Systems and methods for magnetic resonance conditional implant data configuration and storage

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided herein for determining operating conditions of a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner based on data of one or more implants of a patient and storing the data of the one or more implants. In one example, a method includes obtaining data of one or more implants of a patient from one or more sources (702); determining one or more configurations for each of the one or more implants (710); displaying (810) the data and the one or more configurations via a graphical user interface (GUI); determining a recommended configuration based on the one or more configurations (714); determining a selected configuration via a user input to the GUI (716); and determining an operating condition of the MRI scanner based on the selected configuration for the MRI examination (718).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein relate to patient care regimen management, and more particularly, to integrated alarm management for patient care. Background Art

[0002] Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a medical imaging modality can obtain images of the human body without using X-rays or other ionizing radiation. MRI uses a magnet with a strong magnetic field to generate a main magnetic field. If the part of the human body to be imaged is located in the main magnetic field, the nuclear spins associated with the hydrogen nuclei in the human tissue are polarized, so that the tissue of the part to be imaged generates a longitudinal magnetization vector at the macroscopic level. After applying a radio frequency field that intersects the direction of the main magnetic field, the rotation direction of the protons changes, so that the tissue of the part to be imaged generates a transverse magnetization vector at the macroscopic level. After removing the radio frequency field, the transverse magnetization vector decays in a spiral manner until it returns to zero. A free induction decay signal is generated during the decay. The free induction decay signal can be acquired as a magnetic resonance signal, and the tissue image of the part to be imaged can be reconstructed based on the acquired signal. The gradient system is configured to emit layer selection gradient pulses, phase encoding gradient pulses, and frequency encoding gradient pulses (also called readout gradient pulses) to provide three-dimensional position information of the above-mentioned magnetic resonance signals, thereby realizing image reconstruction.

[0003] In recent years, there has been a growing trend to implant devices such as medical devices, orthopedic devices, plastic devices, etc. in the human body. Implants such as pacemakers, orthopedic implants, ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts, puncture devices, etc. in the human body may be affected by magnetic resonance imaging and / or may affect the resulting images. Prior to scanning, parameters related to the implant are usually obtained through verbal questioning, medical record searches, or database searches in order to configure the operating conditions of the MR scanner. Summary of the invention

[0004] In one example, a method includes: obtaining data of one or more implants of a patient from one or more sources; determining one or more configurations of each of the one or more implants; displaying the data and the one or more configurations via a graphical user interface (GUI); determining a recommended configuration based on the one or more configurations; determining a selected configuration via user input to the GUI; and determining operating conditions of an MRI scanner based on the configuration selected for the MRI examination.

[0005] It should be understood that the above brief description is provided to introduce in a simplified form selected concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is uniquely defined by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The present invention will be better understood by reading the following description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0007] Figure 1 A block diagram of an exemplary computing system is shown.

[0008] Figure 2 A block diagram of an exemplary intelligent protocol formulation system is shown.

[0009] Figure 3 An exemplary first graphical user interface (GUI) displaying information of a first implant is shown.

[0010] Figure 4 Shows Figure 3 An exemplary first GUI displaying information of a second implant.

[0011] Figure 5 An exemplary second GUI for selecting a configuration to save to an MRI scanner is shown.

[0012] Figure 6 An exemplary third GUI for an MRI scanner is shown, displaying operating conditions determined based on the selected configuration.

[0013] Figure 7 A flow chart illustrating a method for determining MR operating conditions based on one or more implants is shown.

[0014] Figure 8 A flow chart illustrating a method for determining MR operating conditions based on data of two or more implants obtained from two or more different implant databases is shown.

[0015] Fig. 9 A flow chart illustrating a method for determining a recommended configuration is shown.

[0016] Fig.10 A flow chart illustrating a method for saving data to an implant database, patient record, and / or MRI scanner is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The following description relates to various embodiments of the intelligent protocol formulation system. In particular, systems and methods are provided for determining the operating conditions of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner based on data of one or more implants of a patient and storing the data of the one or more implants. MRI uses a magnet to generate a magnetic field in order to obtain an image of a subject (such as the body of a human patient). If the portion of the human body to be imaged is located within the magnetic field, the nuclear spins associated with the hydrogen nuclei in the human tissue are polarized so that the tissue of the portion to be imaged generates a longitudinal magnetization vector. After applying a radio frequency field that intersects the direction of the magnetic field, the rotation direction of the protons changes so that the tissue of the portion to be imaged generates a transverse magnetization. After removing the radio frequency field, the transverse magnetization vector decays in a spiral manner until it returns to zero. A free induction decay signal is generated during the decay. The free induction decay signal can be acquired as a magnetic resonance signal, and an image of the tissue of the portion to be imaged can be reconstructed based on the acquired signal.

[0018] In some examples, the subject being imaged (such as a human patient) may have one or more implanted devices (e.g., implants) that may be affected by the magnetic field of the scanner or may affect the resulting images acquired by the MR scanner. In this case, it is often necessary to determine the parameters of the implant prior to acquisition in order to configure the operating conditions of the MR scanner to reduce these effects. Implanted devices such as pacemakers, internal cardiac defibrillators, neurostimulators (e.g., deep brain stimulators (DBS), vagus nerve stimulators, sacral nerve stimulators, etc.), ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts, etc. may be MR conditional. Other implants, such as certain clips, such as ferromagnetic clips for cerebral aneurysms, may not be compatible with MRI under any conditions. MR conditional implants may enter the MRI scanner only under specific conditions corresponding to the implant itself, and these conditions need to be met before the patient can be imaged. The parameters that the implant may meet may include, but are not limited to, static field strength, maximum spatial field gradient, dB / dt limits, specific absorption rate (SAR), type of radio frequency (RF) coil, etc. For example, with DBS, if the conditions set for a particular DBS implant are not met, component heating may occur, particularly with respect to the electrode leads.

[0019] In order to meet the conditions of one or more specific implants, personnel such as referring physicians, administrators, MR supervisors, and MR technicians often spend a lot of time determining the parameters of the implant. This may lead to delays in scheduling and obtaining scans, which in turn may lead to delayed diagnosis. The implant data for these parameters is usually stored separately and is not dependent on the patient's records. In this way, each MR scan scheduled for the patient may require repeated searches for implant parameter details because the data is not recorded and stored in an easily accessible manner. In addition, although the company may have a database of its corresponding implants, the data is not stored for medical staff to refer to later.

[0020] Additionally, determining MR operating conditions when a patient has more than one implant can be cumbersome and time consuming. In such cases, multiple sets of parameters need to be determined, and in order for the MR operating conditions to meet the specifications of each of the more than one implants, these parameters are manually compared to one another to determine operating conditions that meet the requirements of each implant. Determining the configuration of more than one implant can be time consuming and frustrating for personnel, especially when the data for one or more of the implants is difficult to track.

[0021] The present invention describes a system and method for MR conditional implant data configuration and storage, which solves the above-mentioned problem of determining the operating conditions of an MRI scanner based on the parameters of one or more implanted devices. By obtaining the parameters and configuration of each implant in one or more implants from one or more sources, it is possible to determine a recommended configuration and the data of the implant can be directly saved to a corresponding patient record, an implant database and / or an MRI scanner, via which the corresponding patient can be imaged according to the selected configuration. In this way, the time spent in determining implant data, reformatting implant data, and determining the appropriate operating conditions of an MRI scanner can be reduced.

[0022] The methods and systems presented herein will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 An example of a computing system is shown. Figure 2 An example of an intelligent protocol formulation system is shown. Figure 3 and Figure 4 An example of a first graphical user interface (GUI) is shown with a first implant and a second implant selected, respectively. Figure 5 An example of a second GUI is shown through which a user may select configurations. Figure 6 A third GUI of an MRI scanner is shown. Figure 7 A method for obtaining implant data and determining MR operating conditions therefor is illustrated. Figure 8 A method for obtaining and reformatting implant data from multiple sources is illustrated. Fig. 9A method for determining a recommended configuration is illustrated. Fig.10 Illustrated is a method for saving implant data to one of a patient record, an implant database, and an MRI scanner.

[0023] Reference now Figure 1 , shows an example of a computing system 100. Computing system 100 may include computing device 102, which may include, by way of illustrative and non-limiting examples, a server, a personal computer, a workstation, a mobile device (e.g., a cellular phone, a smart phone, a computing tablet, etc.), or any other type of computing device.

[0024] The computing device 102 includes one or more processors 104, which are configured to execute machine-readable instructions stored in a non-transitory memory 106. The processor 104 can be a single-core or multi-core processor, and the program executed thereon can be configured for parallel processing or distributed processing. In some embodiments, the processor 104 may optionally include separate hardware components distributed throughout two or more devices, which can be remotely located and / or configured for collaborative processing. In some embodiments, one or more aspects of the processor 104 can be virtualized and executed by a remotely accessible networked computing device configured in a cloud computing configuration. The computing device 102 also includes a non-transitory memory 106. It should be understood that the computing device 102 may include additional memory devices, including volatile memory, mass storage, local memory, etc.

