Systems and methods for connection compatibility for medical imaging

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for a graphical user interface (GUI) for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. In one example, a system includes: a display device (420); one or more processors (404); and a memory (406) storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to: determine (906) a connection status for each of a plurality of ports (27), each of the plurality of ports configured to couple a radio frequency (RF) coil (14) to an MRI device (10); generating a GUI (501) comprising a port status indicator (520, 522, 524, 526) for each port, each port status indicator having a visual appearance based on the connection status of the port; and outputting (906) the GUI for display on the display device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates generally to medical imaging. More specifically, this disclosure relates to visually representing coil-port connectivity in magnetic resonance imaging. Background Technology

[0002] Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging modality that creates images of the inside of the human body without using X-rays or other ionizing radiation. An MRI scan typically consists of a series of radio frequency (RF) excitation pulses and magnetic field gradient pulses, which are emitted at specific timings and in a specific sequence to prepare for contrast and encode spatial information into an MR signal, which is detected by one or more RF coils to generate an image.

[0003] In some examples, the RF coils used to receive MR signals can be local or surface RF coil arrays that can be placed on or above the imaging subject. Such coil arrays can be adjustable in size, position, and / or orientation. For example, based on a given imaging target, the operator can position selected surface RF coils above the imaging subject and insert the RF coils into the MRI system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In one example, a system includes: a display device; one or more processors; and a memory storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to: determine the connection status of each of a plurality of ports, each of the plurality of ports being configured to couple a radio frequency (RF) coil to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus; generate a graphical user interface (GUI) including a port status indicator for each port, each port status indicator having a visual appearance based on the connection status of that port; and output the GUI for display on the display device.

[0005] In another example, a method includes: determining the connection status of each of a plurality of ports of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, each of the plurality of ports being configured to couple a radio frequency (RF) coil to the MRI apparatus; generating a graphical user interface (GUI) including a port status indicator for each port, each port status indicator having a visual appearance based on the connection status of that port; and outputting the GUI for display on a display device.

[0006] In another example, a method includes: determining that a first RF coil is connected to a first port based on signals output from a first port among a plurality of ports located on an examination table of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus; determining, based on these signals, that the first RF coil is incompatible with the first port; updating a graphical user interface (GUI) to include a first port status indicator for the first port, the first port status indicator having a second visual appearance different from a first visual appearance of the first port status indicator, the first port status indicator being displayed on the GUI with the first visual appearance when the first port is determined to be idle; and outputting the GUI for display on a display device located on an aperture of the MRI apparatus.

[0007] It should be understood that the above description of the invention is provided to present a series of concepts further described in the detailed embodiments in a simplified form. This does not imply identification of key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is uniquely defined by the claims following the detailed embodiments. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to specific implementations that address any shortcomings pointed out above or in any part of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0008] This disclosure will be better understood by referring to the following description of non-limiting embodiments, in which:

[0009] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of an example MRI device;

[0010] Figure 2 The illustration shows including Figure 1 A top view of the MRI system of the MRI apparatus;

[0011] Figure 3 schematically shown Figure 2 Front view of the MRI system;

[0012] Figure 4 schematically shown Figure 1 An exemplary scan control device for an MRI apparatus;

[0013] Figure 5 It shows that it can be used Figure 2 and Figure 3 The first view of an example indoor display (IRD) graphical user interface (GUI) shown on the display device of an MRI system;

[0014] Figure 6 A second view of the example IRD GUI is shown;

[0015] Figure 7A third view of the example IRD GUI is shown;

[0016] Figure 8 The fourth view of the example IRD GUI is shown;

[0017] Figure 9 This is an example used for... Figure 2 and Figure 3 A high-level flowchart of the methods for scanning patients using an MRI system;

[0018] Figure 10 This is an example used in Figure 9 A flowchart of the method for monitoring coil-port connections during the process; and

[0019] Figure 11 The fifth view of the example IRD GUI is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The following description relates to the automated monitoring and notification of compatible and incompatible radio frequency (RF) coils and port connections in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. During the imaging of a subject, such as a patient, using an MRI system, one or more RF coils may be arranged around the patient's body. Each RF coil may include multiple coil elements. Each coil element is configured to transmit MR signals to the MRI system via a channel of multiple channels for final processing into an image. Each RF coil may have a cable connected to each of the coil elements of the RF coil and terminating at a connector. The connector is configured to couple to a corresponding port of the MRI system, allowing MR signals to be transmitted from the coil elements to the MRI system. Different anatomical features to be imaged may dictate different coil element configurations, and therefore a variety of different RF coils may be available for use during scanning. For example, some RF coils may include more coil elements than others. Different RF coils may be configured to transmit MR signals through different numbers of channels. For example, some RF coils may be configured with 16 channels, while other RF coils may be configured with 21 channels. Furthermore, some RF coils can be configured as receive-only RF coils (e.g., these receive-only RF coils are configured only to receive MR signals and transmit them to the MRI system), while other RF coils can be configured as transmit / receive RF coils (e.g., these transmit / receive RF coils are configured to both transmit RF signals and receive detected MR signals and transmit them to the MRI system). Therefore, the MRI system can also include multiple different ports configured to receive different types of RF coils.

[0021] However, ports on an MRI system can often appear identical. Similarly, RF coil connectors can look the same. Therefore, even when a given port is configured to couple to a specific type of RF coil (e.g., with 16 channels), the physical configuration of the port and RF coil can allow the port to couple to various different types of RF coils. Consequently, during patient setup prior to scanning, an MRI operator might accidentally insert an RF coil into a port incompatible with the RF coil (e.g., an operator might insert a 21-channel RF coil into a port configured to accept 16-channel RF coils). The operator may not realize the error until they attempt to start the scan and fail to acquire an image or obtain a poor-quality image. Due to the distribution of MRI system components across the scanning environment, once an RF coil-port misconnection is identified, the operator may have to stop the scan, move from the remote scan control room to the scanning room where the scanner actually houses the MRI system, and attempt to insert the RF coil into the correct port. Even once the misconnection is identified, correcting the error can be time-consuming because the operator may not be aware of which port is actually configured to accept the RF coil. Therefore, incompatible connections between the RF coil and the MRI system's ports may delay scanning and / or result in unnecessary scans of the patient.

[0022] Therefore, according to the embodiments disclosed herein, the MRI system can automatically monitor each port of the MRI system to identify whether a connection has been established between the port and the RF coil. The MRI system can be configured to determine whether a given RF coil-port connection is compatible or incompatible for a scan. The MRI system can display a graphical user interface (GUI) on one or more display devices, including a visual depiction of the ports of the MRI system. When an RF coil-port connection is identified, the visual depiction of the port can be updated to indicate whether the connection is compatible or incompatible. Furthermore, when an incompatible connection is detected, additional information about the incompatible connection can be displayed on the GUI to inform the operator of the reason for the incompatible connection and guide the operator to a port compatible with the RF coil.

[0023] Figure 1 The image shows an example MRI apparatus that can be used to acquire MR signals of an imaging subject using one or more RF coils. The MRI apparatus can be included as part of an MRI system that includes various display devices distributed across the scanning environment, such as... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown. MRI apparatus may include scan control devices, such as Figure 4 The scanning control device is configured to... Figure 9 and Figure 10The method controls at least some scanning parameters of the MRI apparatus (e.g., instructs the MRI apparatus to perform a scan of the patient according to a selected scanning protocol) and monitors the connection between the RF coil and the connection port of the MRI apparatus. The scan control device can be configured to generate a GUI that can be displayed on one or more display devices of the MRI system. The GUI can be updated based on the current RF coil-port connection to inform the user of compatible and incompatible RF coil-port connections, such as... Figures 5 to 8 and Figure 11 As shown.

[0024] Figure 1 An MRI apparatus 10 (e.g., an MRI system) is illustrated, comprising a static magnetic field magnet unit 12, a gradient coil unit 13, an RF coil unit 14, an RF body coil unit 15 (e.g., a volume coil unit), a transmit / receive (T / R) switch 20, an RF driver unit 22, a gradient coil driver unit 23, a data acquisition unit 24, a controller unit 25, a patient bed or examination table 26, a data processing unit 31, a scan control device 32, and one or more display units 33. In some embodiments, the RF coil unit 14 is a surface coil, which is a local coil typically placed near the anatomical structures of interest of the subject 16. Here, the RF body coil unit 15 is a transmitting coil that transmits RF signals, and the local surface of the RF coil unit 14 receives MR signals. Therefore, the transmitting body coil (e.g., the RF body coil unit 15) and the surface receiving coil (e.g., the RF coil unit 14) are independent but electromagnetically coupled components. The MRI apparatus 10 sends electromagnetic pulse signals to a subject 16 placed in an imaging space 18 that forms a static magnetic field to perform a scan to obtain magnetic resonance signals from the subject 16. One or more images of the subject 16 can be reconstructed based on the magnetic resonance signals obtained by the scan.

