Simulated computer tomographic imaging

A computer program product comprising machine executable instructions for execution by a computational system, wherein execution of the machine executable instructions cause the computational system to:

• receive multi-echo gradient echo k-space data descriptive of a field of view of a subject wherein the multi-echo gradient echo k-space data comprises multiple in-phase groups of k-space data acquired at echo times that are multiples of an interval when water and fat are in phase;
• wherein the multi-echo gradient echo k-space data further comprises at least one Dixon group of k-space data acquired at an echo time according to a Dixon magnetic resonance imaging protocol;
• calculate one or more Dixon images of the field of view from the at least one Dixon group of k-space data and a portion of the multiple in-phase groups of k-space data, wherein the one or more Dixon images comprise one or more of the following:
• an in phase Dixon image, an out of phase Dixon image, a fat image, a water image, a fat fraction image, a water fraction image, a T2-star map, and an R2-star map;
• reconstruct a preliminary magnetic resonance image for each of the multiple in-phase groups of k-space data;
• construct an averaged magnetic resonance image by averaging at least half of the preliminary magnetic resonance images;
• construct a temporary magnetic resonance image by using the preliminary magnetic resonance image with the longest echo time or by averaging less than half of the preliminary magnetic resonance images with the longest echo times;
• and;
• construct an intermediate magnetic resonance image by subtracting the average magnetic resonance image from the temporary magnetic resonance image.

A method of medical imaging, wherein the method comprises:

• receiving multi-echo gradient echo k-space data descriptive of a field of view of a subject, wherein the multi-echo gradient echo k-space data comprises multiple in-phase groups of k-space data acquired at echo times that are multiples of an interval when water and fat are in phase;
• wherein the multi-echo gradient echo k-space data further comprises at least one Dixon group of k-space data acquired at an echo time according to a Dixon magnetic resonance imaging protocol;
• calculating one or more Dixon images of the field of view from the at least one Dixon group of k-space data and a portion of the multiple in-phase groups of k-space data, wherein the one or more Dixon images comprise one or more of the following:
• an in phase Dixon image, an out of phase Dixon image, a fat image, a water image, a fat fraction image, a water fraction image, a T2-star map, and an R2-star map;
• reconstructing a preliminary magnetic resonance image for each of the multiple in-phase groups of k-space data;
• constructing an averaged magnetic resonance image by averaging at least half of the preliminary magnetic resonance images;
• constructing a temporary magnetic resonance image by using the preliminary magnetic resonance image with the longest echo time or by averaging less than half of the preliminary magnetic resonance images with the longest echo times;
• and;
• constructing an intermediate magnetic resonance image by subtracting the average magnetic resonance image from the temporary magnetic resonance image.

A medical system comprising:

• a memory storing machine executable instructions,
• a computational system, wherein execution of the machine executable instructions causes the computational system to:
• receive multi-echo gradient echo k-space data descriptive of a field of view of a subject, wherein the multi-echo gradient echo k-space data comprises multiple in-phase groups of k-space data acquired at echo times that are multiples of an interval where water and fat are in phase, wherein the multi-echo gradient echo k-space data further comprises at least one Dixon group of k-space data acquired at an echo time according to a Dixon magnetic resonance imaging protocol;
• calculate one or more Dixon images of the field of view from the at least one Dixon group of k-space data and a portion of the multiple in-phase groups of k-space data, wherein the one or more Dixon images comprise one or more of the following:
• an in phase Dixon image, an out of phase Dixon image, a fat image, a water image, a fat fraction image, a water fraction image, a T2-star map, and an R2-star map;
• reconstruct a preliminary magnetic resonance image for each of the multiple in-phase groups of k-space data;
• construct an averaged magnetic resonance image by averaging at least half of the preliminary magnetic resonance images;
• construct a temporary magnetic resonance image by using the preliminary magnetic resonance image with the longest echo time or by averaging less than half of the preliminary magnetic resonance images with the longest echo times;
• and
• construct an intermediate magnetic resonance image by subtracting the average magnetic resonance image from the temporary magnetic resonance image.