[0025] The memory 106 includes one or more data storage structures, such as optical memory devices, magnetic memory devices, or solid-state memory devices, which are used to store programs and routines executed by the processor 104 to implement various functions disclosed herein. The memory 106 may include any desired type of volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as, for example, static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), etc. The processor 104 may be, for example, any suitable processor, processing unit, or microprocessor. The processor 104 may be a multi-processor system, and therefore may include one or more additional processors that are identical or similar to each other and communicatively coupled via an interconnect bus. In some examples, the memory 106 may include components disposed at two or more devices, which may be remotely located and / or configured for coordinated processing. In some embodiments, one or more aspects of the memory 106 may include a remotely accessible networked storage device configured in a cloud computing configuration. The processor 104 and the memory 106 may be coupled, for example, via a communication bus 118.

[0026] The computing device 102 may also include an interface 120 communicatively coupled to the processor 104 and the memory 106 via the communication bus 118. The interface 120 may be implemented by one or more of any type of interface standards, such as an Ethernet interface, a universal serial bus (USB), a BLUETOOTH interface, a near field communication (NFC) interface, and / or a PCI express interface.

[0027] The computing device 102 may also include one or more output devices 122 that are communicatively coupled to the processor 104 and the non-transitory memory 106 via the interface 120. The output device 122 may include, for example, one or more display devices. Such display devices may include one or more display devices utilizing virtually any type of technology (e.g., light emitting diodes (LEDs), organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), liquid crystal displays (LCDs), cathode ray tube (CRT) displays, in-situ switching (IPS) displays, touch screens, etc.). In some examples, the output device 122 may include a computing monitor that is configured to display various types and styles of medical information, such as medical information presented in a GUI. The output device 122 may be combined with the processor 104, the memory 106, and / or the user input device 124 in a common housing, or may be a peripheral display device, and may include a monitor, a touch screen, a projector, or other output devices known in the art that may enable a user to plan and manage radiation therapy according to one or more examples disclosed herein, and / or interact with various data stored in the memory 106.

[0028] The computing device 102 may also include one or more user input devices 124 coupled to the processor 104 and the memory 106 via the interface 120. The user input device 124 may include, for example, one or more of a touch screen, a keyboard, a mouse, a trackpad, a motion sensing camera, a microphone, or other devices configured to enable a user to interact with and manipulate data within the computing device 102.

[0029] Interface 120 may also include communication devices, such as transmitters, receivers, transceivers, modems, home gateways, wireless access points, and / or network interfaces to facilitate the exchange of data with external machines (e.g., any kind of computing device) via network 126. For example, communication may be performed via, for example, an Ethernet connection, a digital subscriber line (DSL) connection, a telephone line connection, a coaxial cable system, a satellite system, a line-of-sight wireless system, a cellular telephone system, etc. As a non-limiting example, Figure 1 A number of devices / systems are shown that may be communicatively coupled to computing device 102 via network 126 , including MRI scanner 130 , implant database 140 , electronic medical record (EMR) 150 , and imaging service 152 .

[0030] The computing device 102 may also include an intelligent protocol formulation system 108 stored in the memory 106. The intelligent protocol formulation system 108 may be configured to obtain data for one or more implants of the patient, wherein the data includes one or more configurations of multiple parameters for each of the one or more implants, as will be further described below. The data for the one or more implants may be stored in an implant database 140, an EMR 150, and / or an imaging service 152. The intelligent protocol formulation system 108 may also be configured to determine a recommended configuration based on multiple parameter configurations of the one or more implants. The recommended configuration may include a recommended set of parameter configurations, the recommended set including a parameter configuration for each of the multiple parameters. The configuration of the parameters may be selected via the intelligent protocol formulation system 108 and sent to the MRI scanner 130. Additional information about obtaining implant data, determining recommended configurations, and saving implant data to the implant database 140, the EMR 150, and / or the MRI scanner 130 is provided below with respect to Figures 7 to 10 Given.

[0031] The imaging service 152 may include a radiology information system (RIS), a picture archiving and communication system (PACS), and / or other computing devices associated with diagnostic imaging, including computing devices associated with and configured to control diagnostic imaging scanners. The computing devices comprising the imaging service 152 may manage the scheduling of diagnostic imaging examinations, recommend and execute scan protocols to perform diagnostic imaging examinations, process imaging data to generate images and / or imaging volumes, save diagnostic images / volumes in memory, process diagnostic images / volumes to segment anatomical regions of interest, etc. Specifically, the RIS may be configured to track and manage radiology requests and workflows (e.g., MRI, CT, and other imaging requests and workflows), and the PACS may be configured to store diagnostic images obtained during a diagnostic imaging session (e.g., images obtained during a simulation scan). The imaging service 152 may receive information from the intelligent protocol development system 108, such as a determined recommended configuration of a set of implants for determining MR operating conditions, which may be sent to the MR scanner, as previously noted.

[0032] Implant database 140 can store the data of multiple implants.For example, implant database 140 can store the model of implant, related company / producer, product type, the MRI system (for example, 3.0T and 1.5T) allowed, link to implant manual and one or more groups of configuration data for multiple parameters, these multiple parameters include the SAR of dB / dt mode, SAR mode and various body parts, the maximum single series time, the RF transmitting coil allowed etc.In some examples, the data stored in implant database 140 can not be specific to a particular patient, and therefore can not include the data of implantation date, implantation site or serial number.In other examples, implant database 140 can include patient details, and for example, in such cases, implant database 140 can be linked to EMR database 150.

[0033] The EMR database 150 can store EMRs for multiple patients. The EMR for a patient may include patient demographic information, family medical history, past medical history, lifestyle information, comorbidities (e.g., pre-existing medical conditions), current medications, allergies, surgical history, past medical screenings and procedures, past hospitalizations and visits, etc. The EMR database 150 may be an external database accessible via a secure hospital interface, or the EMR database 150 may be a local database (e.g., housed on a hospital's device). The EMR database 150 may be a database stored in a mass storage device that is configured to communicate with a secure channel (e.g., HTTP and TLS) and store data in an encrypted form. In addition, the EMR database is configured to control access to the patient's electronic medical records so that only authorized health care providers can edit and access the electronic medical records. In addition, information from the EMR database 150 may be retrieved with the intelligent protocol formulation system 108, and if the data of the implant is stored in the EMR database 150 for the patient, it is used to automatically fill in the details of the patient's implant.

[0034] Although in Figure 1102, but one or more workstations may also be communicatively coupled to computing device 102 via network 126. Each workstation may include a processor, memory, communication module, user input device, display (e.g., screen or monitor), and / or other subsystems (similar to the processes, memory, communication module, user input device, and output device of computing device 102), and may be in the form of a desktop computing device, a laptop computing device, a tablet computer, a smart phone, or other device. Each workstation may be adapted to send and receive encrypted data, and display medical information (including medical images in a suitable format such as Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) or other standards). As will be explained in more detail below, a workstation may display a GUI as described herein and may facilitate user interaction with the GUI.

[0035] The smart protocol formulation system 108 can obtain data stored in various data sources, aggregate the data, and share the data with various downstream devices, such as Figure 2 Described. The intelligent protocol formulation system 108 can employ one or more connection methods. The connection methods may include DICOM images, DICOM SR, HL7, FHIR, proprietary logs associated with manufacturers or operating systems, and the like. Thus, the computing device 102 can be operably coupled to data sources / downstream devices (e.g., imaging services 152, implant database 140, MRI scanner 130, and EMR database 150) via a wired connection, a wireless connection, and / or any method for communicatively connecting systems. As described herein, "operably coupled" should be understood as coupling elements via a connection method (e.g., a wired connection, a wireless connection, etc.) that enables data, signals, requests, and / or other information to be transmitted between operably coupled elements.

[0036] It should be understood that Figure 1 The computing system 100 shown is illustrative and non-limiting, and another suitable computing system 100 may include more, fewer, or different components. The various systems included in the computing system 100 (e.g., computing device 102, imaging service 152, implant database 140, MRI scanner 130, and EMR database 150) may be separated devices in communication, such as Figure 1 As shown. One or more of the devices described herein may be implemented via a cloud or other computer network. For example, computing device 102 Figure 1102 as constituting a single entity, it should be understood that the computing device 102 may be distributed across multiple devices, such as across multiple servers. In addition, while the smart protocol formulation system 108 is shown as being included as part of the computing device 102, in some examples, the smart protocol formulation system 108 may be included as part of one or more other devices, such as being implemented as part of the imaging service 152.