[0025] The static magnetic field magnet unit 12 includes, for example, a toroidal superconducting magnet mounted within a toroidal vacuum container. The magnet defines a cylindrical space surrounding the subject 16 and generates a constant main static magnetic field B0.

[0026] The MRI apparatus 10 also includes a gradient coil unit 13 that forms a gradient magnetic field in the imaging space 18 to provide three-dimensional positional information for the magnetic resonance signals received by the RF coil array. The gradient coil unit 13 includes three gradient coil systems, each generating a gradient magnetic field along one of three spatial axes perpendicular to each other, and generating gradient fields in each of the frequency encoding direction, phase encoding direction, and slice selection direction, depending on the imaging conditions. More specifically, the gradient coil unit 13 applies a gradient field in the slice selection direction (or scan direction) of the subject 16 to select slices; and the RF body coil unit 15 or the local RF coil array can transmit RF pulses to the selected slices of the subject 16. The gradient coil unit 13 also applies a gradient field in the phase encoding direction of the subject 16 to perform phase encoding of the magnetic resonance signals from the slices excited by the RF pulses. Then, the gradient coil unit 13 applies a gradient field in the frequency encoding direction of the subject 16 to perform frequency encoding of the magnetic resonance signals from the slices excited by the RF pulses.

[0027] RF coil unit 14 is configured, for example, to surround the imaging region of subject 16. In some examples, RF coil unit 14 may be referred to as a surface coil or receiving coil. In the static magnetic field space or imaging space 18 in which a static magnetic field B0 is formed by static magnetic field magnet unit 12, RF coil unit 15 sends RF pulses as electromagnetic waves to subject 16 based on control signals from controller unit 25, thereby generating a high-frequency magnetic field B1. This excites proton spins in the slice to be imaged in subject 16. RF coil unit 14 receives electromagnetic waves generated as magnetic resonance signals when the proton spins thus excited in the slice to be imaged in subject 16 return to alignment with the initial magnetization vector. In some embodiments, RF coil unit 14 may transmit RF pulses and receive MR signals. In other embodiments, RF coil unit 14 may be used only to receive MR signals without transmitting RF pulses. RF coil unit 14 may be coupled to MRI apparatus 10 via port 27. For example, RF coil unit 14 may include a cable with a connector configured to be positioned within port 27, allowing MR signals obtained using RF coil unit 14 to be transmitted to data acquisition unit 24 (explained in more detail below). It should be understood that, although Figure 1An RF coil unit 14 and a port 27 are shown, but the examination table 26 may include multiple ports (e.g., two ports, four ports), each configured to receive a connector for a corresponding RF coil unit. Different types of RF coil units may be used during scanning depending on the anatomical structures being imaged, the subject's body size, etc. RF coil units may vary in terms of the number and placement of coil elements and the number of channels, and whether the RF coil unit is configured to receive MR signals only or also transmit RF signals. Similarly, ports available for connection to RF coil units may vary in terms of the number of channels the port is configured to receive / connect to, and whether the port is configured to receive signals only from the RF coil unit or whether the port can also transmit signals to command the transmission of RF signals. For example, a first port may be configured to connect to an RF coil unit with 32 or fewer channels (in receive-only mode), a second port may be configured to connect to an RF coil unit with 16 or fewer channels (in receive-only mode), and a third port may be configured to connect to an RF coil unit with 16 or fewer channels that can operate in both receive and transmit modes.

[0028] The RF body coil unit 15 is configured, for example, to surround the imaging space 18 and generate RF magnetic field pulses within the imaging space 18 that are orthogonal to the main magnetic field B0 generated by the static magnetic field magnet unit 12 to excite the nucleus. The RF body coil unit 15 is fixedly attached to and connected to the MRI apparatus 10, unlike the RF coil unit 14, which can be disconnected from the MRI apparatus 10 and replaced by another RF coil unit. Furthermore, while local coils (such as the RF coil unit 14) can only send or receive signals to or from a local area of ​​the subject 16, the RF body coil unit 15 typically has a larger coverage area. For example, the RF body coil unit 15 can be used to send or receive signals to or from the whole body of the subject 16. Using only receiving local coils and transmitting body coils provides uniform RF excitation and good image homogeneity, at the cost of higher RF power deposited in the subject. For transmit-receive local coils, the local coil provides RF excitation to the region of interest and receives the MR signal, thereby reducing the RF power deposited in the subject. It should be understood that the specific use of the RF coil unit 14 and / or the RF body coil unit 15 depends on the imaging application.

[0029] When operating in receive mode, T / R switch 20 selectively connects RF body coil unit 15 to data acquisition unit 24, and when operating in transmit mode, it selectively connects the RF body coil unit to RF driver unit 22. Similarly, when RF coil unit 14 operates in receive mode, T / R switch 20 selectively connects RF coil unit 14 to data acquisition unit 24, and when the RF coil unit operates in transmit mode, it selectively connects the RF coil unit to RF driver unit 22. When both RF coil unit 14 and RF body coil unit 15 are used for a single scan, for example, if RF coil unit 14 is configured to receive MR signals and RF body coil unit 15 is configured to transmit RF signals, T / R switch 20 can direct control signals from RF driver unit 22 to RF body coil unit 15 while simultaneously directing the received MR signals from RF coil unit 14 to data acquisition unit 24. The coil of RF coil unit 15 can be configured to operate in transmit-only mode or transmit-receive mode. The coil of RF coil unit 14 can be configured to operate in transmit-receive mode or receive-only mode.

[0030] The RF driver unit 22 includes a gate modulator (not shown), an RF power amplifier (not shown), and an RF oscillator (not shown), which drive an RF coil (e.g., RF body coil unit 15) and generate a high-frequency magnetic field in the imaging space 18. Based on a control signal from the controller unit 25 and using the gate modulator, the RF driver unit 22 modulates the RF signal received from the RF oscillator into a signal with a predetermined timing and a predetermined envelope. The RF signal modulated by the gate modulator is amplified by the RF power amplifier and then output to the RF body coil unit 15.

[0031] The gradient coil driver unit 23 drives the gradient coil unit 13 based on control signals from the controller unit 25, thereby generating a gradient magnetic field in the imaging space 18. The gradient coil driver unit 23 includes three systems (not shown) of driver circuits corresponding to the three gradient coil systems included in the gradient coil unit 13.

[0032] The data acquisition unit 24 includes a preamplifier (not shown), a phase detector (not shown), and an analog-to-digital converter (not shown) for acquiring the magnetic resonance signal received by the RF coil unit 14. In the data acquisition unit 24, the phase detector uses the output of the RF oscillator from the RF driver unit 22 as a reference signal to perform phase detection on the magnetic resonance signal received from the RF coil unit 14 and amplified by the preamplifier. The phase-detected analog magnetic resonance signal is then output to the analog-to-digital converter for conversion into a digital signal. The resulting digital signal is then output to the data processing unit 31.

[0033] The MRI apparatus 10 includes an examination table 26 for placing a subject 16 thereon. The subject 16 can be moved inside and outside the imaging space 18 by moving the examination table 26 based on control signals from the controller unit 25.

[0034] The controller unit 25 includes a computer and a recording medium on which a program to be executed by the computer is stored. When executed by the computer, the program causes various parts of the device to perform operations corresponding to a predetermined scan. The recording medium may include, for example, a ROM, floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, or non-volatile memory card. The controller unit 25 is connected to the scan control device 32 and processes the operation signals input to the scan control device 32, and also controls the inspection table 26, RF driver unit 22, gradient coil driver unit 23, and data acquisition unit 24 by outputting control signals to them. The controller unit 25 also controls the data processing unit 31 and one or more display units 33 based on the operation signals received from the scan control device 32 to obtain a desired image.

[0035] The scanning control device 32 includes user input devices such as a touchscreen, keyboard, and mouse. The operator uses the scanning control device 32 to, for example, input data as an imaging scheme and set the area to be processed in the imaging sequence. Data regarding the imaging scheme and the area to be processed in the imaging sequence is output to the controller unit 25.

