Scan region setting method, apparatus, and medical imaging system for a medical imaging system

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application provides a scanning region setting method, device and medical imaging system for the medical imaging system, the method comprises the following steps: setting a first scanning region in a reference medical image, the reference medical image is a composite image generated by splicing a first medical scanning image and a second medical scanning image, or the reference medical image comprises any one of the first medical scanning image and the second medical scanning image, wherein the first scanning region is located on at least one of the first medical scanning image and the second medical scanning image; and setting more than one second scanning region according to the first scanning region. According to the first scanning region, more than one second scanning region is automatically set, thereby, the workload of the process of setting the scanning region can be reduced, and the time of setting the scanning region is shortened, so that the efficiency of scanning is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a scanning area setting method, apparatus and medical imaging system for a medical imaging system. Background Technology

[0002] In scenarios where medical imaging devices are used to scan and image a target, the area to be scanned is sometimes larger than the field of view (FOV) of the medical imaging device. Therefore, it is necessary to set up multiple scanning areas and obtain multiple medical scan images by scanning multiple scanning areas. These medical scan images can be merged to cover the area of ​​the target that needs to be scanned.

[0003] When scanning different scanning areas, the relative position of the object being detected and the medical imaging system changes, thereby allowing the corresponding scanning area of ​​the object to enter the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system.

[0004] Using a medical imaging system to scan multiple areas can also be called multi-station scanning.

[0005] It should be noted that the above introduction to the technical background is only for the purpose of providing a clear and complete explanation of the technical solution of this application and facilitating the understanding of those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Before scanning the object to be tested, a preliminary scan is usually performed using a medical imaging system to obtain one or more tri-plane localization images of the object. The three planes include, for example, the sagittal plane, the coronal plane, and the horizontal plane. For example, the tri-plane localization images may include a first medical scan image obtained by scanning the upper part of the object and a second medical scan image obtained by scanning the lower part of the object.

[0007] In the prior art, the operator of a medical imaging system (e.g., a physician) can set a first scanning region in a first medical scan image and then set a second scanning region in a second medical scan image. Thus, the medical imaging system can scan the object to be detected according to the set first and second scanning regions respectively, thereby realizing multi-region scanning (e.g., multi-region scanning refers to scanning both the first and second scanning regions).

[0008] The inventors of this application have discovered that in the prior art, multiple scanning areas need to be manually set by the operator. In the process of setting multiple scanning areas, it is necessary to ensure that adjacent scanning areas are aligned and that adjacent scanning areas have a predetermined overlap size in a specified direction to ensure that the area to be scanned is completely covered. This manual setting of scanning areas increases the operator's workload and prolongs the operation time.

[0009] To address the aforementioned technical problems or at least similar technical problems, embodiments of this application provide a scanning area setting method, apparatus, and medical imaging system for a medical imaging system. The method automatically sets one or more second scanning areas based on a first scanning area, thereby reducing the workload of setting the scanning area and shortening the time required to set the scanning area, thus improving scanning efficiency.

[0010] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a method for setting a scanning region in a medical imaging system is provided, the method comprising:

[0011] A first scanning region is defined in a reference medical image, wherein the reference medical image is a composite image generated by stitching together a first medical scan image and a second medical scan image, or the reference medical image includes either the first medical scan image or the second medical scan image, wherein the first scanning region is located on at least one of the first medical scan image and the second medical scan image; and

[0012] One or more second scanning areas are set according to the first scanning area.

[0013] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a medical imaging system is provided, the system comprising: a controller configured to perform the above-described scanning area setting method.

[0014] One of the beneficial effects of the embodiments of this application is that: one or more second scanning areas are automatically set according to the first scanning area, thereby reducing the workload of setting the scanning area and shortening the time for setting the scanning area, thereby improving the scanning efficiency.

