# US 2008/0186025 A1 · Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and image data generating method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0186025 A1 - Document ID: US20080186025A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/068,277 - Filed: 2008-02-05 - Published: 2008-08-07 - Earliest claimed: 2007-02-06 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Inventors: Takao Kasugai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080186025A1 ## CPC - G01R 33/3415: comprising arrays of sub-coils {, i.e. phased-array coils with flexible receiver channels} - G01R 33/56545: {caused by finite or discrete sampling, e.g. Gibbs ringing, truncation artefacts, phase aliasing artefacts} - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract A apparatus includes a unit which reconstructs a plurality of pieces of first image data associated with elements or sections, by use of magnetic resonance signals, a unit which determines the coil elements or the sections which have received the magnetic resonance signals which are at least some of the plurality of collected magnetic resonance signals as target elements or target sections, and generates second image data by combining the plurality of pieces of first image data associated with the target elements or the target sections, a display unit which displays an image represented by the second image data, and a unit which changes the target elements or the target sections based on specification after display of the second image, and generates third image data by combining the plurality of pieces of first image data associated with the changed target elements or the changed target sections. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising: a static magnetic field generating unit which generates a static magnetic field; a gradient magnetic field generating unit which generates a gradient magnetic field to be superposed on the static magnetic field; a transmitting unit which transmits a radio-frequency pulse with which a subject having the static magnetic field and the gradient magnetic field applied thereto is irradiated; a plurality of coil elements which respectively receive magnetic resonance signals from the subject; a collecting unit which collects the magnetic resonance signals respectively received by the plurality of coil elements or a plurality of sections formed by grouping the plurality of coil elements; a reconstructing unit which reconstructs a plurality of pieces of first image data associated with the coil elements or the sections that have received the magnetic resonance signals, by use of the plurality of magnetic resonance signals collected by the collecting unit; a first generating unit which determines the coil elements or the sections which have received the plurality of magnetic resonance signals which are at least some of the plurality of magnetic resonance signals collected by the collecting unit as target elements or target sections, and generates second image data by combining the plurality of pieces of first image data associated with the target elements or the target sections; a display unit which displays an image represented by the second image data; and a second generating unit which changes the target elements or the target sections based on specification of a change in the target elements or the target section in accordance with the specification after display of the second image by the display unit, and generates third image data by combining the plurality of pieces of first image data associated with the changed target elements or the changed target sections. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the collecting unit collects the magnetic resonance signals respectively received by the coil elements or the sections specified by a user, the first generating unit determines the specified coil elements or sections as target elements or target sections, and the second generating unit excludes the coil elements or the sections unspecified by the user from the target elements or the target sections. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the collecting unit collects the magnetic resonance signals received by the coil elements or the sections specified by the user and the coil elements or the sections having a predetermined relationship with the specified coil elements or the specified sections, the first generating unit determines the specified coil elements or section as target elements or target sections, and the second generating unit adds the coil elements or the sections additionally specified by the user to the target elements or the target sections. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a section forming unit which groups a plurality of coil elements aligned in a direction substantially vertical to a body axis direction of the subject from the plurality of coil elements two-dimensionally aligned along a body surface of the subject to form the plurality of sections with respect to the body axis direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first generating unit and the second generating unit combines the plurality of pieces of first image data based on a square-sum arithmetic operation method or an addition arithmetic operation method to generate the second image data. ### Claim 6 A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising: a static magnetic field generating unit which generates a static magnetic field; a gradient magnetic field generating unit which generates a gradient magnetic field to be superposed on the static magnetic field; a transmitting unit which transmits a radio-frequency pulse with which a subject having the static magnetic field and the gradient magnetic field applied thereto is irradiated; a plurality of coil elements which respectively receive magnetic resonance signals generated from the subject; a collecting unit which collects the magnetic resonance signals respectively received by the plurality of coil elements or a plurality of sections formed by grouping the plurality of coil elements; a reconstructing unit which reconstructs a plurality of pieces of first image data respectively associated with the coil elements or the sections that have received the magnetic resonance signals, by use of the plurality of magnetic resonance signals collected by the collecting unit; a first generating unit which generates second image data by combining a plurality of pieces of combination target data as at least some of the plurality of pieces of first image data to generate second image data; a display unit which displays an image represented by the second image data; and a second generating unit which generates third image data by combining the first image data specified in accordance with specification of the first image data including an artifact from the combination target data after display of the image by the display unit with the plurality of pieces of combination target data while differentiating weighting of the plurality of pieces of combination target data excluding the specified pieces of first image data to reduce an influence of the artifact. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second generating unit reduces at least some of weights of the specified pieces of first image data to be smaller than weights of the plurality of pieces of combination target data excluding the specified pieces of first image data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second generating unit sets at least some of weights of the specified pieces of first image data to zero. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a section forming unit which forms the plurality of sections with respect to the body axis direction by grouping a plurality of coil elements aligned in a direction substantially vertical to a body axis direction of the subject from the plurality of coil elements two-dimensionally aligned along a body surface of the subject. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the first generating unit and the second generating unit combines the plurality of pieces of first image data based on a square-sum arithmetic operation method or an addition arithmetic operation method to generate the second image data. ### Claim 11 An image data generating method comprising: generating a static magnetic field; generating a gradient magnetic field to be superposed on the static magnetic field; transmitting a radio-frequency pulse with which a subject having the static magnetic field and the gradient magnetic field applied thereto is irradiated; respectively receiving magnetic resonance signals generated from the subject by a plurality of coil elements; collecting the magnetic resonance signals respectively received by the plurality of coil elements or a plurality of sections formed by grouping the plurality of coil elements; reconstructing a plurality of pieces of first image data associated with the coil elements or the sections that have received the magnetic resonance signals, by use of the plurality of collected magnetic resonance signals; determining the coil elements or the sections having received a plurality of magnetic resonance signals that are at least some of the plurality of collected magnetic resonance signals as target elements or target sections, and generates second image data by combining the plurality of pieces of first image data associated with the target elements or the target sections; displaying an image represented by the second image data; and changing the target elements or the target sections in accordance with specification of changing the target elements or the target sections when the specification is carried out after displaying the second image, and generates third image data by combining the plurality of pieces of first image data associated with the changed target elements or the changed target sections. ### Claim 12 An image data generating method comprising: generating a static magnetic field; generating a gradient magnetic field to be superposed on the static magnetic field; transmitting a radio-frequency pulse with which a subject having the static magnetic field and the gradient magnetic field applied thereto is irradiated; respectively receiving magnetic resonance signals generated from the subject by a plurality of coil elements; collecting the magnetic resonance signals respectively received by the plurality of coil elements or a plurality of sections formed by grouping the plurality of coil elements; reconstructing a plurality of pieces of first image data associated with the coil elements or the sections that have received the magnetic resonance signals, by use of the plurality of collected magnetic resonance signals; generating second image data by combining a plurality of pieces of combination target data as at least some of the plurality of pieces of first image data to generate second image data; displaying an image represented by the second image data; and generating third image data by combining specified pieces of first image data in accordance with the specification of the first image data including an artifact from the combination target data after displaying the image with the plurality of pieces of combination target data while differentiating weighting of the plurality of pieces of combination target data excluding the specified pieces of first image data to reduce an influence of the artifact.