[0036] The data processing unit 31 includes a computer and a recording medium on which a program to be executed by the computer to perform predetermined data processing is recorded. The data processing unit 31 is connected to the controller unit 25 and performs data processing based on control signals received from the controller unit 25. The data processing unit 31 is also connected to the data acquisition unit 24 and generates spectral data by applying various image processing operations to the magnetic resonance signal output from the data acquisition unit 24.

[0037] One or more display units 33 include at least one display device that displays images on its display screen based on control signals received from the controller unit 25. One or more display units 33 may display images, for example, of input items relating to operational data input by an operator from the scanning control device 32. One or more display units 33 may also display two-dimensional (2D) slice images or three-dimensional (3D) images of the subject 16 generated by the data processing unit 31.

[0038] During an MRI scan performed using the MRI apparatus 10, a subject can be positioned within the imaging space 18, and an acquisition protocol can be executed to acquire the subject's MR signal. The acquisition protocol may include multiple pulse sequences, wherein in each pulse sequence, one or more RF pulses applied via the RF body coil unit 15 are used to prepare contrast, and the gradient coil unit 13 is controlled to spatially encode the resulting MR signal. The spatially encoded MR signal received by the RF coil unit 14 is digitized and stored in k-space. Therefore, k-space data or k-space datasets can refer to the raw MR signal before processing into an image. In some examples, the raw MR signal may be filled with a line in k-space for each pulse sequence (also called a repetition time). In other examples, the raw MR signal may be filled with a line in k-space for each echo, wherein more than one echo is generated for each pulse sequence / repetition time. k-space data may also be referred to herein as imaging data or MR data.

[0039] As described above, the MRI apparatus 10 may include one or more display units 33. In the examples disclosed herein, one or more display units 33 may include an indoor display (IRD) positioned over an aperture housing certain elements of the MRI apparatus 10, such as the static magnetic field magnet unit 12, the gradient coil unit 13, and the RF body coil unit 15. Due to the strong magnetic field generated during MRI scanning, the operator of the MRI apparatus 10 can be positioned at a distance from the aperture during active scanning. Therefore, one or more display devices may also include an operator console positioned in an operator control room.

[0040] Figure 2 A schematic top view 200 of an MRI apparatus 10, including an aperture 202 and an examination table 26, is shown in a scanning chamber 204. Adjacent to the scanning chamber 204 is an operator control room 206. The operator control room 206 may include multiple display devices 208. The operator control room 206 may be separated from the scanning chamber 204 by a wall that may include a window to allow an operator 210 to view the scanning chamber 204, and specifically view the aperture 202, the examination table 26, and the imaging subject positioned on the examination table. Figure 3A schematic front view 300 of the MRI apparatus 10 is shown, depicting the view that the operator 210 may have when positioned in the operator control room 206. An aperture 202 accommodates the static magnetic field magnet unit 12, the gradient coil unit 13, and the RF body coil unit 15, as well as various electrical connections. In some examples, a T / R switch 20, an RF driver unit 22, a gradient coil driver unit 23, a data acquisition unit 24, and / or a controller unit 25 may also be accommodated in the aperture 202. The aperture 202 includes an opening forming an imaging space 18, and the examination table 26 is configured to move in and out of the opening / imaging space 18 to scan the subject.

[0041] Before initiating the MRI scan, the operator 210 may speak with the subject ( Figure 2 (Not shown) are positioned together in the scanning chamber 204 to help position the subject on the examination table 26 and place one or more RF coil units (such as RF coil unit 14) on the subject. Once positioned, the operator 210 can connect each RF coil unit to a corresponding port on the examination table 26, such as port 27. When scanning is initiated, the examination table 26 can be moved into the aperture 202, and the operator 210 can move to the operator control chamber 206.

[0042] Various aspects of the scan can be visualized and controlled via one or more display units 33. For example, such as Figure 3 As shown, IRD 302 is positioned on hole 202. Furthermore, multiple display devices 208 in the operator control room 206 may include an operator console 304. Each of IRD 302 and operator console 304 is a non-limiting example of one or more display units 33 and is communicatively connected to scan control device 32. As explained in more detail below, IRD 302 may display an IRD graphical user interface (GUI) that visualizes a limited amount of information related to initiating a scan, such as information related to subject positioning, coil placement, and marker placement. The IRD GUI may include user interface elements (e.g., buttons) configured to receive user input (e.g., touch input) for marker placement, scan initiation, etc. The operator console 304 may display a scan control GUI that presents information and accepts scan-related user input to allow selection of scan protocols, viewing locator scan images, setting scan parameters, viewing scan progress, viewing diagnostic images, etc. As a non-limiting example, the multiple display devices 208 of the operator control room 206 may additionally include display devices communicatively coupled to a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), a Radiological Information System (RIS), and / or an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system, as well as display devices communicatively coupled to a contrast monitoring device.

[0043] refer to Figure 4 This diagram illustrates a scan control device 402 configured to control scan parameters for an MRI scan. In some embodiments, the scan control device 402 is integrated into the MRI apparatus 10. For example, the scan control device 402 may be provided in the MRI apparatus 10 as a scan control device 32. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the scan control device 402 is located at a device (e.g., an edge device, server, etc.) communicatively coupled to the MRI apparatus 10 via a wired and / or wireless connection. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the scan control device 402 is located at a separate device (e.g., a workstation), for example, capable of communicating with the controller unit and / or IRD 302 of the MRI apparatus. The scan control device 402 may be operatively / communically coupled to a user input device 422, at least one display device 420, and one or more cameras 424. In some examples, the user input device 422 may be a user input device of the scan control device 32, as explained above. Similarly, the display device 420 may be one or more display units 33 of the MRI apparatus 10, such as the IRD 302. One or more cameras 424 may include one or more visible light cameras (e.g., RGB or monochrome cameras) and / or one or more depth cameras positioned in the scanning chamber (e.g., in scanning chamber 204). One or more cameras 424 may be positioned to image the examination table and the subject (e.g., examination table 26 and subject 16) before and / or during scanning with the MRI apparatus.

[0044] Scan control device 402 includes one or more processors, such as processor 404, configured to execute machine-readable instructions stored in non-transitory memory 406. Processor 404 may be single-core or multi-core, and the program executing on it may be configured for parallel or distributed processing. In some embodiments, processor 404 may optionally include various components distributed across two or more devices, which may be remotely located and / or configured for coordinated processing. In some embodiments, one or more aspects of processor 404 may be virtualized and executed by remotely accessible networked computing devices configured in a cloud computing configuration.

[0045] Non-transitory memory 406 may store camera module 408, scan control module 410, coil connection module 412, and IRDGUI 414. Camera module 408 may be configured to receive corresponding video feeds from one or more cameras 424 and process each video feed. This processing may include analyzing each video feed to determine the current position of the inspection table, subject, RF coil unit, etc. The processing may also include providing live video feeds, which will be included in one or more GUI outputs, for display on at least one display device 420, such as on IRD GUI 414, as will be explained in more detail below.

[0046] The scan control module 410 can be configured to transmit commands to an MRI apparatus (e.g., to controller unit 25) to control various aspects of a scan performed by the MRI apparatus. In some examples, the scan control module 410 can control various aspects of the scan based on user input that can be received via an IRDGUI 414. For example, the IRD GUI 414 may include a start scan button that a user (e.g., operator 210) can use to instruct the MRI apparatus to start a scan of the subject. User input for controlling various aspects of the scan can be received via a GUI displayed on an operator console (e.g., operator console 304), which may include a scan prescription display panel through which the user can set scan parameters (e.g., whether to perform parameter mapping, whether the scan will include parallel imaging, etc.).

[0047] Coil connection module 412 can be configured to determine the status of each RF coil port (such as port 27) of the MRI apparatus's examination table. The status of each port can be selected from a list of possible statuses, including idle (e.g., no RF coil connected to the port), correctly connected (e.g., an RF coil connected to the port and the RF coil is compatible with the port), and incorrectly connected (e.g., an RF coil connected to the port but the RF coil is incompatible with the port). The status of each port can be displayed via IRD GUI 414. Coil connection module 412 can determine the status of each port based on the number of pins on the connector of the RF coil connected to the port. Based on the number of pins, the number of channels in the RF coil can be determined. Therefore, the port can transmit a signal to coil connection module 412 indicating the number of connected pins, and coil connection module 412 can determine the number of channels in the RF coil based on the number of connected pins. Based on the number of channels in the RF coil, coil connection module 412 can determine whether the RF coil is compatible with the port. However, in some examples, additional information can be transmitted from the RF coil to coil connection module 412 via the port. For example, once a connection has been established between the RF coil connector and the port, the port can transmit signals to the coil connection module 412 indicating the RF coil's model / type (e.g., head and neck array, knee array, etc.), the RF coil's manufacturer, etc. The RF coil can transmit this information directly via the connection between the connector and the port (e.g., via pins), or indirectly, such as via an RFID tag. The coil connection module 412 can store a lookup table in memory that indexes the RF coil identifier (by name, type, channel number, and / or manufacturer identifier) ​​to a compatible port for a specific MRI device / examination table. Some RF coils may be compatible with a single port, while others may be compatible with more than one port. Furthermore, some RF coils, such as a 48-channel RF coil, may require connection to two ports simultaneously, which can also be indicated in the lookup table.