[0015] Referring to the following description and accompanying drawings, specific implementation methods of the embodiments of this application are disclosed in detail, indicating how the principles of the embodiments of this application can be adopted. It should be understood that the implementation methods of this application are not limited in scope. Within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the implementation methods of this application include many changes, modifications, and equivalents. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which form part of the specification, are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of this application and illustrate the implementation methods of this application, together with the textual description, to explain the principles of this application. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other implementation methods based on these drawings without creative effort. In the drawings:

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a magnetic resonance imaging system according to an embodiment of this application;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the scanning area setting method in an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram referencing medical images;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the first scanned area;

[0021] Figure 5 This is another schematic diagram of the first scan area;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a method for setting a second scanning area based on a first scanning area;

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the first scan area 301 in the first coordinate system;

[0024] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the center C1 of the first scanning area 301 and the center C2 of the second scanning area 302;

[0025] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a method for setting two or more second scanning areas based on a first scanning area;

[0026] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a scanning area setting device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a medical imaging system according to an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the scanning process of the magnetic resonance imaging system 100. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the foregoing and other features of the embodiments of this application will become apparent from the following description. Specific embodiments of this application are specifically disclosed in the description and drawings, illustrating partial implementations in which the principles of the embodiments of this application can be adopted. It should be understood that this application is not limited to the described embodiments; rather, the embodiments of this application include all modifications, variations, and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims.

[0030] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish different elements by name, but do not indicate the spatial arrangement or chronological order of these elements, and these elements should not be limited by these terms. The term "and / or" includes any one or more of the terms listed in association and all combinations thereof. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," etc., refer to the presence of the stated features, elements, components, or assemblies, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, or assemblies.

[0031] In the embodiments of this application, the singular forms "a," "the," etc., including the plural forms, should be broadly understood as "a kind" or "a class" rather than limited to the meaning of "an." Furthermore, the term "the" should be understood to include both the singular and plural forms, unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise. Additionally, the term "according to" should be understood as "at least partially based on…," and the term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on…," unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise.

[0032] In the embodiments of this application, the term "key point" can be equivalently replaced by "key coordinate point", "landmark" or "landmark point", etc.; the term "object" can be equivalently replaced by "detection object", "object to be detected", "object to be scanned", "object to be scanned", "patient" or "research object", etc., which can be a person, animal or other object.

[0033] In the embodiments of this application, the term "comprising / including" as used herein refers to the presence of a feature, integral, step, or component, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, or components.

[0034] Features described and / or illustrated for one embodiment may be used in the same or similar manner in one or more other embodiments, combined with features in other embodiments, or substituted for features in other embodiments.

[0035] In the embodiments of this application, the method or apparatus for setting the scanning area can be applied to various medical imaging scenarios, including but not limited to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), ultrasound imaging, positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), PET / CT, PET / MR, or any other suitable medical imaging scenario.

[0036] In this application embodiment, the method, apparatus, and system of this application are described by way of example using an MRI scenario, that is, the medical imaging system is exemplified by a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. It is understood that the content of this application embodiment is also applicable to other medical imaging scenarios.

[0037] For ease of understanding, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system 100 according to an embodiment of this application.

[0038] The MRI system 100 includes a scanning unit 111. The scanning unit 111 is used to perform magnetic resonance scanning on an object (e.g., a human body) 170 to generate image data of a region of interest of the object 170, which may be a predetermined anatomical location or anatomical tissue.

[0039] The operation of the MRI system 100 is controlled by an operator workstation 110, which includes an input device 114, a control panel 116, and a display 118. The input device 114 may be a joystick, keyboard, mouse, trackball, touch-activated screen, voice control, or any similar or equivalent input device. The control panel 116 may include a keyboard, touch-activated screen, voice control, buttons, sliders, or any similar or equivalent control device. The operator workstation 110 is coupled to and communicates with a computer system 120, which enables the operator to control the generation and viewing of images on the display 118. The computer system 120 includes multiple components that communicate with each other via an electrical and / or data connection module 122. The connection module 122 may be a direct wired connection, a fiber optic connection, a wireless communication link, etc. The computer system 120 may include a central processing unit (CPU) 124, a memory 126, and an image processor 128. In some embodiments, the image processor 128 may be replaced by medical imaging functions implemented in the CPU 124. Computer system 120 can be connected to archival media devices, permanent or backup storage, or a network. Computer system 120 can be coupled to and communicate with a separate MRI system controller 130.

