Back to results
US 7,606,610 B2Granted
Rapid three-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography
AssigneeAllegheny-Singer Research Institute
InventorMark Doyle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for imaging a patient. An apparatus for imaging a patient including a magnetic resonance imager having a controller and a memory in communication with the controller. The controller causes the imager to take a two-dimensional image of the patient which is stored in the memory. The controller identifying locations of interest of the k-space representation of the two-dimensional image, and acquiring a three-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography image based on the locations of interest of the two-dimensional k-space data set.
Claims9
A method for imaging a vascular system of a patient comprising the steps of:
- introducing a bolus of contrast agent into the patient;
- selecting a slab at a position of a desired three-dimensional region and using an EPI sequence to acquire a two-dimensional k-space data set;
- taking a two-dimensional k-space data set of the patient at a same position of the desired three-dimensional region;
- thresholding the two-dimensional k-space data to retain a predetermined percentage of pixels;
- identifying locations of interest of the patient in the two-dimensional k-space;
- applying a three-dimensional acquisition sequence to acquire only those points selected by the thresholding step to form a mask;
- forming a mask from the two-dimensional k-space image to prospectively select data samples for the acquisition of three-dimensional MRA data set of the locations of interest;
- acquiring a three-dimensional MRA data set of the locations of interest of the two-dimensional k-space data set of the selected data samples;
- and
- imaging the contrast agent from the three-dimensional MRA as it passes through the vascular system of the patient.
7 more elements
An apparatus for imaging a patient comprising:
- a bolus of contrast agent for introduction into the patient;
- a magnetic resonance imager having a controller and a memory in communication with the controller, the controller selecting a slab at a position of a desired three-dimensional region and using an EPI sequence to acquire a two-dimensional k-space data set, the controller causing the imager to take a two-dimensional k-space data set of the patient at a same position of the three-dimensional region which is stored in the memory, the controller identifying locations of interest of the patient, including tissue and moving blood, in the two-dimensional k-space data set, forming a mask from the two-dimensional k-space image to prospectively select data samples for the acquisition of three-dimensional MRA data set of the locations of interest, acquiring a three-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography data set of the locations of interest of the two-dimensional k-space data set of the selected data sample;
- and imaging the contrast agent from the three-dimensional MRA as it passes through the vascular system of the patient.
A method for imaging a patient comprising the steps of:
- introducing a bolus of contrast agent into the patient;
- selecting a slab at a position of a desired three-dimensional region and using an EPI sequence to acquire a two-dimensional k-space data set:
- taking a two-dimensional k-space data set of the patient at a same position of the three-dimensional region;
- identifying locations of interest of the patient in the two-dimensional k-space;
- forming a mask from the two-dimensional k-space image to prospectively select data samples for the acquisition of the three-dimensional MRA data set;
- acquiring a three-dimensional MRA data set based on the locations of interest of the two-dimensional k-space data set of the selected data samples, including the step of reducing scanning time for acquiring the three-dimensional MRA data set by about 90 percent relative to a normal time of about 30 seconds it takes to acquire the MRA image;
- imaging the contrast agent from the three-dimensional MRA as it passes through the vascular system of the patient;
- and
- repeating the taking, identifying, forming and acquiring steps.
6 more elements
An apparatus for imaging a patient comprising:
- a bolus of contrast agent for introduction into the patient;
- and
- a magnetic resonance imager having a controller and a memory in communication with the controller, selecting a slab at a position of a desired three-dimensional region and using an EPI sequence to acquire a two-dimensional k-space data set, the controller causing the imager to take a two-dimensional k-space data set of the patient at a same position of the three-dimensional region which is stored in the memory, the controller identifying locations of interest of the patient in the two-dimensional k-space data set, forming a mask from the two-dimensional k-space image to prospectively select data samples for the acquisition of three-dimensional MRA data set, acquiring a three-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography data set based on the locations of interest of the two-dimensional k-space data set of the selected data samples, the controller forms a mask from the two-dimensional k-space data set to prospectively select data samples for the acquisition of the three-dimensional MRA data set, the controller sets regions to zero of the two-dimensional k-space data set based on a predetermined threshold, the controller uses the mask to guide three-dimensional acquisition of approximately 10 percent of the data normally required for a three-dimensional MRA data set.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.