[0048] In some embodiments, nontransitory memory 406 may include components located at two or more devices, which may be remotely situated and / or configured for coordinated processing. In some embodiments, one or more aspects of nontransitory memory 406 may include remotely accessible networked storage devices configured in a cloud computing configuration.

[0049] User input device 422 may include one or more of the following: a touchscreen, keyboard, mouse, touchpad, motion-sensing camera, or other devices configured to enable a user to interact with and manipulate data within scan control device 402. In one example, user input device 422 may enable a user to select a scan protocol, adjust scan prescription settings, and start, pause, and adjust scans.

[0050] Display device 420 may include one or more display devices utilizing virtually any type of technology. Display device 420 may be combined with processor 404, non-transitory memory 406, and / or user input device 422 in a shared housing, or it may be a peripheral display device and may include a monitor, touchscreen, projector, or other display devices known in the art that enable a user to view MRI images generated by an MRI apparatus and / or interact with various data stored in non-transitory memory 406. For example, display device 420 may include IRD 302 and may display IRD GUI 414.

[0051] It should be understood that Figure 2 The scan control device 402 shown is for illustration and not for limitation. Another suitable image processing system may include more, fewer, or different components.

[0052] Figure 5 A first example view 500 of an IRD GUI 501 is shown. The IRD GUI 501 is an example of an IRD GUI 414 and can be displayed on an IRD 302. The IRD GUI 501 may include three main display areas, including a first display area 502, a second display area 504, and a third display area 506. The first display area 502 includes a live video feed 507 obtained from a camera positioned in the scanning chamber (e.g., one of one or more cameras 424). The live video feed 507 may depict an imaging subject, in this context, a patient 508, positioned on an examination table 510 of the MRI apparatus. The examination table 510 may be positioned in an initial position that may include the examination table 510 coupled to an aperture 512 of the MRI apparatus but completely outside of that aperture. In the illustrated example, an RF coil 509 has been positioned on the patient 508 and is therefore depicted in the live video feed 507.

[0053] The first display area 502 also includes an overlay to schematically illustrate parts of interest and information not visible in the live video feed 507. This overlay may include a schematic depiction of RF coils embedded in the examination table 510, including a first rear RF coil 514 and a second rear RF coil 516. In at least some examples, the overlay may additionally include a marker indicator. The marker indicator may include a movable element (handle 518 herein) centered above the patient / anatomical marker and a set of crosshairs 519 (e.g., vertical and horizontal lines) extending from the handle 518. The handle 518 may be repositioned in response to user input (e.g., a user may perform a drag-and-drop operation on the handle 518), and the set of crosshairs 519 may move with the handle 518. The position of the handle 518 relative to the patient 508 may define the marker, which the scan control device may use to set aspects of the scan (e.g., moving the examination table 510 into the aperture 512 such that the marker is centered within the aperture 512).

[0054] The overlay displayed in the first display area 502 may also include multiple port status indicators. For example... Figure 5 As shown, multiple port status indicators include a first port status indicator 520, a second port status indicator 522, a third port status indicator 524, and a fourth port status indicator 526. Each port status indicator may include an icon with a visual appearance to indicate the current status of the corresponding RF coil port on the inspection table, which is determined, for example, by the coil connection module 412. Each port status indicator may be positioned on the stack to substantially correspond to the location of the port represented by that port status indicator on the inspection table. For example, in Figure 5 In the example shown, the first port status indicator 520 includes an icon (a colored square in this document) indicating the status of the first port (e.g., labeled P1 on the first port status indicator 520) and is located in the upper left corner of the stack to indicate that the first port is located at the upper left corner of the inspection table 510. The second port status indicator 522 includes a similar icon indicating the status of the second port (e.g., labeled P2 on the second port status indicator 522) and is located in the upper right corner of the stack, corresponding to the location of the second port at the upper right corner of the inspection table 510. The third port status indicator 524 also includes a similar icon indicating the status of the third port (e.g., labeled P3 on the third port status indicator 524) and is located in the lower right corner of the stack, corresponding to the location of the third port at the lower right corner of the inspection table 510. The fourth port status indicator 526 includes a similar icon indicating the status of the fourth port (e.g., marked as P4 on the fourth port status indicator 526) and is located in the lower left corner of the stack, corresponding to the position of the fourth port located in the lower left corner of the inspection table 510.

[0055] In the first view 500, each port status indicator has a first visual appearance for indicating that each port is currently in an idle state (e.g., not connected to an RF coil). In the example shown, the first visual appearance is an icon square with a first color (e.g., gray), but other visual appearances are possible without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0056] Figure 11 Another view 1100 shows a portion of the IRD GUI 501. Specifically, Figure 11 A first display area 502 is shown, having stacked elements shown in solid lines (e.g., multiple port status indicators, depictions of rear RF coil elements, and marker indicators) and elements of the live camera feed shown in dashed lines. It should be understood that, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, the live camera feed can be replaced by an examination table and optionally, an image of the subject, providing a schematic depiction.

[0057] The second display area 504 may include various display elements to visualize information about the patient 508, the scan to be performed, and the RF coil port. For example, the second display area 504 may include a first tile 530 displaying patient information (e.g., name, medical record number, date of birth), a second tile 532 displaying the selected scan protocol to be performed during patient scanning, and a menu 534 indicating the selected patient position on the examination table. The menu 534 may be selectable, allowing the user to view additional options for patient positioning and select the desired position.

[0058] The second display area 504 also includes a coil connection card 536 that displays compatibility information for each RF coil port. For example, the coil connection card 536 includes a first port compatibility area 538 that displays compatibility information for a first port. The coil connection card 536 also includes a second port compatibility area 540 that displays compatibility information for a second port, a third port compatibility area 542 that displays compatibility information for a second port, and a fourth port compatibility area 544 that displays compatibility information for a fourth port. The compatibility information displayed in each area may change based on the status of the corresponding port. In the first view 500, since each port is idle, the compatibility information may include information about the configuration of each port, such as the maximum number of channels the port is configured to connect to and whether the port accepts receive-only RF coils or transmit / receive RF coils. For example, the text in the first port compatibility area 538 may include a port number (P1) to identify the port and “32ch RX” to indicate that the first port is compatible with receive-only coils of 32 channels (or fewer). Furthermore, in the first view 500, the coil connection card 536 has a first visual appearance for conveying the idle status of each port (e.g., no highlight, no surrounding color, no status indicator, etc.).

[0059] The second display area 504 may include additional display elements that convey selected patient parameters and examination table position information. For example, multiple display elements may display patient electrocardiogram (ECG) information (such as first ECG display element 546 and second ECG display element 548), patient pulse rate, patient respiratory rate, etc. Furthermore, the examination table position element 550 may display the current position of the patient's examination table relative to the initial position. Once a marker is identified, the value displayed in the examination table position element 550 may be changed to the distance from the isocenter where the scan will take place.

[0060] The third display area 506 may include a plurality of selectable user interface elements 552, such as buttons, which, when selected, cause various actions to occur. For example, the plurality of selectable user interface elements 552 may include a camera element that causes the display or termination of a live video feed 507, a marker button that causes the display of a marker indicator, an ECG button that causes the display of the patient's ECG waveform (e.g., in an ECG display element), etc. The plurality of selectable user interface elements 552 additionally include a scan initiation element 554, which, when selected, moves the examination table 510 into the aperture 512 so that a scan of the patient can begin.

[0061] In some examples, the IRD GUI 501 may not include a live video feed 507. For example, the user may disable the live camera feed, or the MRI apparatus may not include a camera configured to provide a live feed included in the IRD GUI 501. In such examples, the first display area 502 may include a schematic depiction of the examination table 510, which is substantially the same size and shape as the examination table 510, and includes... Figure 5 The port status indicator is shown at the same location (e.g., at the corner of the schematically depicted inspection table), such as... Figures 6 to 8 As shown.