[0040] The MRI system controller 130 includes a set of components that communicate with each other via an electrical and / or data connection module 132. The connection module 132 can be a direct wired connection, a fiber optic connection, a wireless communication link, etc. The MRI system controller 130 may include a CPU 131, a sequence pulse generator (also referred to as a pulse generator) 133 that communicates with the operator workstation 110, a transceiver (also referred to as an RF transceiver) 135, a memory 137, and an array processor 139.

[0041] In some embodiments, the sequence pulse generator 133 may be integrated into the resonant assembly 140 of the scanning unit 111 of the MRI system 100. The MRI system controller 130 may receive commands from the operator workstation 110, coupled to the scanning unit 111, to instruct the MRI scan sequence to be performed during an MRI scan, for controlling the scanning unit 111 to perform the aforementioned MRI scan procedure. The MRI system controller 130 is also coupled to and communicates with a gradient driver system (also referred to as a gradient driver) 150, which is coupled to the gradient coil assembly 142 to generate a magnetic field gradient during an MRI scan.

[0042] The sequence pulse generator 133 may also receive data from a physiological acquisition controller 155, which receives signals from multiple different sensors (e.g., electrocardiogram (ECG) signals from electrodes attached to the patient) connected to the subject or patient 170 undergoing an MRI scan. The sequence pulse generator 133 is coupled to and communicates with a scan room interface system 145, which receives signals from various sensors associated with the state of the resonant assembly 140. The scan room interface system 145 is also coupled to and communicates with a patient positioning system 147, which sends and receives signals to control the movement of the patient table to the desired position for the MRI scan.

[0043] MRI system controller 130 provides gradient waveforms to gradient driver system 150, the gradient driver system including G x (x direction), G y (y-direction) and G z (z-direction) amplifiers, etc. Each G x G y and G z Gradient amplifiers excite corresponding gradient coils in gradient coil assembly 142 to generate magnetic field gradients for spatial encoding of MR signals during MRI scans. Gradient coil assembly 142 is disposed within resonant assembly 140, which also includes a superconducting magnet with a superconducting coil 144 that provides a static, uniform longitudinal magnetic field B0 throughout the cylindrical imaging volume 146 during operation. Resonant assembly 140 also includes an RF body coil 148 that provides a transverse magnetic field B1 during operation, which is substantially perpendicular to B0 throughout the cylindrical imaging volume 146. Resonant assembly 140 may also include an RF surface coil 149 for imaging different anatomical structures of a patient undergoing an MRI scan. RF body coil 148 and RF surface coil 149 may be configured to operate in transmit and receive modes, transmit mode, or receive mode.

[0044] The x-direction can also be called the frequency coding direction or k in the K-space. x The direction, the y-direction, can be called the phase encoding direction or k in K-space. y The z-direction can be called the layer selection (layer selection) direction. G x It can be used for frequency coding or signal readout, and is often referred to as the frequency coding gradient or readout gradient. G y It can be used for phase coding, and is often referred to as the phase coding gradient. G z It can be used for slice (layer) location selection to obtain K-space data. It should be noted that the layer selection direction, phase encoding direction, and frequency encoding direction can be modified according to actual needs.

[0045] The MRI scan subject or patient 170 can be positioned within the cylindrical imaging volume 146 of the resonance assembly 140. The transceiver 135 in the MRI system controller 130 generates RF excitation pulses amplified by the RF amplifier 162 and provides them to the RF body coil 148 via a transmit / receive switch (also known as a T / R switch or switch) 164.

[0046] As described above, the RF body coil 148 and RF surface coil 149 can be used to transmit RF excitation pulses and / or receive resulting MR signals from a patient undergoing an MRI scan. MR signals emitted by nuclei excited within the patient during an MRI scan can be sensed and received by the RF body coil 148 or RF surface coil 149 and transmitted back to the preamplifier 166 via a T / R switch 164. The T / R switch 164 can be controlled by a signal from the sequence pulse generator 133 to electrically connect the RF amplifier 162 to the RF body coil 148 during transmit mode and to connect the preamplifier 166 to the RF body coil 148 during receive mode. The T / R switch 164 can also enable the RF surface coil 149 to be used in either transmit or receive mode.

[0047] In some implementations, the MR signal sensed and received by the RF body coil 148 or the RF surface coil 149 and amplified by the preamplifier 166 is stored as a raw k-space data array in memory 137 for post-processing. A reconstructed magnetic resonance image can be obtained by transforming / processing this stored raw k-space data.