[0037] Now turn to Figure 2 , showing an intelligent protocol formulation system 200. The intelligent protocol formulation system 200 may be Figure 1 The smart protocol formulation system 108 may be implemented as part of a computing system (such as computing system 100) that is communicatively coupled to an input device, an MRI scanner, an implant database, and an EMR database. However, in other embodiments, the smart protocol formulation system 200 may be disposed at a device (e.g., a server, an edge device, etc.) that is communicatively coupled to the computing system via a wired and / or wireless connection. In some examples, at least a portion of the smart protocol formulation system 200 may be disposed at a separate device (e.g., a workstation) that may receive and / or obtain data from various databases such as an EMR database 234, an imaging service 236, and / or an implant database 238. The smart protocol formulation system 200 may be communicatively coupled to a user input device 232 and a display device 230. In some examples, the user input device 232 may be the input device 124, and the display device 230 may be Figure 1 The output device 122 of the computing system 100.

[0038] The smart protocol formulation system 200 may include a memory capable of being used by a processor (e.g., a processor and / or a processor of the smart protocol formulation system 200). Figure 1The processor 104 of the computing system 100 of the present invention may be a plurality of modules of instructions executed by the processor 104 of the computing system 100 of the present invention, and / or include a processor for performing various actions, these modules include a configuration recommendation module 202, an implant data retrieval module 204, an MR operating condition module 206 and a data format reconfiguration module 208 stored in a non-transitory memory. The implant data retrieval module 204 may store instructions for obtaining data corresponding to one or more implants of the patient. In some examples, the implant data retrieval module 204 may store instructions for obtaining data from an implant database 238 in response to an implant model and a company's instructions (e.g., via user input). In other examples, when implant data is stored in the EMR database 234 of the corresponding patient, the implant data retrieval module 204 may store instructions for obtaining data from the EMR database 234. In some further examples, the implant data retrieval module 204 may store instructions for obtaining data via user input to the GUI. The data obtained via implant data retrieval module 204 may include implant model, company / manufacturer, product type, implant date, implant location, allowed MRI system, link to implant manual, link to implant picture, last update date and multiple parameter configurations. In some examples, multiple parameter configurations may include more than one configuration for each parameter of a given disease, such as more than one set of configurations may correspond to a given implant and be retrieved by implant data retrieval module 204.

[0039] The configuration recommendation module 202 may store instructions for determining a recommended configuration for a set of implants for a patient based on a plurality of parameters retrieved by the implant data retrieval module 204. The recommended configuration may include a recommended set of parameter configurations. Fig. 9 As further described, the configuration recommendation module 202 may store instructions for determining a lowest or otherwise most conservative parameter configuration for each of the parameters when generating the recommended configurations in order to determine recommendations that meet the minimum parameters for each implant.

[0040] The MR operating conditions module 206 may store instructions for determining, from a configuration selected for a particular patient, MR device output adjustment parameters to be used when acquiring MR images for a corresponding scheduled MRI examination of the patient.

[0041] The data format reconfiguration module 208 may store instructions for reformatting data obtained from various sources into another format that can be processed by the smart protocol formulation system 200. The data format reconfiguration module 208 may be part of the hardware, firmware, or other software of the system, and the incoming obtained data may be analyzed and reformatted as needed by them before being processed by other modules. For example, the implant data retrieval module 204 may store instructions for obtaining data from a database of a first implant company storing data in a first format and from a database of a second implant company storing data in a second different format. For example, the first implant company may store data as C code data, and the second implant company may store data as GTIN (global trade item number) data. The data format reconfiguration module 208 may reconfigure data from two sources into a third format, or reconfigure into one of the first format and the second format, so that the configuration recommendation module 202 and the MR operating condition module 206 utilize the data. For example, the smart protocol formulation system 200 may reformat C code data and GTIN data into UDI (unique device identifier) ​​code data.

[0042] For example, a first format may include a code with a device name and an implant year (e.g., NameYear), while a second format may include a code with a company, a device name, and a date, where the date is a combination of text and numbers (e.g., CompanyNameDayMonthYear). A third format may include a code with a company, a device name, and a year (e.g., CompanyNameYear). The smart protocol formulation system 200 may obtain data in the first format and / or the second format from a corresponding database and reformat them into the third format using the information obtained from the database. The smart protocol formulation system 200 may then store the obtained information in the third format and provide it to a computing system to determine a recommended configuration and determine MR operating conditions.

[0043] Now turn to Figure 3 , shows an example of the first GUI 300. The first GUI 300 may be displayed in a manner similar to that of a smart protocol formulation system (such as Figure 2 The intelligent protocol formulation system 200) communicates with a display device (such as Figure 2 The first GUI 300 may display implant configuration, MR device output adjustment parameters, etc.

[0044] The first GUI 300 may include demographic data 304 of the selected patient 302. The selected patient 302 may have one or two implant devices implanted in its body. The first GUI 300 may display an implant list 320 including each implant of the selected patient 302. The implant list 320 may include multiple drop-down menus, through which the implants of the selected patient 302 may be selected. For example, the selectable element of the first implant 322 of the implant list 320 may be selectable to start a drop-down menu, through which the first implant 322 of the selected patient 302 may be selected. The selectable element of the second implant 324 of the implant list 320 may be selectable to start a second drop-down menu, through which the second implant 324 (if present) of the selected patient 302 may be selected. The second drop-down menu may exclude the selected first implant 322. The first implant 322, the second implant 324 and other implants of the implant list 320 may be selectable, so as to display the data corresponding to the corresponding implant.

[0045] For example, the first implant 322 is Figure 3 322 is shown as being selected. In this case, the first implant 322 can be a pacemaker. When the first implant 322 is selected, the first GUI 300 can display implant information 326 and a configuration representation 330 corresponding to the first implant 322. The implant information 326 may include multiple parameters of the corresponding implant, each parameter being listed in a selectable element. For example, a selectable element 328 detailing the model of the corresponding implant can start a drop-down menu, through which the model can be selected via user input. In this way, the details of the implant, including model, company / manufacturer, product type, implantation date, implantation location, a link to an implant manual, and a link to one or more photos of the implant, can be manually entered into the system via user input. Alternatively and / or in addition thereto, one or more parameters in the multiple parameters of the corresponding implant can be automatically filled based on the implant data obtained from the EMR database and / or the implant database. In other examples, a combination of manual input and auto-fill input may be used to define parameters for an implant based on data available within the implant database and / or EMR database and data obtained manually (e.g., if the data is not stored in a connected database / source, MR personnel uses a physical card from the patient to determine the parameters).

[0046] The first GUI 300 may also include a target MRI scanner element 308 and a target RF transmit coil element 310. The target MRI scanner element 308 may indicate the type of MRI scanner to be used to acquire the patient image. The target MRI scanner element 308 may include a drop-down menu through which a user input may indicate the type of scanner via the drop-down menu. The target RF transmit coil element 310 may indicate the target RF transmit coil for the MRI scanner and may include a drop-down menu through which a user may indicate the coil, similar to what is described with respect to the implant information 326. In some examples, the target MRI scanner element 308 and / or the target RF transmit coil element 310 may be automatically populated by the system based on the implant information or other known factors. A last updated date 312 indicating the most recent date the implant information was updated may also be selected via user input or automatically populated based on the acquired data.

[0047] The implant selected from the implant list 320 (in this case, the first implant 322) may include one or more configurations thereof, depending on the type of implant, the location of the implant, and how MR imaging affects the implant. For example, for a pacemaker, a first configuration may include parameter recommendations that include a scan range with the head and neck (e.g., above the C7 vertebra), while a second configuration may include parameter recommendations that include a scan range with the rest of the body (e.g., below the C7 vertebra). In this way, a configuration may be selected to define MR device output adjustments based on the type of scan being performed, such as using a first configuration for a brain MRI and a second configuration for a lumbar spine MRI.

[0048] Representation 330 may include a representation 336 of the patient's body, wherein a shaded area for each of the corresponding scan ranges for the configuration of the selected implant covers the corresponding area of ​​the body to which the scan range corresponds. For example, a first shaded area 332 may correspond to a first configuration scan range, and a second shaded area 334 may correspond to a second configuration scan range. The first configuration may be selected via a first configuration element 338. The second configuration may be selected via a second configuration element 340. Based on the configuration selected via the corresponding element, different parameters of the MR device output adjustment 342 may be displayed. In addition, either the first shaded area 332 or the second shaded area 334 may be highlighted, depending on which configuration element is selected. For example, in Figure 3 In the depicted example, the first configuration element 338 is selected and thus the first shaded area 332 corresponding to the first configuration of the first implant is highlighted (eg, shaded yellow) and the second shaded area 334 is not highlighted (eg, shaded blue).