[0062] Figure 6 The IRD GUI 501 is shown in the second view 600. The second view 600 is identical to the first view 500 except that: it shows a schematic view of the inspection station instead of a live camera feed; and relative to the first view 500, the states of the two ports in the second view 600 have changed, and therefore the visual appearance of the two port status indicators in the port status indicators has changed; and relative to the first view 500, the information displayed in the two port compatibility information areas in the port compatibility information area of ​​the second view 600 has changed. Specifically, a first RF coil is connected to a first port, and a second RF coil is connected to a second port. The first RF coil is compatible with the first port, and the second RF coil is compatible with the second port. Thus, the first port status indicator 520 has a second visual appearance indicating a correct / compatible connection between the first RF coil and the first port, and the second port status indicator 522 has a second visual appearance indicating a correct / compatible connection between the second RF coil and the second port. The second visual appearance may differ from the first visual appearance of the port status indicators in the first view 500, such as a different color (e.g., green instead of gray). Because the third and fourth ports remain idle, the third port status indicator 524 and the fourth port status indicator 526 still have the first visual appearance.

[0063] The coil connection card 536 is also updated to reflect changes in the port status of the first and second ports. The first port compatibility area 538 includes a compatibility indicator (e.g., a green checkmark) indicating compatibility between the first RF coil and the first port. The first port compatibility area 538 also includes information about the first RF coil, such as its coil type and number of channels (e.g., an 8-channel foot / ankle array). The second port compatibility area 540 similarly includes a compatibility indicator and information about the second RF coil (e.g., the second RF coil is a 16-channel transmit / receive knee array).

[0064] In some examples, the coil connection card 536 in the second view 600 can be updated to have a second visual appearance relative to the coil connection card 536 in the first view 500. For example, the periphery of the coil connection card 536 can be shown in green in the second view 600 to indicate that each current RF coil-port connection in the current RF coil-port connection is compatible. Furthermore, as... Figure 6 It is understood that the text displayed in the port compatibility area of ​​the coil connection card 536 corresponding to the connected port may have a different visual appearance than the text displayed in the port compatibility area of ​​the coil connection card 536 corresponding to the port with an idle connection. For example, for a port with a connection to an RF coil, the text may be displayed in a different color, in bold, and / or in a larger font, relative to a port with an idle connection.

[0065] Therefore, when one or more ports are connected to the corresponding RF coil, the IRD GUI 501 can be updated to change the visual appearance of the corresponding port compatibility indicator icon and coil connection card. In the second view 600, all detected RF coil-port connections are determined to be compatible. Therefore, the scan initiation element 554 is depicted as selectable (e.g., displayed in color, highlighted, or otherwise emphasized) because no incompatibility issues that might hinder a successful diagnostic scan are detected. It should be understood that, although Figure 6 A schematic view of the inspection table is shown, but the live video feed can be displayed in a second view 600, such as... Figure 5 As shown.

[0066] Figure 7IRD GUI 501 is shown in third view 700. Third view 700 is identical to first view 500 except that: it shows a schematic view of the inspection station instead of a live camera feed; and relative to first view 500, the status of one of the ports in third view 700 has changed, and therefore the visual appearance of one of the port status indicators has changed; and relative to first view 500, the information displayed in one of the port compatibility information areas in third view 700 has changed. Specifically, a third RF coil is connected to the first port. The third RF coil may be incompatible with the first port. Therefore, the first port status indicator 520 has a third visual appearance indicating an incorrect connection between the third RF coil and the first port. The third visual appearance may be a specific color (e.g., red) that differs from the first visual appearance of the port status indicator and from the second visual appearance of the port status indicator shown in second view 600. Because the second, third, and fourth ports remain idle, the second port status indicator 522, the third port status indicator 524, and the fourth port status indicator 526 still have their first visual appearance.

[0067] The coil connection card 536 is also updated to reflect changes in the port status of the first port. The first port compatibility area 538 includes an incompatibility indicator (e.g., a red triangle with an exclamation mark) indicating that the third RF coil is incompatible with the first port. The first port compatibility area 538 also includes information about the third RF coil, such as the coil type and number of channels of the third RF coil (e.g., a 21-channel head / neck array).

[0068] In some examples, the coil connection card 536 in the third view 700 can be updated to have a third visual appearance relative to the coil connection card 536 in the first view 500. For example, the periphery of the coil connection card 536 can be shown in red in the third view 700 to indicate that at least one of the current RF coil-port connections is incompatible. Furthermore, as... Figure 7 It is understood that the text displayed in the port compatibility area of ​​the coil connection card 536 corresponding to the connected port may have a different visual appearance than the text displayed in the port compatibility area of ​​the coil connection card 536 corresponding to the port with an idle connection. For example, for a port with a connection to an RF coil, the text may be displayed in a different color, in bold, and / or in a larger font, relative to a port with an idle connection.

[0069] Additionally, the IRD GUI 501 in the third view 700 includes an alert icon 702 that provides further information about incompatible coil-port connections. In the illustrated example, the alert icon 702 is in the form of a banner that extends across the top of the second display area 504 (e.g., obscuring the first tile 530). The alert icon 702 may have a visual appearance that contrasts with the visual appearance of the underlying elements of the IRD GUI, such as one or more specific colors. The alert icon 702 may include text conveying incompatibility issues (e.g., the coil is invalid for the first port) and, where possible, suggestions for one or more ports that can be used to connect to the RF coil.

[0070] Therefore, when one or more ports are connected to the corresponding RF coil, the IRD GUI 501 can be updated to change the visual appearance of the corresponding port compatibility indicator icon and coil connection card. In the third view 700, all detected RF coil-port connections are determined to be incompatible. Therefore, the scan initiation element 554 is depicted as unselectable (e.g., not displayed in color, not highlighted, or otherwise de-emphasized) because incompatibility issues that may hinder successful diagnostic scanning have been detected. Therefore, the user may be unable to initiate a scan on the patient until the coil connection has been adjusted to be compatible. It should be understood that, although... Figure 7 A schematic view of the inspection table is shown, but the live video feed can be displayed in the third view 700, as shown. Figure 5 As shown.

[0071] Figure 8The IRD GUI 501 is shown in the fourth view 800. The fourth view 800 is identical to the first view 500, except that: it shows a schematic view of the inspection station instead of a live camera feed; and relative to the first view 500, the states of the three ports in the fourth view 800 have changed, and therefore the visual appearance of the three port status indicators in the port status indicators has changed; and relative to the first view 500, the information displayed in the three port compatibility information areas in the port compatibility information area in the fourth view 800 has changed. Specifically, the fourth RF coil is connected to the first port, the fifth RF coil is connected to the second port, and the sixth RF coil is connected to the third port. The fourth RF coil may be incompatible with the first port, the fifth RF coil may be compatible with the second port, and the sixth RF coil may be incompatible with the third port. Thus, the first port status indicator 520 has a third visual appearance indicating an incorrect connection between the fourth RF coil and the first port (similar to the third visual appearance in the third view 700). The second port status indicator 522 has a second visual appearance indicating a correct connection between the fifth RF coil and the second port (similar to the second visual appearance in the second view 600). The third port status indicator 524 has a third visual appearance indicating an incorrect connection between the sixth RF coil and the third port. Because the fourth port remains idle, the fourth port status indicator 526 still has a first visual appearance.

[0072] Coil connection card 536 is also updated to reflect changes in the port status of the first, second, and third ports. The first port compatibility area 538 includes an incompatibility indicator indicating that the fourth RF coil is incompatible with the first port. The first port compatibility area 538 also includes information about the fourth RF coil, such as the coil type and number of channels of the third RF coil (e.g., a 21-channel head / neck array). The third port compatibility area 542 similarly includes an incompatibility indicator and information about the sixth RF coil. The second port compatibility area 540 includes a compatibility indicator indicating that the fifth RF coil is compatible with the second port and information about the fifth RF coil.

[0073] In some examples, the coil connection card 536 in the fourth view 800 can be updated to have a third visual appearance relative to the coil connection card 536 in the first view 500. For example, the periphery of the coil connection card 536 can be shown in red in the fourth view 800 to indicate that at least one of the current RF coil-port connections is incompatible. Furthermore, as... Figure 8It is understood that the text displayed in the port compatibility area of ​​the coil connection card 536 corresponding to the connected port may have a different visual appearance than the text displayed in the port compatibility area of ​​the coil connection card 536 corresponding to the port with an idle connection. For example, for a port with a connection to an RF coil, the text may be displayed in a different color, in bold, and / or in a larger font, relative to a port with an idle connection.

