Method and system for automatic view planning for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging acquisition

An apparatus for automated view planning for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition based on a single 3D MRI volume, comprising:

• means for segmenting a left ventricle (LV) in the 3D MRI volume;
• and
• means for automatically generating a scan prescription for cardiac MRI acquisition based on cardiac anchor points provided by the segmented LV in the 3D MRI volume, wherein the means for automatically generating a scan prescription for cardiac MRI acquisition based on cardiac anchor points provided by the segmented LV in the 3D MRI volume comprises:
• means for prescribing a short axis stack based on the cardiac anchor points provided by the segmented LV;
• means for determining a 3-chamber view scanning plane based on the cardiac anchor points provided by the segmented LV;
• means for detecting landmarks in a mid-ventricular short axis slice reconstructed from the 3D MRI volume and corresponding to a short axis slice prescribed in the short axis stack;
• means for determining a 2-chamber view scanning plane based on the landmarks detected in the reconstructed mid-ventricular short axis slice;
• and
• means for determining a 4-chamber view scanning plane based on the landmarks detected in the reconstructed mid-ventricular short axis slice.

A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions for automated view planning for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition based on a single 3D MRI volume, the computer executable instructions defining steps comprising:

• segmenting a left ventricle (LV) in the 3D MRI volume;
• and
• automatically generating a scan prescription for cardiac MRI acquisition based on cardiac anchor points provided by the segmented LV in the 3D MRI volume, wherein the computer executable instructions defining the step of automatically generating a scan prescription for cardiac MRI acquisition based on cardiac anchor points provided by the segmented LV in the 3D MRI volume comprise computer executable instructions defining the steps of:
• prescribing a short axis stack based on the cardiac anchor points provided by the segmented LV;
• determining a 3-chamber view scanning plane based on the cardiac anchor points provided by the segmented LV;
• detecting landmarks in a mid-ventricular short axis slice reconstructed from the 3D MRI volume and corresponding to a short axis slice prescribed in the short axis stack;
• determining a 2-chamber view scanning plane based on the landmarks detected in the reconstructed mid-ventricular short axis slice;
• and
• determining a 4-chamber view scanning plane based on the landmarks detected in the reconstructed mid-ventricular short axis slice.