[0049] Various save options can be obtained from within the first GUI 300. For example, the first save element 350 can allow a first subset of implant data to be saved to a device database (e.g., an implant database). The second save element 352 can allow a second subset of implant data to be saved to a patient record (e.g., a corresponding patient EMR). In some examples, the first save element 350 and the second save element 352 can be selected to save a corresponding subset of implant data without breaking away from the first GUI 300. However, the third save element 354 can launch a separate GUI window when selected via user input, such as opening a window about the implant data. Figure 5 A third save element 354 may allow the implant data to be saved to the MRI scanner for use in a specified MRI examination.

[0050] Before starting the first GUI 300, a given patient may have had the arrangement of the MRI inspection recorded in imaging services (such as RIS).Therefore, the third preservation element 354 can save the implant data imported or manually input to the specified MRI inspection, so as to define the scanning protocol of the MRI scanner for the specified MRI inspection.But, the implant data imported or manually input can define or otherwise include the configuration for the MRI inspection of various types.In this way, implant data can be saved to patient records and / or saved to the equipment database to further be used for various types of MRI inspection.

[0051] Now turn to Figure 4 , a first GUI 300 is shown in which a second implant 324 of the implant list 320 is selected. Each of the elements of the first GUI 300 may be similar to those described with respect to the implant list 320, except that the implant information 326 and the representation may correspond to the second implant (e.g., in the case presented, the second implant is selected to be a sacral stimulator). Figure 3 as described.

[0052] The available options for each parameter of implant information 326 may correspond to the implant selected from implant list 320. For example, in Figure 3 In the example shown in FIG. 3 , when the first implant 322 of the implant list 320 is selected, the drop-down menu of the selectable element 328 may show various models of pacemakers (eg, the first implant), but in the example shown in FIG. Figure 4 In the case where the second implant 324 of the implant list 320 is selected, the drop-down menu of the selectable element 328 can show various sacral stimulator device (e.g., second implant) models. In this way, the selection and / or auto-population of the patient's implant can automatically filter the available options of implant information within the interface for each implant.

[0053] In some examples, the selected implant may have more than one configuration that has the same scan range as another configuration thereof. For example, a first configuration of a second implant of patient 302 may have the same scan range as a second configuration of the second implant. A shaded area 410 corresponding to both the scan ranges of the first configuration and the second configuration may be overlaid on the representation 412 of patient 302, similar to the illustration of FIG. Figure 3 In this way, the configurations, whether different or identical to each other, can be easily visualized by the user. Based on different configuration parameters, switching between the first configuration element 338 and the second configuration element 340 can result in a change to the displayed MR device output adjustment parameter 342.

[0054] In other examples, the selected implant may have only one configuration, in which case a shaded area corresponding to that configuration may be displayed over the representation of the patient and the MR device output adjustment parameters may be displayed as described above. Figure 3 and Figure 4 Both are shown, but one configuration may always be selected via a configuration element (eg, similar to first configuration element 338).

[0055] Reference now Figure 5 , GUI 500 is shown. Second GUI 500 can be a pop-up window or interface displayed in response to user selection of third save element 354 of first GUI 300, and the third save element indicates that implant data (including type, parameters such as implant location, model, etc., and configuration (e.g., including each parameter configuration)) will be saved to MRI scanner. Second GUI 500 can be displayed on the same display device as first GUI 300. In some examples, second GUI 500 can be displayed as a pop-up window on top of first GUI 300, and the first GUI can still be displayed below.

[0056] The second GUI 500 may display each implant of the patient 302 in a separate column. For example, a first implant column 502, a second implant column 504, and a third implant column 520 may be displayed within the second GUI 500. The first implant column 502 may correspond to the first implant 322 of the implant list 320 of the first GUI 300, the second implant column 504 may correspond to the second implant 324 of the implant list 320, and so on.

[0057] An implant parameter column 514 may also be displayed within the second GUI 500. The implant parameter column 514 may display a plurality of parameters in respective rows. Each parameter may be an MRI scanner parameter required for a corresponding implant. In a row, the corresponding parameter configuration for a given implant configuration may be displayed in a corresponding column. For example, for a parameter 522 indicating the average effective RF magnetic field (e.g., B1+RMS) generated by the RF transmit coil for a given pulse sequence, the corresponding B1+RMS value for each configuration of each implant may be displayed in a corresponding column. For example, a first value 524 corresponding to a first configuration of a first implant is displayed in a first subcolumn 506 of the first implant column 502, a second value 526 corresponding to a second configuration of the first implant is displayed in a second subcolumn 508 of the first implant column 502, a third value 528 corresponding to a first configuration of a second implant is displayed in a first subcolumn 510 of the second implant column 504, a fourth value 530 corresponding to a second configuration of the second implant is displayed in a second subcolumn 512 of the second implant column 504, and a fifth value 532 corresponding to a first configuration of a third implant is displayed in the third implant column 520. In some examples, the values ​​in the columns can be numbers, text, or other values ​​that indicate the corresponding parameter configuration.

[0058] The second GUI 500 may also display a recommended configuration with a plurality of recommended parameter configurations in the recommendation column 540, the recommended parameter configurations being based on a plurality of configurations of one or more implants of the patient, such as Fig. 9 Similar to the above-described columns and / or sub-columns, each row in the recommended column 540 may correspond to a parameter in the implant parameter column 514. For example, the fifth value 546 may correspond to the parameter 522. In some examples, the fifth value 546 may be equal to the most conservative value in the row. For example, the fifth value 546 may be 2.8, and the available options for the value of the row for parameter 522 may be 2.8 or 3.2. 2.8 may be considered more conservative than 3.2, and therefore may be included in the recommended configuration and displayed within the recommended column 540, as will be described with respect to FIG. Fig. 9 Further described.

[0059] One or more of the implant columns such as the first implant column 502 and the second implant column 504 and the recommendation column 540 may include a preservation element. The first implant column 502 may include a first preservation element 550, and the second implant column 504 may include a second preservation element 552, and the recommendation column 540 may include a third preservation element 554. When selecting a corresponding preservation element, a set of parameter configurations may be saved to an MRI scanner. For example, the recommended configuration may be saved to an MRI scanner in response to the selection of the third preservation element 554. The selection of a specific parameter configuration set may define MR device output adjustment parameters based on the parameter configuration set. In some examples, the selection of the preservation element corresponding to an implant may save all implant configurations to an MRI scanner. Which implant configuration is used to determine the MR operating condition may be determined via another GUI, such as a GUI corresponding to an MRI scanner.

[0060] In addition, the second GUI 500 may display the Figure 3 and Figure 4 336 and 412 and highlighted shaded areas for a given configuration. For example, for a first sub-column 506 of a first implant column 502 corresponding to a first configuration of a first implant, a representation 336 of the patient's body is displayed and a first shaded area 332 corresponding to the first configuration is highlighted.

[0061] The recommended configuration displayed in the recommendation column 540 can be editable via one of the edit element 542 and the reset element 544. The edit element 542, when selected, can allow the user to indicate the selected parameter via user input (e.g., mouse click or keyboard typing). The reset element 544 can lead to repeated determination of the parameter configuration of the recommended configuration. In such cases where one or more parameter configurations can be changed, the user can edit the recommended configuration via the edit element 542. For example, the recommended configuration can recommend a B1+RMS of 2.8 (e.g., parameter 522) based on various configurations of the patient's implant, where 2.8 is the most conservative value presented by the second configuration corresponding to the first implant. However, when the scheduled MRI examination has a scanning range corresponding to the first configuration of the first implant and all other implants also require a B1+RMS of 3.2, the user can determine that a B1+RMS of 3.2 can be used instead. In this way, the shaded area corresponding to the scanning range depicted with the corresponding column can help the user determine the configuration used when determining the MR device output adjustment parameters.

[0062] Now turn to Figure 6, showing a third GUI 600. The third GUI 600 may be displayed on a display device that is communicatively coupled to the MRI scanner. In some examples, the display device on which the third GUI 600 is displayed may be the same display device on which the first GUI 300 and the second GUI 500 are displayed. In other examples, the display device on which the third GUI 600 is displayed may be a display device different from the display device on which the first GUI 300 and the second GUI 500 are displayed. The third GUI 600 may be displayed in response to a user's selection of an MRI examination of a patient and / or in response to a user's selection of one of the saved elements of the second GUI 500 (e.g., the first saved element 550, the second saved element 552, or the third saved element 554).