[0074] Additionally, the IRD GUI 501 in the fourth view 800 includes an alert icon 702 that provides further information about one of the incompatible coil-port connections. In the illustrated example, the alert icon 702 includes text conveying an incompatibility issue (e.g., the coil is invalid for the first port) and, where possible, includes suggestions for one or more ports that can be used to connect to the RF coil. Because more than one incompatible coil-port connection has been detected, the alert icon 702 may include additional text conveying a compatibility issue for a third port. Figure 8 (not shown in the image), or warning icon 702 can switch back and forth between showing incompatibility information for each port with incompatible connections.

[0075] Therefore, when one or more ports are connected to the corresponding RF coil, the IRD GUI 501 can be updated to change the visual appearance of the corresponding port compatibility indicator icon and coil connection card. In the fourth view 800, a portion of the detected RF coil-port connection is determined to be incompatible. Therefore, the scan initiation element 554 is depicted as unselectable (e.g., not displayed in color, not highlighted, or otherwise de-emphasized) because an incompatibility issue that may hinder a successful diagnostic scan has been detected. Therefore, the user may be unable to initiate a scan on the patient until the coil connection has been adjusted to be compatible. It should be understood that, although Figure 8 A schematic view of the inspection table is shown, but the live video feed can be displayed in the fourth view 800, as shown. Figure 5 As shown.

[0076] The third view 700 and fourth view 800 of the IRD GUI 501 illustrated herein depict one type of coil connectivity incompatibility: an incorrect RF coil type for a given port. However, other incompatibility issues can be detected and communicated via the IRD GUI 501, such as more than one RF coil connected to a single coil, only one connector in a multi-connector RF coil being connected to a port, and non-scanning coils being connected. Furthermore, the text displayed in the warning icon 702 is non-limiting and may include other text. For example, when an incorrect type of RF coil is connected, the text in the warning icon 702 may state "The coil is valid, but not on this port, port: port 1 (P1)", instead of including text stating "The coil is invalid for P1". When an incompatible connection is detected, other text that may be included in the warning icon includes: “Please reconnect the coil”; “The connected coil is not used for scanning. Additional parts may be required”; “Incorrect coil is connected to port P3. Connect it to P2 or P4 instead”; “Multiple coils connected to a single port - [coil name 1; coil name 2]”; “Only one connector (P1) is connected to a dual-connector coil. Please connect it to the other port.”

[0077] Figure 9 Examples are given for use with, for example Figure 1 Method 900, which uses an MRI device 10 to scan a patient. Method 900 is based on... Figures 1 to 4 The system and components described herein are for informational purposes only; however, it should be understood that method 900 may be implemented with other systems and components without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Method 900 may be executed according to instructions stored in the non-transitory memory of a computing device (such as…). Figure 4 The memory 406) is in the computing device's processor (such as Figure 2 The processor 404) executes.

[0078] At 902, method 900 includes receiving an indication that the imaging subject (in this context, the patient) has been positioned on the examination table of the MRI apparatus. For example, the operator of the MRI apparatus (e.g., a technician, radiologist, etc.) may enter user input identifying the patient or otherwise indicating that a scan of the patient is about to begin. As another example, the operator may move the examination table to an initial position to position the patient on the examination table, and the examination table in the initial position may provide an indication that the patient is already on the examination table (or will be positioned on the examination table).

[0079] At 904, the IRD GUI is output for display on a display device, such as an indoor display device positioned over an aperture of the MRI apparatus (e.g., IRD 302 positioned over aperture 202). The IRD GUI can present information related to patient positioning and scan setup, including patient information, scan protocol information, etc. The IRD GUI may include a live camera feed showing the patient positioned on the examination table, and a stack including marker indicators and / or multiple port status indicators. When the patient is initially positioned on the examination table and before any RF coils have been connected to the MRI apparatus, each port status indicator of the IRD GUI may have a first visual appearance to convey that each port of the MRI apparatus is idle. For example, the initially displayed IRD GUI could be... Figure 5 The first view of the IRD GUI is shown. It should be understood that camera feed is optional, and when camera feed is not included in the IRD GUI, the overlay including port status indicators can still be displayed in the IRD GUI.

[0080] At 906, method 900 includes monitoring the coil-port connection and updating the IRD GUI when indicated, which is discussed below. Figure 10 To explain in more detail. In short, it allows monitoring of each port of the MRI apparatus so that when a connection is established between a port and an RF coil, the IRD GUI can be updated to reflect that connection and indicate whether the connection is compatible or incompatible, allowing the operator to correctly connect each desired RF coil before starting the scan and leaving the scanning room.

[0081] At 908, method 900 includes placing and / or adjusting the marker point and updating the IRD GUI accordingly. (As mentioned above...) Figure 5 As explained, the IRD GUI may include marker indicators that designate specific patient anatomical regions as landmarks to aid patient positioning within the MRI apparatus apertures and various aspects of the scan. The marker indicators can be placed and / or moved based on user input. In some examples, the marker indicators (e.g., a set of crosshairs and handles) may be placed on the IRD GUI at a location corresponding to the position where the operator taps on an area of ​​the IRD GUI that includes the live camera feed and overlay, and the operator can then drag the handles to the desired position. As another example, the marker indicators may be placed on the IRD GUI based on the selected scanning protocol and / or based on user input to the examination table (e.g., the operator may touch the examination table to set the vertical position of the marker indicators), and the operator can then drag the handles to the desired position. It should be understood that the marker indicators may be positioned before or after the RF coil is inserted into the corresponding port, or the marker indicators may not be displayed on the IRD GUI.

[0082] At 910, the scan is initiated upon request. For example, the IRD GUI may include user interface elements (e.g., scan initiation element 554) that, when selected, move the examination table into the aperture of the MRI apparatus, allowing the scan to begin. The scan of the patient may include the generation of RF excitation pulses (e.g., using RF body coil unit 15 and / or one or more surface / local RF coils) and magnetic field gradient pulses (e.g., using gradient coil unit 13) at specific timings and in a specific sequence to prepare for contrast and encode spatial information into an MR signal detected by one or more surface / local RF coils (such as RF coil unit 14). The detected MR signal is then transformed into an image. In some examples, the scan may be initiated by a locator scan to ensure the patient is correctly positioned before the full diagnostic scan begins. Method 900 then ends.

[0083] It should be understood that, in the above text regarding Figure 9 During the display of the explained IRD GUI, an operator console, such as operator console 304, may display a scan control GUI different from the IRD GUI. The scan control GUI can present information and accept scan-related user input to allow selection of scan protocols, viewing positioner scan images, setting scan parameters, viewing scan progress, viewing diagnostic images, etc. In some examples, coil and port information may be displayed via coil connection labels in the scan control GUI. However, the coil connection labels in the scan control GUI may only include the coil name and port number (e.g., a 21ch head and neck array connected to port 1) and may not include compatibility information or a visual representation of the port location. For example, the scan control GUI may not include images of the examination table or the patient.

[0084] Figure 10 Examples are given for use in, such as Figure 1 Method 1000 for monitoring RF coil-port connections in an MRI apparatus 10. Method 1000 is a reference. Figures 1 to 4 The system and components described herein are for informational purposes only; however, it should be understood that method 1000 may be implemented with other systems and components without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Method 1000 may be executed according to instructions stored in the non-transitory memory of a computing device (such as…). Figure 4 The memory 406) is in the computing device's processor (such as Figure 2 The processor 404) executes the method. In some examples, method 1000 may be executed as part of method 900, such as at 906 of method 900.

[0085] At 1002, method 1000 includes an IRD GUI that outputs an indication of an available RF coil port. The IRD GUI can be as described above regarding... Figures 5 to 8 The IRD GUI 501 is explained. Indication of available RF coil ports may include a port status indicator displayed on the live camera feed stack, as indicated at 1004. However, in some examples, the port status indicator may be displayed on a schematic depiction of the MRI apparatus's table, such as... Figures 6 to 8 As shown. Port status indicators can be displayed at positions that roughly correspond to the actual positions of the RF coil ports on the examination table of the MRI apparatus. When no RF coil is connected, each port status indicator can have a primary visual appearance to indicate that each port is currently idle, such as... Figure 5 As shown.

