an RF system for producing a homogeneous radio frequency field in the designed volume;
- a gradient system for producing linear magnetic field gradients in the designed volume;
- a pulse generator which operates in response to a pulse sequence to control the operation of the RF system and the gradient system to acquire image data from a subject positioned in the designed volume;
- a memory for storing a set of custom spatial saturation pulse sequences which may be selected to operate the pulse generator, each stored custom spatial saturation pulse sequence corresponding to a region outside the designed volume and being operable when selected to direct the MRI system to suppress NMR signals emanating from the corresponding region.
A method for producing an image with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, the steps comprising:
- a) selecting from a stored library of imaging pulse sequences one of the imaging pulse sequences;
- b) entering scan parameters for the selected imaging pulse sequence that prescribe the image acquisition to be performed by the MRI system, the scan parameters including information which designates the field of view of the acquired image within a designed volume;
- c) selecting from a set of stored customized spatial saturation pulse sequences a customized spatial saturation pulse sequence to be interleaved with the selected imaging pulse sequence, each customized spatial saturation pulse sequence corresponding to one of a plurality of regions substantially outside the designed volume in which artifact producing signals are to be suppressed;
- d) acquiring image data with the MRI system using the selected imaging pulse sequence interleaved with the selected customized spatial saturation pulse sequence;
- and
- e) reconstructing the image from the acquired image data.
A method for producing a customized spatial saturation pulse sequence for use on a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system to suppress NMR signals emanating from a region located substantially outside a designed spherical volume (DSV) in the MRI system, the steps comprising:
- a) locating a phantom in the region;
- b) iteratively acquiring and reconstructing a set of images with the MRI system;
- c) interleaving a spatial saturation pulse sequence with imaging pulse sequences used in step b) and changing a flip-angle and a slice thickness scan parameter of the spatial saturation pulse sequence as the set of images are acquired;
- and
- d) selecting optimal scan parameters to form a spatial saturation pulse sequence that is customized to suppress signals emanating from the region by analyzing the set of images.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.