[0063] The third GUI 600 may be a GUI for the MRI scanner to which the display device is coupled. Thus, the third GUI 600 may display information related to the MRI scanner and the selected MRI examination. For example, scanner information 602 may be displayed in the third GUI 600. The scanner information 602 may include parameters such as nominal field strength, nuclear imaging, scanner type, and magnetic field orientation. In addition, MR device output adjustment parameters 604 may be displayed in the third GUI 600 and may be based on or otherwise defined by the selected configuration from the second GUI 500. In an example where multiple configurations of an implant are saved via the second GUI 500, a configuration element 606 may be displayed in the third GUI 600. Similar to Figure 3 The configuration elements 606 of the first configuration element 338 and the second configuration element 340 may allow the user to switch between different configurations of the implant to select one of these configurations. In such an example, the MR device output adjustment parameter 604 may depend on the selected configuration element. The third GUI 600 may also display a representation 610 of a patient positioned relative to an MRI scanner, wherein the MRI scanner is represented by a set of non-selectable elements 612.

[0064] The first GUI 300 and the second GUI 500 may allow for determination and definition of MR device output adjustment parameters 604 displayed within the third GUI 600, and may allow a user to more easily visualize MR operating conditions that may affect one or more implants of a patient. In this manner, checking of relevant parameters for a given implant may be made easier and more efficient, thereby reducing the time spent by MR personnel in double checking and cross-referencing indicated parameters.

[0065] Reference now Figure 7 , a flow chart illustrating a method 700 for generating MR operating conditions from acquired implant data is shown. The method 700 may be used as described above with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2 For example, the method 700 may be executed according to instructions stored in a memory of one or more processors of a computing device (such as the computing device 102), which is communicatively coupled to one or more display devices configured to display GUIs (such as the first GUI 300 and the second GUI 500). In addition, the computing device through which the method 700 is executed may be communicatively coupled to an MRI scanner, which may image a patient's body according to a set of MR device output adjustment parameters to obtain an MRI image.

[0066] At 702, method 700 includes obtaining implant data of one or more implants of a patient. The implant data may include data specific to the implant type, the patient, and the configuration of the MRI scanner corresponding to the implant. For example, data specific to the implant type may include model, company / manufacturer, etc., data specific to the patient may include implant position in the body, implant date, serial number, photo, etc., and data specific to the configuration of the MRI scanner corresponding to the implant may include one or more groups of parameter configurations for the implant, wherein the parameters include various MRI scanner modes (e.g., dB / dt mode, SAR mode), scan range, spatial gradient, maximum conversion rate, SAR (e.g., whole body and head), B1+RMS, maximum single series time, allowed FR transmission coils, and allowed RF drive modes.

[0067] Implant data can be stored in a variety of sources. For example, implant data can be stored in a patient record (e.g., an EMR database), where the patient record is communicatively coupled to the computing device through which method 700 is performed, in a device database (e.g., an implant database) that stores data that is not specific to the patient's implant and is communicatively coupled to the computing device, and / or in other storage media that is not communicatively coupled to the computing device. Implant data can be obtained from one or more of a variety of sources. For example, implant data can be obtained from a patient record, as indicated at 704; from an implant database (e.g., a device database), as indicated at 706; and / or from a GUI (such as a Figure 3 The GUI 300 of the present invention may be obtained based on user input of the first GUI 300), as indicated at 708. The GUI may display a plurality of implant information elements, which may be automatically populated and / or manually selected via user input based on where the implant information was obtained.

[0068] For example, implant data obtained only from the patient record can be automatically populated into the GUI and the memory of the computing device. In some examples, implant data can be obtained from more than one source. For example, implant data can be obtained from both the patient record and one or more implant databases. Implant data obtained from a device database may not include patient-specific information, so a combination of automatically populating the data into the GUI and memory and manually entering the data into the GUI and memory can be used. In some examples, a patient may have multiple implants, where data for the implants is stored in more than one device database, such as storing data about the implants in the GUI and memory. Figure 8 In such cases, data may be retrieved from more than one device database and may be automatically populated into corresponding GUI elements and memory.

[0069] At 710, method 700 includes determining multiple configurations that can be used for MRI scanner parameters based on implant data of one or more implants obtained. In some examples, the configuration can be a set of parameter configurations, including MRI parameters, such as mode, SAR, scanning range, etc., as outlined above. Determining multiple available configurations can include determining one or more configurations for each implant, as indicated at 712, and determining a recommended configuration based on one or more configurations for each implant, as indicated at 714. The determination of one or more configurations of each implant can be based on the implant data obtained. In some examples, the implant data obtained from a database (e.g., from an EMR database) that is communicatively coupled to a computing device can include one or more configurations for the corresponding implant. In other examples, the configuration can be manually input by a user based on implant data obtained from an external database. For example, the implant data (including its configuration) of a first type of implant can be obtained from an external database and manually input via a user input of a first patient. The implant data of a first type of implant can be saved to a computing device and then used for a second patient, including the implant data of the configuration can be obtained from the inside and automatically filled for the second patient. Determination of the recommended configuration may include determining the most conservative configuration of parameters in the implant configuration, such as Fig. 9 Further described.

[0070] At 716, method 700 includes receiving user input selecting a configuration from the plurality of configurations. The plurality of configurations may be displayed in a GUI, in some examples a GUI in which implant data is displayed, and in other examples a different GUI, such as a second GUI 500 initiated in response to a user indication to save implant data to an MRI scanner / examination. The GUI in which the plurality of configurations is displayed may also include a save element, such as a Figure 5As described. The user can select the corresponding configuration to the selection of one of the saved elements. In some examples, when the implant is selected and the implant has more than one configuration, more than one configuration can be selected. In such examples, a second selection of one of the more than one configurations can be made by a GUI or another GUI (such as, a GUI specific to an MRI scanner, for example, the third GUI 600).

[0071] At 718, method 700 includes determining MR device output adjustment parameters based on the selected configuration. MR device output adjustment parameters (e.g., operating condition parameters) may include spatial gradients, gradient outputs (e.g., maximum slew rate), RF outputs (e.g., whole body SAR, head SAR, and B1+RMS), maximum single series time, allowed RF transmit coils, and / or allowed RF drive modes. MR device output adjustment parameters may overlap with some implant data configuration parameters, and thus may be based on the obtained implant data configuration and / or the selected configuration.

[0072] At 720, method 700 includes importing the selected configuration and MR device output adjustment parameters into the MRI scanner. The selected configuration and its parameter configuration can be imported into the MRI scanner in response to a user's selection of one of the save elements in the GUI and / or in response to a selection of a specific implant configuration in the MRI GUI. The imported selected configuration and MR device output adjustment parameters can be specific to a specific MRI examination scheduled for the patient. The MRI scanner can store the configuration and parameters for the specific MRI examination.

[0073] At 722, method 700 includes operating the MRI scanner according to the MR device output adjustment parameters. As noted, the MR device output adjustment parameters define a set of parameters for the MRI scanner to acquire images of the patient. The MRI scanner can be operated according to these parameters to acquire images of the patient within the requirements of each implant that the patient has for the particular MRI examination scheduled.

[0074] In this way, the acquisition of implant data and the importation and use of that data to define MRI scanner parameters can be made more efficient and less cumbersome for MRI personnel. By providing a means to store and import implant data into an MRI scanner automatically rather than only manually, the time spent searching for implant data and inserting that data into the system can be reduced.

[0075] Now turn to Figure 8 , a flowchart illustrating a method 800 for obtaining data of a plurality of implants and storing them in various databases is shown. The method 800 may be used as described above with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2For example, the method 800 may be executed according to instructions stored in a memory of one or more processors of a computing device (such as the computing device 102), which is communicatively coupled to one or more display devices configured to display GUIs (such as the first GUI 300 and the second GUI 500). In addition, the computing device through which the method 800 may be executed may be communicatively coupled to an MRI scanner, which may image a patient's body according to a set of MR device output adjustment parameters to obtain an MRI image.

[0076] At 802, method 800 includes obtaining data of a first implant of a patient from a first database. In some examples, a patient may have more than one implant, wherein data of a subset of the implants is stored in a database different from another subset of the implants. For example, the first database may be specific to a manufacturer or company of the first implant, but other database types are also feasible. The first database may store data of the first implant in a first format. The first format may be a format different from the format used by a computing device that communicates with an MRI scanner to be imaged by the patient.

[0077] At 804, method 800 includes obtaining the data of the second implant of the patient from the second database. As described above, the patient may have more than one implant, wherein the data of the implant is stored in different databases. The first database and the second database may be equipment databases, EMR databases or other external databases. For example, the second database may be specific to a second manufacturer or company that manufactures the second implant. In some examples, the second database may store the data of the second implant in a second format. The second format may be different from the first format, and may be a format different from the format used by a computing device, which communicates with an MRI scanner to be imaged by the patient.