[0086] Indication of available RF coil ports may also include a coil connection card, as indicated at 1006. The coil connection card can display information about each RF coil port, such as the port number and the type of RF coil configured to accept the port. When no RF coil is connected, the coil card can have a primary visual appearance to indicate that each port is currently idle, such as... Figure 5 As shown.

[0087] At 1008, method 1000 detects whether an RF coil is connected to the port. The connection to the port can be detected based on signals output from the port (such as signals indicating the number of pins on the connector of the RF coil connected to the port). In some examples, additional signals may be output from the port or otherwise received at the computing device, indicating the brand, model, etc., of the RF coil.

[0088] If no connection between the RF coil and the port is detected, method 1000 loops back to 1002 to continue outputting the IRD GUI showing the available (e.g., idle) ports. If a coil-port connection is detected, method 1000 proceeds to 1012 to determine coil and port compatibility based on the number of pins on the connector of the RF coil connected to the port and / or based on the brand, model, etc., of the RF coil. The number of connected pins can be used to determine the number of channels of the RF coil. The computing device may use, for example, a lookup table stored in memory (as described above) based on the number of channels and, in some examples, further based on the brand, model, etc., of the RF coil. Figure 4 (As explained) to determine which port of the MRI device is compatible with the RF coil.

[0089] If the RF coil and port are determined to be compatible, method 1000 proceeds to 1014 to update the IRD GUI to indicate a compatible coil-port connection. Updating the IRD GUI to indicate a compatible coil-port connection may include updating the port status indicator representing the port and updating the coil connection card, as indicated at 1016. The port status indicator representing the port of the detected coil-port connection may be adjusted to have a second visual appearance different from the first visual appearance, such as... Figure 6 The visual appearance of the first port status indicator 520. Similarly, the coil connection card can be updated to include a compatibility indicator in the area of ​​the connected port and display information on the connected RF coil, such as... Figure 6 As shown. In some examples, updating the IRD GUI to indicate a compatible coil-port connection may include updating or maintaining the scan initiation element, as indicated at 1018, such that the scan initiation element is shown as optional.

[0090] At 1020, method 1000 includes determining whether a request to start a scan has been received (e.g., via user input on a scan initiation element). If a request to start a scan has been received, method 1000 terminates. If no request to start a scan has been received, method 1000 continues to 1002 to output an IRD GUI with indications of available ports (and in this case, updated port status indicators and coil connection cards).

[0091] Returning to 1012, if it is determined that the RF coil and the port to which the RF coil is connected are incompatible (e.g., if the RF coil-port connection is incompatible), then method 1000 proceeds to 1022 to update the IRD GUI to indicate the incompatible coil-port connection. Updating the IRD GUI to indicate the incompatible coil-port connection may include updating the port status indicator representing the port and updating the coil connection card, as indicated at 1024. The port status indicator representing the port of the detected coil-port connection may be adjusted to have a third visual appearance different from the first and second visual appearances of the port status indicator, such as... Figure 7 The visual appearance of the first port status indicator 520. Similarly, the coil connection card can be updated to have a different visual appearance than when the port is idle or only a compatible connection is detected (e.g., a change in the color of the card's perimeter). The coil connection card can also be updated to include an incompatibility indicator in the area of ​​the connected port and display information on the connected RF coil, such as... Figure 7As shown. Additionally, the IRD GUI can be updated to include warning icons, such as warning icon 702, that convey additional information about incompatible connections. In some examples, updating the IRD GUI to indicate incompatible coil-port connections may include updating or maintaining the scan initiation element, as indicated at 1026, such that the scan initiation element is shown as not selectable. Method 1000 then proceeds to 1008 to continue monitoring for new or updated RF coil-port connections.

[0092] Therefore, this paper discloses a dedicated system for real-time coil guidance in an MRI environment (e.g., a scan control device integrated with an MRI apparatus). This system integrates hardware and software components to provide dynamic visual feedback on coil connectivity status via the disclosed IRD GUI, thereby improving the efficiency and accuracy of the MRI setup process. The system directly interfaces with the RF coil port of the MRI apparatus to actively monitor the physical connectivity status of each coil in real time. This involves continuous electrical signal processing to detect coil presence and compatibility.

[0093] For MRI systems equipped with indoor cameras, the IRD GUI overlays digital information onto the live camera feed. This requires precise spatial calibration and real-time image processing to accurately map coil port locations onto the video stream.

[0094] The IRD GUI disclosed in this paper is an adaptive user interface, and the system dynamically generates and updates the GUI based on the current state of the coil connection. This involves real-time data processing to interpret the coil connection state, dynamic generation of visual elements (colors, shapes, icons) corresponding to the connection state, and immediate updates of the display / GUI in response to physical changes in the coil connection.

[0095] Furthermore, the system performs real-time analysis of the connected coils for each port's specifications to determine whether the coils are correctly connected or mismatched. This involves maintaining a database of coil and port specifications, executing compatibility algorithms to cross-reference the connected coils with port requirements, and generating appropriate visual and textual feedback based on the analysis results.

[0096] The system disclosed in this paper uses a combination of visual cues (colors, shapes, icons) and textual information to convey complex state information in an easily interpretable format. This requires designing and implementing a coherent visual language for state representation, developing algorithms to convert technical state data into appropriate visual and textual cues, and implementing accessibility features to ensure that the information can be perceived by users with various visual abilities.

[0097] Furthermore, the system proactively identifies and alerts users to incorrect coil connections or potential problems. This involves continuous monitoring and analysis of coil connection data, implementation of error detection algorithms, and generation and display of context-appropriate warning messages. It should be understood that humans may not be able to mentally identify whether a coil-port connection is compatible or incompatible, as RF coil connectors and ports may not be labeled, and different RF coils may have visually similar connectors that can be connected to a variety of different ports, even if the RF coil is actually incompatible with that port.

[0098] Additionally, the system is configured to operate on both camera-equipped and cameraless MRI systems, thus requiring the development of adaptive rendering algorithms to adapt to different display contexts and the implementation of a flexible software architecture that can adapt to different hardware configurations.

[0099] The technical advantage of determining the connection status of each of multiple ports (each configured to couple an RF coil to the MRI apparatus) and generating a GUI including a port status indicator for each port (where each port status indicator has a visual appearance based on the connection status of that port) is that it can inform the user of incorrect or correct RF coil-port connections, allowing the user to correct any incorrect connections before the scan begins. Doing so reduces scan retakes and improves image quality, which in turn improves the efficiency of the MRI apparatus and the computing devices that generate the images.

[0100] This disclosure also provides support for a system comprising: a display device; one or more processors; and a memory storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to: determine a connection state of each of a plurality of ports, each of the plurality of ports being configured to couple a radio frequency (RF) coil to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus; generate a graphical user interface (GUI) including a port status indicator for each port, each port status indicator having a visual appearance based on the connection state of the port; and output the GUI for display on the display device. In a first example of the system, the display device is an indoor display device positioned on an aperture of the MRI apparatus. In a second example of the system, optionally including the first example, determining the connection state of each port includes: determining that each port has an idle connection state, and wherein generating the GUI includes: generating the GUI having a coil connection card displaying compatibility information regarding each of the plurality of ports; and setting each port status indicator to have a first visual appearance indicating the idle connection state. In a third example of the system, optionally including one or both of the first and second examples, determining the connection status of each port includes: determining that a first connection status of a first port among the plurality of ports has changed from an idle connection status to a compatible connection status; and updating the GUI to change the visual appearance of the first port status indicator from a first visual appearance to a second visual appearance to indicate the compatible connection status, the compatible connection status reflecting that a first RF coil connected to the first port is compatible with the first port. In a fourth example of the system, optionally including one or more or each of the first to third examples, the system further includes: updating the coil connection card to include a compatibility indicator for the first port; and displaying configuration information about the first RF coil. In a fifth example of the system, optionally including one or more, or each of the first to fourth examples, determining the connection status of each port includes: determining that a first connection status of a first port among the plurality of ports has changed from an idle connection status to an incompatible connection status; and updating the GUI to change the visual appearance of the first port status indicator from a first visual appearance to a third visual appearance to indicate the incompatible connection status, the incompatible connection status reflecting that a first RF coil connected to the first port is incompatible with the first port. In a sixth example of the system, optionally including one or more, or each of the first to fifth examples, the system further includes: updating the coil connection card to include an incompatibility indicator for the first port; and displaying configuration information about the first RF coil.In a seventh example of the system, optionally including one or more or each of the first to sixth examples, the system further includes updating the GUI to include a warning icon displaying incompatibility information regarding the first RF coil. In an eighth example of the system, optionally including one or more or each of the first to seventh examples, the plurality of ports are positioned on the examination table of the MRI apparatus, wherein the GUI includes a first display area configured to display a live video feed from the examination table, and wherein each port status indicator is displayed as an overlay on the live video feed, each port status indicator positioned on the overlay at a location corresponding to the position of the corresponding port on the examination table.

