Method of acquiring images of a plane in a magnetic resonance apparatus and magnetic resonance apparatus suitable for carrying out such a method
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
InventorJohannes Jacobus Van Vaals
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a method for acquiring an image of a plane in a magnetic resonance apparatus, the images are obtained in imaging planes which are defined directly with respect to the patient. The magnetic resonance apparatus includes an imaging volume, a patient support table which positioned in the imaging volume, a position measuring device to establish and maintain in real time the position of the patient, as well as a controller for controlling gradient coils in response to the signals provided by the position measuring device in such a manner that consecutive images are acquired from imaging planes which are defined directly with respect to the patient.
Claims10
A method of acquiring magnetic resonance images of a plane comprising the step of:
- acquiring magnetic resonance images in imaging planes which are defined directly relative to reference points of a patient who is disposed in a magnetic resonance apparatus, said imaging planes being adjusted without utilizing a coordinate system of the magnetic resonance apparatus response to patent movement.
A method of introducing a medical instrument into a nor-immobilized body of a patient positioned in a magnetic resonance apparatus where a position of a tissue to be treated has been determined in three dimensions and also a position of entry for the medical instrument has been determined, in which a path to be followed by the medical instrument is defined by at least two different images of body cross-sections through said positions in the magnetic resonance apparatus, said medical instrument being guided along said path so as to reach the tissue to. be treated, an imaging plane being defined by means of a further image in the magnetic resonance apparatus and the point of intersection of the path to be followed by the medical instrument and said imaging plane being indicated in said further image, the medical instrument being maintained at said point of intersection, viewed in the imaging plane, during its introduction, wherein the images in the magnetic resonance apparatus;
- are formed in imaging planes which are defined directly relative to reference points of the non-immobilized body of the patient arranged in the magnetic resonance apparatus said imaging planes being adjusted without utilizing a coordinate system of the magnetic resonance apparatus in response to patient movement.
A magnetic resonance apparatus comprising:
- gradient coils,
- position measuring means for defining and updating a position of a part of the body of a patient disposed in the magnetic resonance apparatus on a real-time basis, and
- control means for controlling in response to signals from said position measuring means, the gradient coils in such a manner that successively acquired images in the magnetic resonance apparatus are formed in imaging planes that are defined directly relative to referance points of the patient without utilizing a coordinate system of the magnetic resonance apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.