[0078] At 806, method 800 includes reformatting the data of the first implant and the second implant. As noted, both the first data format and the second data format may not be formats used by the computing device, and therefore, the data of the first implant and the second implant may need to be reformatted into a third format used by the computing device. Figure 2 As described, the data format reconfiguration module of an intelligent protocol formulation system, such as the intelligent protocol formulation system 200, can reformat various types of data into a format used by a computing device. In this manner, the data of the implant, when obtained from an external source, can be converted into a usable format and analyzed to determine the configuration of the first implant and the second implant, as indicated at 808. Figure 7As described, implant data may include multiple data, including patient-specific data, implant type-specific data, and data of one or more configurations (e.g., one or more groups of configurations) of parameters that may be satisfied so that the implant can be imaged by an MRI scanner. After the data is reformatted, the configurations of both the first implant and the second implant may be determined. The parameters for the configurations of both the first implant and the second implant may be the same, but the parameter configurations may be different, such as with respect to Figure 5 as described.

[0079] At 810, method 800 includes displaying a GUI on a display device (such as Figure 3 The implant data may be displayed in a first GUI 300 of the embodiment of the present invention. In some examples, the implant data displayed may include the data of both the first implant and the second implant. In other examples, based on the selection of an implant from the patient's implant list by the user, the implant data displayed may include the data of one of the first implant and the second implant.

[0080] At 812, method 800 includes receiving user input to save implant data. Figure 3 and Figure 7 As described, the GUI may include a plurality of save elements that, when selected, trigger storage of the implant data to one of a plurality of sources.

[0081] For example, the user saves the first element (e.g., Figure 3 The selection of the first save element 350 of can trigger implant data to be saved to the device database (for example, implant database). In some examples, when implant data is obtained from an external source and is manually entered or obtained from a patient record (for example, EMR), the data can be saved to the device database to be stored in a non-transient memory. In other examples, implant data can be obtained, updated or otherwise edited from the device database, and then saved back to the device database together with the updated information.

[0082] The user saves the second element (e.g. Figure 3 The selection of the second preservation element 352 of can trigger implant data to be saved to patient record.In some examples, when implant data is obtained from equipment database and / or other external sources, data can be saved to the non-transient memory of the EMR connected.In this way, implant data can be connected to patient record and can be easily accessed for further use, such as for the subsequent MRI examination that the patient may have.In other examples, similar to as mentioned above, implant data can be initially obtained from patient record and can be updated and / or edited in GUI.Can subsequently the implant data updated be saved back to patient record.

[0083] In some examples, preserving implant data can be specific for one of the first implant and the second implant.For example, in GUI, the first implant or the second implant can be selected, and its data can be displayed.After the user saves the first element or the second selection of the element, the data of the selected implant can be saved, but the data of the unselected implant can not be saved.The selection of the first and / or second element can trigger the preservation of the relevant implant data without changing the displayed GUI.

[0084] The user saves the third element (e.g. Figure 3 The selection of the third save element 354 of can indicate that the implant data will be saved to the MRI scanner. As will be further described below, saving the implant data to the MRI scanner can include importing data including the configuration and in particular the selected configuration into the MRI scanner to define a set of MR device output adjustment parameters.

[0085] At 814, method 800 includes determining whether a user input indicating that the implant data is to be saved to the MRI scanner has been received. If the user input indicates that the implant data is to be saved to the MRI scanner, method 800 proceeds to 816. If the user input indicates that the implant data is not to be saved to the MRI scanner, e.g., it is saved to a device database, a patient record, or not saved at all, method 800 returns to 810 to continue displaying the GUI.

[0086] At 816, method 800 includes determining a recommended configuration based on the reformatted data of the first implant and the second implant. Fig. 9 As further described, determining the recommended configuration may include determining a parameter configuration for each parameter included in the implant data. In some examples, a second GUI may be initiated in response to a user's selection of a third storage element, and the second GUI (e.g., Figure 5 The configuration of the first implant and the second implant and the recommended configuration can be displayed in a second GUI 500 of the embodiment. In other examples, the recommended configuration can be displayed in the same GUI as the initial display implant data.

[0087] At 818, method 800 includes receiving a user input selecting an implant configuration or a recommended configuration. As noted, the configuration data including each implant and the implant data of the recommended configuration (e.g., the parameter configuration for each group of configurations) can be displayed in a GUI (e.g., a first GUI and / or a second GUI). The GUI may include a preservation element indicating that a configuration should be used when selected. In some examples, the preservation element may correspond to a single configuration, such as a recommended configuration. In other examples, the preservation element may correspond to an implant including more than one configuration, and when selected, may indicate that any one of the configurations may be used depending on the MRI inspection arranged. Additional selection of one of the configurations of the selected implant may be carried out by the user in a separate GUI or in the same GUI.

[0088] At 820, method 800 includes saving the selected configuration to the MRI scanner. Saving the selected configuration to the MRI scanner may include saving a plurality of configurations of the implant, one of the configurations of the implant, and / or a recommended configuration, depending on which configuration is selected. The selected configuration may define a set of MR device output adjustment parameters, which, as described above, may also be saved to the MRI scanner for use in an MRI examination when the selected configuration is saved. The MR device output adjustment parameters may be used when acquiring images of the patient using the MRI scanner.

[0089] In this way, data in various formats can be obtained, reformatted and used by a computing device to define implant configurations and MR operating conditions. The system herein allows different data related to MRI examinations to be obtained from various sources and changed into usable formats so that the data can be stored for future use and used to determine the recommended configurations for MRI settings. In this way, the time spent on data collection and input that was previously a completely manual process can be reduced. Then, reducing the time spent on implant data collection and determining the recommended configuration can allow MRI examinations to be arranged more quickly, thereby allowing patients to receive diagnosis, evaluation, etc. in a more timely manner.

[0090] Now turn to Fig. 9 , a flowchart illustrating a method 900 for determining a recommended configuration is shown. The method 900 may be used as described above with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2The method 900 may be performed by the systems and components described herein. For example, the method 900 may be performed according to instructions stored in a memory of one or more processors of a computing device (such as the computing device 102), the computing device being communicatively coupled to one or more display devices configured to display GUIs (such as the first GUI 300 and the second GUI 500). In addition, the computing device via which the method 900 may be performed may be communicatively coupled to an MRI scanner, which may image a patient's body according to a set of MR device output adjustment parameters to obtain an MRI image. The method 900 may be performed as part of the method 700 and the method 800.

[0091] At 902, method 900 includes obtaining the data of one or more implants of the patient. As described in method 700 and method 800, the data of one or more implants can be obtained from various sources individually or in combination. For example, implant data can be obtained from the patient record in the equipment database, EMR database and / or from an external source that does not communicate with the computing device via user input. Implant data can include device-specific data (including model and manufacturer), patient-specific data (including implant date, position, etc.) and one or more configurations of an MRI scanner that can be used when using the device implanted in the patient to obtain an MRI image. Each implant of the patient can have the separate implant data obtained and processed together, as will be further described.

[0092] At 904, method 900 includes determining one or more available configurations and parameters thereof for each implant in one or more implants. As discussed, the implant data of each data may include data for one or more configurations of an MRI scanner. The data of the one or more configurations may include multiple parameters, wherein each set of configurations for an implant includes parameter configurations for each parameter. As previously mentioned, parameters may include scan range, multiple modes, spatial gradients, SAR, etc.

[0093] At 906, method 900 includes determining a most conservative parameter configuration for each of the parameters. Each of the parameters may have multiple available values. These values ​​may be numerical values ​​in specific units, text values, or other types of values ​​assigned to parameters of a given parameter configuration set. In this context, "most conservative" may indicate a parameter configuration that includes more options than any of the other configurations for the parameter in the presented configuration set.

[0094] For example, for the allowed RF transmit coil parameters (which describe which RF transmit coils of the MRI scanner can be used when acquiring images so as not to interfere with the implant or reduce its performance), two options for configuration may include 1) T / R body, T / R head, T / R knee / foot, and T / R knee; and 2) T / R body. The second option of T / R body is included in the first option, but not all of the first options are included in the second option. Therefore, the second option can be considered more conservative and can be selected for the recommended configuration of this parameter. In such an example, one implant configuration may require that only the second option of T / R body is allowed, and therefore the first option may not be feasible for the implant, and therefore the second option can be used for the recommended configuration.

[0095] As another example, for a B1+RMS parameter measured in microteslas (μT), the first option for configuration may be 3.2 μT and the second option may be 2.8 μT. The second option of 2.8 μT may be contained within the first option of 3.2 μT, but the first option of 3.2 μT, which is greater than 2.8 μT, may not be completely contained within the second option. Therefore, the second option may be selected for the recommended configuration of the B1+RMS parameter. Determining the recommended configuration using the most conservative option for each parameter allows the required parameters of each implant to be met.

[0096] In some examples, one or more of the parameters may be specific to the sequential MRI examination and may be defined by user input prior to determining the recommended configuration. For example, the scan range may depend on the type of examination and thus may be automatically populated based on the type of examination.

