US 2010/0244830 A1Published application

Magnetic resonance method and device to differentiate among pixels representing a silicon-dominated substance, water-dominated tissue and fat-dominated tissue

AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft

InventorsChristian Geppert, Vladimir Jellus

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

In a magnetic resonance method and device for automatic differentiation of respective pixels as representing either a silicon-dominated substance, or fat-dominated tissue, or water-dominated tissue, a first magnetic resonance signal and a second magnetic resonance signal are acquired per pixel, wherein the first magnetic resonance signal per pixel is acquired at a point in time at which the phase of a magnetic resonance signal originating from water-containing tissue exhibits a phase opposite to the phase of a magnetic resonance signal originating from fat-containing tissue, and the second magnetic resonance signal is acquired per pixel at a point in time at which the phase of the magnetic resonance signal originating from water-containing tissue exhibits a phase identical to the phase of the magnetic resonance signal originating from fat-containing tissue, and the phase of a magnetic resonance signal originating from a silicon-containing substance exhibits a phase opposite to the phase of the magnetic resonance signal originating from water-containing or fat-containing tissue. A first intermediate result is determined that indicates whether the pixel represents water-dominated tissue or fat-dominated tissue on the basis of first magnetic resonance signals. A second intermediate result is determined that indicates whether the pixel represents the silicon-dominated substance on the basis of second magnetic resonance signals. The pixel is designated as representing water-dominated tissue, fat-dominated tissue or the silicon-dominated substance on the basis of the first intermediate result and the second intermediate result.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method to automatically differentiate respective pixels in magnetic resonance images as representing either a silicon-dominated substance, or fat-dominated tissue, or water-dominated tissue, comprising the steps of

with a magnetic resonance data acquisition unit, acquiring magnetic resonance data from a subject in the data acquisition unit that will be processed to form pixels in at least one magnetic resonance image, by acquiring, for each pixel, a first magnetic resonance signal from the subject and a second magnetic resonance signal from the subject;
operating said data acquisition unit to acquire said first magnetic resonance signal for each pixel at a point in time at which a phase of a magnetic resonance signal originating from water-containing tissue in the subject exhibits a phase opposite to a phase of a magnetic resonance signal originating from fat-containing tissue in the subject, and acquiring said second magnetic resonance signal, for each pixel, at a point in time at which the phase of said magnetic resonance signal originating from water-containing tissue in the subject exhibits a phase identical to the phase of the magnetic resonance signal originating from fat-containing tissue in the subject, and a phase of a magnetic resonance signal originating from a silicon-containing substance in the subject exhibits a phase opposite to the phase of the magnetic resonance signal originating from water-containing tissue or the phase of the magnetic resonance signal originating from fat-containing tissue;
for each pixel, automatically determining, in a processor, a first intermediate result indicating whether that pixel represents a signal originating from water-dominated tissue or fat-dominated tissue, based on said first magnetic resonance signal;
for each pixel, automatically determining in said processor, a second intermediate result indicating whether that pixel represents a signal originating from said silicon-dominated substance, based on said second magnetic resonance signal;
and
in said processor, automatically designating each pixel as representing either water-dominated tissue or fat-dominated tissue, or said silicon-dominated substance, based on said first intermediate result and said second intermediate result, and making said pixels available at an output of said processor, embodying the respective designations, in an image or in a form allowing generation of said at least one magnetic resonance image from said pixels.

3 more elements

A magnetic resonance system to automatically differentiate respective pixels in magnetic resonance images as representing either a silicon-dominated substance, or fat-dominated tissue, or water-dominated tissue, comprising:

a magnetic resonance data acquisition unit;
a control unit configured to operate the magnetic resonance data acquisition unit to acquire magnetic resonance data from a subject in the data acquisition unit that will be processed to form pixels in at least one magnetic resonance image, by acquiring, for each pixel, a first magnetic resonance signal from the subject and a second magnetic resonance signal from the subject;
said control unit being configured to operate said data acquisition unit to acquire said first magnetic resonance signal for each pixel at a point in time at which a phase of a magnetic resonance signal originating from water-containing tissue in the subject exhibits a phase opposite to a phase of a magnetic resonance signal originating from fat-containing tissue in the subject, and acquiring said second magnetic resonance signal, for each pixel, at a point in time at which the phase of said magnetic resonance signal originating from water-containing tissue in the subject exhibits a phase identical to the phase of the magnetic resonance signal originating from fat-containing tissue in the subject, and a phase of a magnetic resonance signal originating from a silicon-containing substance in the subject exhibits a phase opposite to the phase of the magnetic resonance signal originating from water-containing tissue or the phase of the magnetic resonance signal originating from fat-containing tissue;
said control unit comprising a processor configured, for each pixel, to automatically determine a first intermediate result indicating whether that pixel represents a signal originating from water-dominated tissue or fat-dominated tissue, based on said first magnetic resonance signal;
said processor being configured, for each pixel, to automatically determine a second intermediate result indicating whether that pixel represents a signal originating from said silicon-dominated substance, based on said second magnetic resonance signal;
and
said processor being configured to automatically designate each pixel as representing either water-dominated tissue or fat-dominated tissue, or said silicon-dominated substance, based on said first intermediate result and said second intermediate result, and to make said pixels available at an output of said processor, embodying the respective designations, in an image or in a form allowing generation of said at least one magnetic resonance image from said pixels.

4 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with programming instructions, said programming instructions, when said medium is loaded into a computerized control and processing system of a magnetic resonance system, also comprising a magnetic resonance data acquisition unit, causing said computerized control and processing system to:

operate a magnetic resonance data acquisition unit to acquire magnetic resonance data from a subject in the data acquisition unit that will be processed to form pixels in at least one magnetic resonance image, by acquiring, for each pixel, a first magnetic resonance signal from the subject and a second magnetic resonance signal from the subject;
operate said data acquisition unit to acquire said first magnetic resonance signal for each pixel at a point in time at which a phase of a magnetic resonance signal originating from water-containing tissue in the subject exhibits a phase opposite to a phase of a magnetic resonance signal originating from fat-containing tissue in the subject, and acquiring said second magnetic resonance signal, for each pixel, at a point in time at which the phase of said magnetic resonance signal originating from water-containing tissue in the subject exhibits a phase identical to the phase of the magnetic resonance signal originating from fat-containing tissue in the subject, and a phase of a magnetic resonance signal originating from a silicon-containing substance in the subject exhibits a phase opposite to the phase of the magnetic resonance signal originating from water-containing tissue or the phase of the magnetic resonance signal originating from fat-containing tissue;
for each pixel, automatically determine a first intermediate result indicating whether that pixel represents a signal originating from water-dominated tissue or fat-dominated tissue, based on said first magnetic resonance signal;
for each pixel, automatically determine a second intermediate result indicating whether that pixel represents a signal originating from said silicon-dominated substance, based on said second magnetic resonance signal;
and
automatically designate each pixel as representing either water-dominated tissue or fat-dominated tissue, or said silicon-dominated substance, based on said first intermediate result and said second intermediate result, and make said pixels embodying the respective designations available at an output of said computerized control and processing system in an image or in a form allowing generation of said at least one magnetic resonance image from said pixels.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.