[0048] In some implementations, the MR signal sensed and received by the RF body coil 148 or RF surface coil 149 and amplified by the preamplifier 166 is demodulated, filtered, and digitized in the receiving section of the transceiver 135 and transmitted to the memory 137 in the MRI system controller 130. For each image to be reconstructed, the data is rearranged into separate k-space data arrays, and each of these separate k-space data arrays is input to the array processor 139, which is operated to perform a Fourier transform on the data into an array of image data.

[0049] The array processor 139 uses a transformation method, most commonly Fourier transform, to create an image from the received MR signal. These images are transmitted to the computer system 120 and stored in the memory 126. In response to a command received from the operator workstation 110, the image data may be stored in long-term memory, or it may be further processed by the image processor 128 and transmitted to the operator workstation 110 for display on the monitor 118.

[0050] In various implementations, components of the computer system 120 and the MRI system controller 130 may be implemented on the same computer system or multiple computer systems. It should be understood that... Figure 1 The MRI system 100 shown is for illustrative purposes. Suitable MRI systems may include more, fewer, and / or different components.

[0051] The MRI system controller 130 and image processor 128 may each include a computer processor and a storage medium, either individually or jointly. The storage medium records a program for predetermined data processing to be executed by the computer processor. For example, the storage medium may store programs for performing scan processing (e.g., scan procedures, imaging sequences), image reconstruction, medical imaging, etc. For instance, it may store a computer program for determining object orientation in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The storage medium may include, for example, a ROM, floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, or a non-volatile memory card.

[0052] The inventors discovered that in the prior art, when using a medical imaging system to scan multiple scanning areas, the operator manually sets up multiple scanning areas. In the process of setting up multiple scanning areas, it is necessary to ensure that adjacent scanning areas are aligned and that adjacent scanning areas have a predetermined overlap size in a specified direction to ensure that the area to be scanned is completely covered. This manual setting up of scanning areas increases the operator's workload and prolongs the operation time.

[0053] To address at least one of the above problems, embodiments of this application provide a scanning area setting method, apparatus, and medical imaging system for a medical imaging system.

[0054] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a scanning area setting method in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the method for setting the scanning area includes:

[0055] 202. A first scanning region is defined in a reference medical image, wherein the reference medical image is a composite image generated by stitching together a first medical scan image and a second medical scan image, or the reference medical image includes either the first medical scan image or the second medical scan image, wherein the first scanning region is located on at least one of the first medical scan image and the second medical scan image; and

[0056] 203. Set one or more second scanning areas based on the first scanning area.

[0057] The method for setting the scanning area in this application embodiment automatically sets one or more (i.e., one or more) second scanning areas based on the first scanning area. This reduces the workload of setting the scanning area and shortens the time required to set the scanning area, thereby improving scanning efficiency.

[0058] like Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the scanning area setting method may further include:

[0059] 201. Obtain reference medical images.

[0060] Operation 201 yields a reference medical image, which is then used in operation 202. Alternatively, operation 201 may not be included in the scanning area setting method of this application.

[0061] In this application, the reference medical image is a composite image generated by stitching together a first medical scan image and a second medical scan image, or the reference medical image includes either the first medical scan image or the second medical scan image.

[0062] Wherein, the first medical scan image and the second medical scan image are, for example, images of the object being detected by a medical imaging system (e.g., a magnetic resonance imaging system). Figure 1 The three-plane localizer is obtained by scanning (e.g., pre-scanning) certain parts of the object 170 shown, wherein the three planes include, for example, the sagittal plane, the coronal plane, and the horizontal plane.

[0063] For example, the first medical scan image is a three-plane localization image obtained by scanning the upper part of the subject (e.g., the area including the head, neck and chest of the subject), and the second medical scan image is a three-plane localization image obtained by scanning the lower part of the subject (e.g., the area including the chest and abdomen of the subject); or, for another example, the first or second medical scan image is a three-plane localization image obtained by scanning the part of interest of the subject (e.g., the area including the neck and chest of the subject, corresponding to the middle section of the torso of the subject, etc.).