[0101] This disclosure also provides support for a method comprising: determining a connection state of each of a plurality of ports of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, each of the plurality of ports being configured to couple a radio frequency (RF) coil to the MRI apparatus; generating a graphical user interface (GUI) including a port status indicator for each port, each port status indicator having a visual appearance based on the connection state of the port; and outputting the GUI for display on a display device. In a first example of the method, the display device is positioned over a port of the MRI apparatus. In a second example of the method, optionally including the first example, determining the connection state of each of the plurality of ports of the MRI apparatus comprises: determining that a first port of the plurality of ports has an idle connection state and a second port of the plurality of ports has an incompatible connection state, the idle connection state indicating that no RF coil is coupled to the first port, the incompatible connection state indicating that a first RF coil coupled to the second port is incompatible with the second port, and wherein generating the GUI comprises: generating the GUI having a first port status indicator having a first visual appearance corresponding to the first port and a second port status indicator having a second visual appearance different from the first visual appearance corresponding to the second port. In a third example of the method, optionally including one or both of the first and second examples, generating the GUI includes: generating the GUI with a coil connection card that displays compatibility information about the first port and configuration information about the first RF coil. In a fourth example of the method, optionally including one or more, or each of the first to third examples, generating the GUI includes: generating the GUI with a warning icon that displays incompatibility information about the first RF coil.

[0102] This disclosure also provides support for a method comprising: determining, based on a signal output from a first port of a plurality of ports positioned on an examination table of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, that a first RF coil is connected to the first port; determining, based on the signal, that the first RF coil is incompatible with the first port; updating, in response to determining that the first RF coil is incompatible with the first port, a graphical user interface (GUI) to include a first port status indicator for the first port, the first port status indicator having a second visual appearance different from a first visual appearance of the first port status indicator, the first port status indicator being displayed on the GUI with the first visual appearance when the first port is determined to be idle; and outputting the GUI for display on a display device positioned on an aperture of the MRI apparatus. In a first example of the method, the GUI includes one or more additional port status indicators, each additional port status indicator corresponding to a corresponding remaining port of the plurality of ports, and each additional port status indicator having a visual appearance based on whether an RF coil is connected to the corresponding remaining port. In a second example of the method, the first example is optionally included, wherein the plurality of ports are positioned on the examination table of the MRI apparatus, wherein the GUI includes a first display area configured to display a live video feed of the examination table, and wherein each port status indicator is displayed as an overlay on the live video feed, each port status indicator being positioned on the overlay at a location corresponding to the position of the corresponding port on the examination table. In a third example of the method, one or both of the first and second examples are optionally included, wherein updating the GUI in response to determining that the first RF coil is incompatible with the first port includes: updating the visual appearance of the coil connection card in the GUI; and updating port compatibility information displayed within the coil connection card to indicate that the first RF coil is incompatible with the first port. In a fourth example of the method, one or more or each of the first to third examples are optionally included, wherein in response to determining that the first RF coil is incompatible with the first port, the GUI is updated to include a warning icon suggesting a different port among the plurality of ports compatible with the first RF coil. In a fifth example of the method, one or more or each of the first to fourth examples may be included, the first visual appearance including a first port status indicator having a first color, and the second visual appearance including a first port status indicator having a second color.

[0103] As used herein, elements or steps listed in the singular and beginning with the word "a" or "an" should be understood to not exclude a plurality of said elements or steps unless such exclusion is explicitly stated. Furthermore, references to "one embodiment" of the invention are not intended to be construed as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also include the referenced features. Moreover, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, embodiments that "comprise," "include," or "have" elements or multiple elements having a particular characteristic may include additional such elements that do not have that characteristic. The terms "comprise" and "in" are used as concise linguistic equivalents to the corresponding terms "comprising" and "wherein". Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used merely as notations and are not intended to impose numerical requirements or a particular order of position on their objects.

[0104] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also enables those skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any apparatus or system and performing any included methods. The scope of patentability of the invention is defined by the claims, but may include other examples that would occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to fall within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that are not indistinguishable from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements that have minor differences from the literal language of the claims.

[0105] The following claims specifically point to certain combinations and sub-combinations that are considered novel and non-obvious. These claims may refer to a "one" element or a "first" element or its equivalent. Such claims should be understood to include combinations of one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. Other combinations and sub-combinations of the disclosed features, functions, elements, and / or properties may be claimed by amending these claims or by presenting new claims in this application or related applications. Such claims, whether broader or narrower in scope than the original claims, identical or different, are considered to be included within the subject matter of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A system comprising: a display device (420); one or more processors (404); and a memory (406) storing instructions executable by the one or more processors (404) to: determine (906) a connection state for each port of a plurality of ports (27), each port of the plurality of ports (27) configured to couple a radio frequency (RF) coil (14) to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device (10); generate (1002) a graphical user interface (GUI) (501) including a port state indicator (520, 522, 524, 526) for each port, each port state indicator (520, 522, 524, 526) having a visual appearance based on the connection state of the port; and output (906) the GUI (501) for display on the display device (420).

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the display device is an in-room display device (302) positioned on a bore (202) of the MRI device (10). determine that each port has an idle connection state, and wherein generating the GUI includes generating (1006) the GUI with a coil connection card (536) displaying compatibility information about each port of the plurality of ports and setting (1004) each port state indicator to have a first visual appearance indicating the idle connection state. determine that a first connection state of a first port of the plurality of ports has changed from the idle connection state to a compatible connection state; 3. The system of claim 1, wherein determining the connection status of each port comprises: and update (1014, 1016) the GUI to change the visual appearance of a first port state indicator from the first visual appearance to a second visual appearance to indicate the compatible connection state, the compatible connection state reflecting that a first RF coil connected to the first port is compatible with the first port.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein determining the connection status of each port comprises: update (1016) the coil connection card to include a compatibility indicator for the first port and display configuration information about the first RF coil. determine that a first connection state of a first port of the plurality of ports has changed from the idle connection state to an incompatible connection state; 5. The system of claim 4, further comprising: and update (1022, 1024) the GUI to change the visual appearance of a first port state indicator from the first visual appearance to a third visual appearance to indicate the incompatible connection state, the incompatible connection state reflecting that a first RF coil connected to the first port is incompatible with the first port.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein determining the connection status of each port comprises: update (1024) the coil connection card to include an incompatibility indicator for the first port and display configuration information about the first RF coil. update the GUI to include an alert icon (702) displaying incompatibility information about the first RF coil.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising: ​ 8. The system of claim 6, further comprising: ​ 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ports are positioned on a table (26) of the MRI device (10), wherein the GUI (501) includes a first display area configured to display a live video feed (507) of the table, and wherein each port status indicator is displayed as an overlay on the live video feed, each port status indicator being positioned on the overlay at a position corresponding to a position of the corresponding port on the table.

10. A method comprising: determining (906) a connection status of each port of a plurality of ports (27) of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device (10), each port of the plurality of ports being configured to couple a radio frequency (RF) coil (14) to the MRI device (10); generating (1002, 1014, 1022) a graphical user interface (GUI) (501) including a port status indicator (520, 522, 524, 526) for each port, each port status indicator having a visual appearance based on the connection status of the port; and outputting (906) the GUI for display on a display device (420).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the display device is positioned on a bore (202) of the MRI device (10).

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the connection status of each port of the plurality of ports of the MRI device comprises: determining that a first port of the plurality of ports has an idle connection status and a second port of the plurality of ports has an incompatible connection status, the idle connection status indicating that no RF coil is coupled to the first port, the incompatible connection status indicating that a first RF coil coupled to the second port is incompatible with the second port, and wherein generating the GUI includes generating the GUI with a first port status indicator corresponding to the first port having a first visual appearance and a second port status indicator corresponding to the second port having a second visual appearance different from the first visual appearance.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the GUI comprises: generating the GUI with a coil connection card (536) displaying compatibility information about the first port and configuration information about the first RF coil.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the GUI comprises: generating the GUI with a warning icon (702) displaying incompatibility information about the first RF coil.

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