Three-dimensional imaging
AssigneeThe General Hospital Corporation
InventorVan J. Wedeen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Images of, e.g., a vascular tree, are obtained in a shorter-than-usual time by deliberately undersampling the object, which results in aliasing, and then processing the undersampled data to eliminate the effects of the aliasing.
Claims21
A method of generating information representative of a three-dimensional image of a vascular tree comprising
- acquiring three-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonances data from said tree using phase encoding gradient pulses along two dimensions, said phase encoding gradient pulses having minimum values corresponding to fields of view, along said dimensions, that are smaller than the respective extents of said tree along said dimensions, thereby producing aliasing in said acquired data, and
- processing said acquired data to eliminate the effects of said aliasing.
Apparatus for generating information representative of an image of an object that has a predetermined extent in at least one dimension, comprising
- means for acquiring data from said objects, said acquiring means having field of view in said one dimension that is smaller than the extent of said object in said one dimension and being arranged to produce aliasing in said acquired data, and
- means for processing said acquired data to generate said information representative of said image, free of the effects of said aliasing.
Apparatus for generating information representative of an image of an object that has spatial continuity, comprising
- means for acquiring data from said object, said acquiring means being arranged to produce aliasing in said acquired data, and
- means for processing said acquired data by screening said acquired data based on said continuity to generate said information representative of said image, free of the effects of said aliasing.
Apparatus for generating information representative of an image of an object comprising
- means for acquiring data from said object, said acquiring means being arranged to produce aliasing in said acquired data and being arranged so that said acquired data can exhibit equally good resolution along all dimensions of said object, and
- means for processing said acquired data to generate said information representative of said image, free of the effects of said aliasing.
Apparatus for generating information representative of an image of an object that includes a flowing fluid contained within a relatively static vessel, comprising
- means for acquiring data from said object, said acquiring means being arranged to produce aliasing in said acquired data and to enhance the image represented by said information based on said flow, and
- means for processing said acquired data to generate said information representative of said image, free of the effects of said aliasing.
Apparatus for generating information representative of an image of an object, comprising
- means for acquiring data from said object, said acquiring means being arranged to produce aliasing in said acquired data, said aliasing causing no intersections between different portions of said object in an intermediate data image that is generated from the acquired data prior to processing, and
- means for processing said acquired data to generate said information representative of said image, free of the effects of said aliasing.
Apparatus for generating information representative of an image of an object, comprising
- nuclear magnetic resonance apparatus for applying phase encoding gradient pulses along a dimension of said object to acquire data from said object, said nuclear magnetic resonance apparatus being arranged to produce aliasing in said acquired data, and
- means for processing said acquired data to generate said information representative of said image, free of the effects of said aliasing.
Apparatus for generating information representative of an image of an object that includes blood flowing in a vascular tree, comprising
- means for acquiring data from said objects, said acquiring means being arranged to produce aliasing in said acquired data, and
- means for processing said acquired data to generate said information representative of said image, free of the effects of said aliasing.
Apparatus for generating information representative of an image of an object, comprising
- means for acquiring data from said object, said acquiring means being arranged to produce aliasing in said acquired data, and
- means for processing said acquired data by Fourier transform analysis to generate said information representative of said image, free of the effects of said aliasing.
Apparatus for generating information representative of an image of an object, comprising
- means for acquiring data from said object representative of a three-dimensional image, said acquiring means being arranged to produce aliasing in said acquired data, and
- means for processing said acquired data to generate said information representative of said image, free of the effects of said aliasing.
Apparatus for generating information representative of an image of an object, comprising
- means for acquiring data from said object, said acquiring means being arranged to produce aliasing in said acquired data and including means for imparting, in said acquired data, information that differentiates acquired data representing one portion of said object from acquired data representing another portion of said object when said portions would intersect in an intermediate data image generated from said acquired data prior to processing, and
- means for processing said acquired data to generate said information representative of said image, free of the effects of said aliasing, said processing means excluding one of said intersecting portions based on said information.
A method for generating information representative of an image of an object having a predetermined extent in at least one dimension, comprising
- acquiring data from said object using a field of view in said one dimension that is smaller than the extent of said object in said one dimension to produce aliasing in said data, and
- processing said acquired data to generate said information representative of said image, free from the effects of said aliasing.
A method for generating information representative of an image of an object having spatial continuity, comprising
- acquiring data from said object in a manner selected to produce aliasing in said data, and
- processing said acquired data by screening said acquired data based on said continuity to generate said information representative of said image, free from the effects of said aliasing.
A method for generating information representative of an image of an object that includes a fluid flowing at a variable rate and contained within a relatively static vessel, comprising
- acquiring data from said object in a manner selected to produce aliasing in said data and to enhance said image based on said flow, and
- processing said acquired data to generate said information representative of said image, free from the effects of said aliasing.
A method for generating information representative of an image of an object, comprising
- applying nuclear magnetic resonance phase encoding gradient pulses along a dimension of said object to acquire data from said object in a manner selected to produce aliasing in said data, and
- processing said acquired data to generate said information representative of said image, free from the effects of said aliasing.
A method for generating information representative of an image of an object, comprising
- acquiring data from said object representative of a three-dimensional image in a manner selected to produce aliasing in said data, and
- processing said acquired data to generate said information representative of said image, free from the effects of said aliasing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.