[0064] In some examples of operation 201, the first medical scan image and the second medical scan image are stitched together to generate a composite image, which is used as a reference medical image, thereby obtaining a reference medical image. In some examples, a predetermined algorithm (e.g., an algorithm based on a deep learning model) can be used to identify which parts of the detection object the first and second medical scan images correspond to, thereby setting the relative positions of the first and second medical scan images, and then stitching the first and second medical scan images into a single image, i.e., the composite image, according to the set relative positions. For the specific operation of stitching the first and second medical scan images, please refer to relevant techniques.

[0065] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram referencing medical images. For example... Figure 3 As shown in (a), the first medical scan image 31 and the second medical scan image 32 correspond to the upper and lower parts of the object being detected, respectively. The first medical scan image 31 is placed on the upper side of the second medical scan image 32, and the two are stitched together to form a composite image 30, which is used as a reference medical image.

[0066] In other examples of operation 201, the reference medical image may include either a first medical scan image or a second medical scan image. That is, in these examples, only one scan of the object to be detected is needed to obtain either the first or second medical scan image, thus shortening the scanning time. For example... Figure 3 As shown in (b), the reference medical image 30a may include a first medical scan image 31. For example, the area of ​​the reference medical image 30a is larger than the area of ​​the first medical scan image 31. That is, the reference medical image 30a may have two regions, one of which displays the first medical scan image 31, and the other is a blank area (e.g., the blank area is black, white, or has other colors or grayscale). Furthermore, the reference medical image 30a may also include a second medical scan image 32. In operation 202, a first scan area is set in the reference medical image. In some embodiments, the composite image 30 is used as the reference medical image (e.g., Figure 3 (as shown in (a)), or, the reference medical image may include a first medical scan image 31 or a second medical scan image 32 (e.g., Figure 3 (as shown in (b)). A reference medical image can be displayed on a user interface (UI), where the operator can set a first scan area. For example, the operator can manually set the first scan area on the composite image by clicking the screen, dragging the mouse, etc. This first scan area can be located on at least one of the first medical scan image and the second medical scan image.

[0067] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the first scanned area. Figure 4 In the example shown in (a), the first scanning region 301 set in the composite image 30 is mainly located on the first medical scan image 31, and a portion of the first scanning region 301 is located on the second scan image 32. The scanning field of view corresponding to the first scanning region 301 may be less than or equal to the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system.

[0068] Figure 5 This is another schematic diagram of the first scan area. Figure 5 In the example shown in (a), the first scanning region 301a set in the composite image 30 is located on the first medical scan image 31 and the second scan image 32. Furthermore, the scanning field of view corresponding to the first scanning region 301a is larger than the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system.

[0069] Furthermore, examples of the first scan region are not limited to Figure 4 (a) or Figure 5 (b) For example, in some other examples, the first scan region 301 may be located only on the first medical scan image 31, or the first scan region 301 may be located only on the second medical scan image 32.

[0070] exist Figure 4 In the example shown in (b), a portion of the first scan region 301 set in the reference medical image 30a is located on the first medical scan image 31, and another portion of the first scan region 301 may be located in a blank area of ​​the reference medical image 30a. The scanning field of view corresponding to the first scan region 301 may be less than or equal to the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system.

[0071] exist Figure 5 In the example shown in (b), a portion of the first scanning region 301a located in the reference medical image 30a is situated on the first medical scan image 31, and another portion of the first scanning region 301a is situated in a blank area of ​​the reference medical image 30a. The scanning field of view corresponding to the first scanning region 301a is larger than the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system.

[0072] Furthermore, examples of the first scan region are not limited to Figure 4 (b) or Figure 5 (b) For example, in some other examples, Figure 4 (b) or Figure 5 The first medical scan image 31 in (b) can be replaced with the second medical scan image 32.

[0073] exist Figure 4 (b) and Figure 5 In the example shown in (b), a reference medical image is obtained based on a single medical scan image (e.g., a first medical scan image 31 or a second medical scan image 32). Furthermore, without the need to stitch together multiple medical scan images, the operator can set the first scan area 301 or 301a on the reference medical image 30a based on their own experience. Therefore, the speed of setting the scan area can be increased, thereby improving the efficiency of scanning.