[0097] At 908, method 900 includes generating a recommended configuration including a most conservative configuration for each parameter.Once the most conservative configuration for each parameter is defined at 906, the already defined set of parameter configurations may be the recommended configurations.

[0098] At 910, method 900 includes displaying each of the implant configuration and the recommended configuration in a GUI. In some examples, the GUI may be displayed in response to a user selection of a save element within another GUI, such as a GUI associated with a device. Figure 3 and Figure 5 The GUI may display the configurations in a chart with rows showing each parameter and columns showing the configurations. In this way, the user may be able to easily visualize each available parameter configuration and compare them side by side. If a different parameter configuration than that determined for one or more parameters is desired, then the configurations may be displayed as described above. Figure 5The described recommended configurations may be editable via user input. For example, in some examples, the most conservative parameter configuration for the first parameter may be included in the recommended configurations, but may not correspond to the predetermined scan range. Thus, the user may edit the recommended configuration for the first parameter to match the predetermined scan range.

[0099] When a patient has more than one implant, method 900 may allow for more efficient determination of MRI scanner parameters. Since implants may have different parameter requirements, a recommended configuration may combine the parameter requirements of multiple implants into one configuration that meets the requirements of all implants. This approach may reduce the time personnel spend determining parameter configurations. Additionally, a recommended configuration or other selected configuration may be imported to directly define MR operating conditions, further reducing the time personnel spend defining the conditions of the scanner.

[0100] Reference now Fig.10 , a flow chart illustrating a method 1000 for storing implant data is shown. The method 1000 may be used as described above with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2 For example, the method 1000 may be executed according to instructions stored in a memory of one or more processors of a computing device (such as the computing device 102), which is communicatively coupled to one or more display devices configured to display GUIs (such as the first GUI 300 and the second GUI 500). In addition, the computing device via which the method 1000 may be executed may be communicatively coupled to an MRI scanner, which may image a patient's body according to a set of MR device output adjustment parameters to obtain an MRI image.

[0101] At 1002, method 1000 includes obtaining implant data of one or more implants of a patient. As described above, implant data may include data specific to the implant type, the patient, and the configuration of the MRI scanner corresponding to the implant. For example, data specific to the implant type may include model, company / manufacturer, etc., patient-specific data may include implant location in the body, implant date, serial number, photo, etc., and data specific to the configuration of the MRI scanner corresponding to the implant may include one or more groups of parameter configurations for the implant, wherein the parameters include various modes, scan ranges, spatial gradients, SAR, etc. as previously described.

[0102] The implant data may be obtained from a variety of sources. For example, the implant data may be obtained from an EMR database, as indicated at 1004, wherein the patient record is communicatively coupled to the computing device by which method 1000 is performed, from an implant database, as indicated at 1006, which stores data that is not specific to the patient's implant and is communicatively coupled to the computing device, and / or in other storage media that is not communicatively coupled to the computing device, wherein the data is obtained via user input, as indicated at 1008.

[0103] At 1010, method 1000 includes displaying implant data for each of one or more implants in a GUI. The GUI may display implant information and a representation of the patient, wherein the scan range is depicted as a shaded area overlaid on the representation of the patient for the selected implant. As previously described, each implant may include one or more configurations, in some examples, wherein one or more parameters differ between them based on the scan range configuration. For example, a first implant may be selected within the GUI, and related implant information may be displayed next to the representation of the patient. A first configuration of scanner parameters may be selected for the first implant, and a shaded area may be overlaid on the representation of the patient, indicating the scan range of the first configuration. The GUI may also include a plurality of save elements, such as information about Figure 3 and Figure 8 The plurality of storage elements may include a device database storage element, an EMR storage element, and an MRI scanner storage element.

[0104] At 1012, method 1000 includes receiving an input for preserving implant data. In some examples, implant data may include data of an implant in one or more implants, or in other examples, include data of more than one implant in one or more implants. User input may include a user, for example, via a user input device such as a mouse or trackpad to select a preservation element in a plurality of preservation elements.

[0105] At 1014, method 1000 includes determining whether the input indicates that the implant data is to be saved to the implant database. If so, method 1000 proceeds to 1020. If not, method 1000 proceeds to 1016 to determine whether the implant data is to be saved to the EMR database.

[0106] At 1020, method 1000 includes a first subset of implant data being saved to a corresponding implant database. As described above, the implant data of selected implants include data specific to implant types, data specific to patients, and the data of the configuration of allowed scanner parameters. The first subset of implant data may include data specific to implant types, including model, manufacturer / company, etc., and the data of the configuration of allowed scanner parameters. In some examples, the first subset of the data of the first implant may be saved to the first device database, and the first subset of the data of the second implant may be saved to the second device database. In this way, the data saved to the device database may not include any patient-specific information, so as to comply with patient privacy.

[0107] At 1016, method 1000 determines whether the input indicates that the implant data will be saved to the EMR database. If so, method 1000 proceeds to 1022. If not, method 1000 proceeds to 1018 to save the implant data to the MRI scanner and generate a recommended configuration.

[0108] At 1022, method 1000 includes a second subset of implant data being saved to the EMR database. In some examples, the second subset of implant data may include implant type data and patient-specific data. In other examples, the second subset of implant data may include all data, including implant type data, patient-specific data and configuration data. Implant data being saved to the EMR database may include one or more implant data preserving one or more implants.

[0109] Implant data can be saved to more than one database. For example, the first user input can indicate that the first subset of the implant data of the first implant will be saved to the corresponding device database, and the second user input can indicate that the second subset of the implant data of the first implant will be saved to the EMR database. When saved to the EMR database and / or the device database, the implant data can be accessed later to perform a subsequent MRI inspection. For example, for the first MRI inspection, the implant data can initially be obtained from an external source that is not connected to the computing device and input via user input. The implant data can then be saved to the corresponding device database and the EMR database. In some examples, the implant data can also be used to determine the operating conditions of the MRI scanner for the first MRI inspection later. Then, at a later time, for the second MRI inspection, the implant data can be obtained from one or both of the device database and the EMR database, and can be automatically filled to generate the operating conditions of the MRI scanner. In this way, the time spent when data retrieval and processing can be reduced, because the implant data can only need to be obtained from an external source (e.g., an external database) that is not connected to the computing system, and therefore obtained via manual input.

[0110] At 1018, method 1000 includes saving the implant data to the MRI scanner and generating a recommended configuration. If the user input indicating that the implant data is to be saved does not indicate that the implant data is to be saved to the implant database or the EMR database, the implant database will therefore be saved to the MRI scanner for the given MRI examination that has been scheduled. Figures 7 to 9 As described, user selection of an element stored in an MRI scanner may trigger generation of a recommended configuration.

[0111] At 1024, method 1000 includes launching a second user interface for selecting a configuration. Figure 5 and Fig. 9 As described, selection of an MRI scanner saved element can trigger determination of a recommended configuration and start-up of a second GUI showing each configuration of each implant of the patient and the recommended configuration. From within the second GUI, a configuration can be selected as the configuration to be used for the MRI examination.

[0112] At 1026, method 1000 includes determining MRI operating conditions based on the selected configuration in response to selecting one of the configurations. As previously described, the configurations may define a plurality of scanner parameters. The MRI operating conditions or MR device output adjustment parameters may be directly defined by the plurality of scanner parameters of the selected configuration. In this manner, MRI operating conditions may be more effectively determined for patients having MR conditional implants.

[0113] The technical effect of the method and system disclosed herein is that data storage, retrieval and reformatting can be more efficient for users. In particular, the system and method allow the data of multiple implants to be obtained from various sources and saved to various sources (in some examples in a combined manner) to allow users to more effectively obtain multiple data types of multiple implants. In addition, data in various formats can be obtained and reformatted into different formats so that it can be used by the system. Determining the recommended configuration based on the parameter configuration of multiple implants can reduce the time spent by MR personnel in determining operating conditions. The time spent by data collection and input that was previously a completely manual process can be reduced. Then, reducing the time spent in implant data collection and determining the recommended configuration can allow MRI examinations to be arranged faster, thereby allowing patients to receive diagnosis, evaluation, etc. in a more timely manner.