[0074] In operation 203, a second scanning area or more than one second scanning area can be set according to the first scanning area.

[0075] In some examples of operation 203, the scanning field of view corresponding to the first scanning area is less than or equal to the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system. A second scanning area can be set based on the first scanning area, and the scanning field of view corresponding to the second scanning area is less than or equal to the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system. The first and second scanning areas partially overlap, and the centers of the first and second scanning areas do not coincide.

[0076] For example, in Figure 4 In the example shown in (a), a second scanning region 302 is set according to a first scanning region 301. The number of second scanning regions 302 is one, wherein this single second scanning region 302 can be located on a second medical scan image 32, and the field of view corresponding to this second scanning region 302 is less than or equal to the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system. Furthermore, in other examples, if a large portion of the first scanning region 301 is located on the second medical scan image 32, then the second scanning region 302 can be located on the first medical scan image 31. Thus, by using a first scanning region 301 primarily located on one tri-plane positioning image (e.g., the first medical scan image 31), a second scanning region 302 on another tri-plane positioning image (e.g., the second medical scan image 32) can be automatically set, avoiding the inconvenience and increased workload of manually setting the second scanning region 302.

[0077] For example, in Figure 4 In the example shown in (b), the second scan area 302 is set according to the first scan area 301, and the number of the second scan areas 302 is one.

[0078] Furthermore, the medical imaging system can, based on the first scanning area 301 and the second scanning area 302, image the target object (e.g., Figure 1The object to be scanned (170) shown is scanned across multiple scanning regions, i.e., a multi-station scan. For example, the part of the object to be scanned corresponding to the first scanning region 301 is scanned, and the part of the object to be scanned corresponding to the second scanning region 302 is scanned. The medical scan images obtained from the two regions are then merged to cover the area of ​​the object to be scanned. The area of ​​the object to be scanned may be, for example, the entire spine of the object.

[0079] In other examples of operation 203, multiple (e.g., more than two) second scan regions are set based on the first scan region. For example, in Figure 5 In the example shown in (a) or (b), a second scanning region 302a is set according to a first scanning region 301a, and the number of second scanning regions 302a can be more than one (i.e., more than two), wherein, Figure 5 In the examples shown in (a) or (b), there are two second scanning regions 302a, namely, second scanning regions 3021 and 3022. The field of view corresponding to each of the second scanning regions 3021 and 3022 is smaller than or equal to the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system. Therefore, by setting a first scanning region 301a corresponding to a larger field of view on the composite image 30, this application can automatically divide the first scanning region 301a into multiple (i.e., two or more) second scanning regions 302a (e.g., second scanning regions 3021 and 3022) each corresponding to a smaller field of view, avoiding the inconvenience and increased workload of manually setting multiple second scanning regions 302a. Furthermore, Figure 5 The number of second scan regions 302a shown in examples (a) or (b) is two, but this application is not limited to this; the number of second scan regions 302a may be three or more.

[0080] Furthermore, the medical imaging system can, based on multiple second scanning areas 302a, image the target object (e.g., Figure 1 The object to be scanned (170) shown is scanned across multiple scanning regions, i.e., a multi-station scan. For example, the parts of the object to be scanned corresponding to the second scanning regions 3021 and 3022 are scanned separately, and the medical scan images obtained from the scans of the two parts are merged to cover the area of ​​the object to be scanned. The area to be scanned can be the scanning range corresponding to the first scanning region 301a, for example, the area of ​​the entire spine of the object.

[0081] Below, in conjunction with Figure 4 (a) and Figure 5The example shown in (a) provides a detailed explanation of operation 203, and this explanation also applies to... Figure 4 (b) and Figure 5 The example shown in (b) is as follows.

[0082] In some embodiments of operation 203, such as Figure 4 As shown in (a), the scanning field of view corresponding to the first scanning region 301 is less than or equal to the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system.

[0083] In some examples, the center C1 (e.g., geometric center) of the first scan region 301 is located on one of the first medical scan image 31 and the second medical scan image 32, and the center C2 (e.g., geometric center) of the second scan region 302 set on the composite image 30 is located on the other of the first medical scan image 31 and the second medical scan image 32.