[0114] The present disclosure also provides support for a method, the method comprising: obtaining data of one or more implants of a patient from one or more sources; determining one or more configurations of each of the one or more implants; displaying the data and the one or more configurations via a graphical user interface (GUI); determining a recommended configuration based on the one or more configurations; determining a selected configuration via user input to the GUI; and determining an operating condition of an MRI scanner based on the selected configuration for an MRI examination. In a first example of the method, the method further comprises: transmitting the operating condition directly to the MRI scanner, and operating the MRI scanner according to the operating condition to acquire an image of the patient. In a second example of the method, optionally including the first example, the one or more sources include at least one of one or more implant databases, an electronic medical record (EMR) database, and one or more external sources. In a third example of the method, optionally including one or both of the first example and the second example, obtaining data from one or more external sources includes inputting data to the GUI via user input. In a fourth example of the method, optionally including one or more or each of the first to third examples, each of the one or more configurations of each of the one or more implants includes a parameter configuration set, the parameter configuration set includes a configuration for each of a plurality of parameters, and wherein the recommended configuration includes a parameter configuration for each of the plurality of parameters. In a fifth example of the method, optionally including one or more or each of the first to fourth examples, determining the recommended configuration includes determining the most conservative parameter for each of the plurality of parameters in the available one or more configurations. In a sixth example of the method, optionally including one or more or each of the first to fifth examples, the operating condition of the MRI scanner includes a plurality of MR device output adjustment parameters. In a seventh example of the method, optionally including one or more or each of the first to sixth examples, the method further includes: saving the data to at least one of the one or more implant databases and the EMR database.

[0115] The present disclosure also provides support for a system, which includes: a computing device, which is communicatively coupled to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner configured to acquire MR images of a patient, the computing device is coupled to one or more databases and at least one display device, wherein the computing device is configured with instructions stored in a non-volatile memory, which instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the computing device to: obtain first implant data of a first implant from a first database, wherein the first database stores the first implant data in a first format; obtain second implant data of a second implant from a second database, wherein the second database stores the second implant data in a second format, wherein the first implant data and the second implant data each include one or more configurations, each configuration including a parameter configuration set; reformat the first implant data and the second implant data into a third format, wherein the third format can be used by the computing device and the MRI scanner; determine a recommended configuration, wherein the recommended configuration includes a recommended set of parameter configurations based on parameters of the one or more configurations of the first implant data and the second implant data; and generate MR device output adjustment parameters based on one of the one or more configurations and the recommended configuration. In a first example of the system, the computing device is also configured with instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to operate the MRI scanner to acquire an image of the patient according to the MR device output adjustment parameters. In a second example of the system, optionally including the first example, determining the recommended configuration includes determining the most conservative parameter configuration for each of a plurality of parameters in a corresponding set of parameter configurations of the first implant data and the second implant data. In a third example of the system, optionally including one or both of the first example and the second example, determining the recommended configuration in response to a user's selection of a save element, the save element indicating that at least one of the first implant data and the second implant data will be saved to the MRI scanner for a specific MRI examination. In a fourth example of the system, optionally including one or more examples or each example in the first to third examples, the device database and the EMR database are communicatively coupled to the computing device, and the external database is non-communicatively coupled to the computing device. In a fifth example of the system, optionally including one or more or each of the first to fourth examples, the computing device is configured with additional instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to save at least one of the first implant data and the second implant data to a corresponding device database in response to a user selection of a first save element displayed within a GUI displayed on the at least one display device.In a sixth example of the system, optionally including one or more or each of the first to fifth examples, the computing device is configured with additional instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to save at least one of the first implant data and the second implant data to an EMR database corresponding to the patient in response to a user selection of a second save element displayed within a GUI displayed on the at least one display device. In a seventh example of the system, optionally including one or more or each of the first to sixth examples, saving at least one of the first implant data and the second implant data to the corresponding device database includes saving a subset of the corresponding data excluding patient-specific data. In an eighth example of the system, optionally including one or more or each of the first to seventh examples, the recommended configuration is displayed within a first GUI including a third save element, the third save element, when selected via user input, initiates a second GUI that displays the one or more configurations of the first implant data and the second implant data and parameters of the recommended configuration, wherein the second GUI includes one or more save elements that, when selected, triggers saving the corresponding configured data to the MRI scanner.

[0116] The present disclosure also provides support for a method, the method comprising: obtaining implant data of one or more implants of a first patient from one or more databases including one or more device databases, electronic medical records (EMR databases), and one or more external sources; determining parameter configurations of multiple parameters for one or more configurations of each of the one or more implants; determining the most conservative parameter configuration of each of the multiple parameters to generate a recommended configuration in response to user input to a first graphical user interface (GUI); displaying the one or more configurations and the recommended configuration of each of the one or more implants in a second GUI; selecting a selected configuration of the one or more configurations and the recommended configuration via user input; determining a magnetic resonance (MR) device output adjustment parameter of an MR scanner based on the selected configuration; and acquiring an image of the patient using the MR scanner according to the MR device output adjustment parameter. In a first example of the method, the method further comprises: saving a first subset of the implant data to a corresponding device database in response to a user selection of a device database save element in the GUI, wherein the first subset excludes patient-specific data of the first patient; and saving a second subset of the implant data to a corresponding patient record in response to a user selection of an EMR save element in the GUI, wherein the second subset includes patient-specific data of the first patient. In a second example of the method, optionally including the first example, the method further includes obtaining a first subset of implant data for an implant of a second patient.

[0117] As used herein, the elements or steps listed in the singular and beginning with the word "one" or "a kind of" should be understood as not excluding a plurality of said elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly stated. In addition, the reference to "one embodiment" of the present invention is not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also include the cited features. In addition, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, "comprising", "including" or "having" an embodiment of an element or multiple elements with a specific characteristic may include additional such elements that do not have the characteristic. The terms "including" and "in..." are used as the concise language equivalents of the corresponding terms "including" and "wherein". In addition, the terms "first", "second" and "third" etc. are only used as marks, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements or specific positional order on their objects.

[0118] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable a person skilled in the relevant art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any included methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to a person skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insignificant differences from the literal language of the claims.

Claims

1. A method, comprising: Obtaining data of one or more implants of a patient from one or more sources (702); determining one or more configurations for each of the one or more implants (710); displaying (810) the data and the one or more configurations via a graphical user interface (GUI) (300); determining a recommended configuration based on the one or more configurations (714); determining a selected configuration via user input to the GUI (716); as well as An operating condition of the MRI scanner is determined based on the selected configuration for the MRI examination (718).

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the operating conditions directly to the MRI scanner (720), and operating the MRI scanner according to the operating conditions to acquire images of the patient (722).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sources include at least one of one or more implant databases (706), an electronic medical record (EMR) database (704), and one or more external sources (708).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein obtaining data from one or more external sources comprises inputting data into the GUI via user input (708).

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein each of the one or more configurations of each of the one or more implants includes a parameter configuration set, the parameter configuration set including a configuration (524, 526, 528) for each parameter in a plurality of parameters (522), and wherein the recommended configuration (540) includes a parameter configuration (546) for each parameter in the plurality of parameters.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the recommended configuration comprises determining a most conservative parameter for each of the plurality of parameters among the one or more configurations available (906).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating conditions of the MRI scanner include a plurality of MR device output adjustment parameters (604).

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising saving the data to at least one of one or more implant databases and an EMR database (812).

9. A system, comprising: A computing device (102) communicatively coupled to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner (130) configured to acquire MR images of a patient, the computing device coupled to one or more databases (140, 150, 152) and at least one display device (122), wherein the computing device is configured with instructions stored in a non-transitory memory (106) that, when executed by a processor (104), cause the computing device to: Obtaining first implant data of a first implant from a first database (802), wherein the first database stores the first implant data in a first format; obtaining second implant data for a second implant from a second database (804), wherein the second database stores the second implant data in a second format, wherein the first implant data and the second implant data each include one or more configurations, each configuration including a set of parameter configurations; reformatting the first implant data and the second implant data into a third format (806), wherein the third format is usable by the computing device and the MRI scanner; determining a recommended configuration (816), wherein the recommended configuration comprises a recommended set of parameter configurations based on the one or more configured parameters of the first implant data and the second implant data; as well as MR device output adjustment parameters are generated based on one of the one or more configurations and the recommended configuration (718).

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device is further configured with instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to operate the MRI scanner to acquire an image of the patient based on the MR device output adjustment parameters (722).

11. The system of claim 9, wherein determining the recommended configuration comprises determining a most conservative parameter configuration for each of a plurality of parameters in a respective set of parameter configurations of the first implant data and the second implant data (906).

12. A system according to claim 9, wherein the recommended configuration is determined in response to a user selection of a save element, wherein the save element indicates that at least one of the first implant data and the second implant data will be saved to the MRI scanner for a specific MRI examination (814).

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the device database (140) and the EMR database (150) are communicatively coupled to the computing device (102), and the external database is non-communicatively coupled to the computing device.

14. A system according to claim 9, wherein the computing device is configured with additional instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to save at least one of the first implant data and the second implant data to a corresponding device database (812) in response to a user selection of a first save element displayed within a GUI displayed on the at least one display device.

15. A system according to claim 9, wherein the computing device is configured with additional instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to save at least one of the first implant data and the second implant data to an EMR database (812) corresponding to the patient in response to a user selection of a second save element displayed within a GUI displayed on the at least one display device.

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