[0084] For example, such as Figure 4 As shown in (a), the center C1 (e.g., geometric center) of the first scanning region 301 is located on the first medical scan image 31, and the center C2 (e.g., geometric center) of the second scanning region 302 disposed on the composite image 30 is located on the second medical scan image 32. Alternatively, the center C1 of the first scanning region 301 may be located on the second medical scan image 32, and the center C2 of the second scanning region 302 may be located on the first medical scan image 31.

[0085] In the following description, it will be used as Figure 4 The case shown in (a) will be used as an example for illustration.

[0086] like Figure 4 As shown in (a), the first scanning area 301 and the second scanning area 302 partially overlap.

[0087] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a method for setting a second scanning region based on a first scanning region, as an embodiment of operation 203, used to set a second scanning region based on a first scanning region. Figure 4 The first scan region 301 shown in (a) generates the second scan region 302.

[0088] like Figure 6 As shown, the method for setting a second scanning region based on the first scanning region includes:

[0089] 601. Determine the center position of the first scanning area in the first coordinate system and the range of coordinate values ​​of the first scanning area on each coordinate axis;

[0090] 602. Based on the overlap dimension of the first scanning area and the second scanning area in the direction of the first coordinate axis of the first coordinate system, set the center position of the second scanning area; and

[0091] 603. Based on the center position of the second scanning area and the dimensions of the second scanning area in each coordinate axis direction of the first coordinate system, set the range of coordinate values ​​of the second scanning area on each coordinate axis.

[0092] In operation 601, based on a first scan region 301 set in a reference medical image (e.g., composite image 30), information such as the center position of the first scan region 301 and the range of coordinate values ​​of the first scan region 301 on each coordinate axis of a first coordinate system are determined. For example, the composite image 30 is stitched together from a first medical scan image 31 and a second medical scan image 32, both of which are, for example, three-plane localizers, where the three planes include, for example, the sagittal plane, the coronal plane, and the horizontal plane (e.g., the horizontal plane is also called the axial plane). The three-plane localizer can be used to determine the position and size information of the object being examined in a first coordinate system, such as an anatomical coordinate system.

[0093] In some examples of operation 601, the position of the center C1 of the first scanning area 301 in the first coordinate system and the range of coordinate values ​​of the first scanning area 301 on each coordinate axis of the first coordinate system can be determined based on the information of the three-plane positioning image.

[0094] Below, in conjunction with Figure 7 The following explains operation 601.

[0095] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the first scan region 301 in the first coordinate system. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the first scanning area 301 can be a three-dimensional (3D) area. For example, a three-dimensional area corresponding to the planar area set by the operator on the user interface displaying the composite image 30 can be generated as the first scanning area 301.

[0096] It should be noted that in this application, the first scanning area 301 is represented as a cuboid area. This is only an illustration and the application is not limited to this. For example, the first scanning area 301 can also be set to other shapes besides cuboid, such as sphere, ellipsoid or polyhedron.

[0097] The center C1 of the first scan area 301 is, for example, the geometric center of the first scan area 301. The position of the center C1 (i.e., the center position) and the range of coordinate values ​​of the first scan area 301 on each coordinate axis can be determined by image analysis of the first scan area 301.

[0098] like Figure 7As shown, in the first coordinate system (e.g., the anatomical coordinate system):

[0099] The direction from the center C1 of the first scanning area 301 to the head of the detected object is called the first coordinate axis direction. The first coordinate axis direction is perpendicular to the horizontal plane in the three planes. In the first coordinate axis direction, the vector connecting the center C1 and the upper end of the first scanning area 301 (i.e., the end closer to the head of the detected object) is the first vector Vector1. That is, the first vector Vector1 is parallel to the first coordinate axis direction. The length of the first vector Vector1, |Vector1|, can be obtained based on image analysis of the first scanning area 301. Thus, the coordinate value range of the first scanning area on the first coordinate axis is, for example, [-|Vector1|,|Vector1|]. That is, the size of the first scanning area 301 in the first coordinate axis direction is 2*|Vector1|.

[0100] The direction from the center C1 of the first scanning area 301 to the right of the object being detected is called the second coordinate axis direction. The second coordinate axis direction is perpendicular to the sagittal plane in the three planes. In the second coordinate axis direction, the vector connecting the center C1 and the right end of the first scanning area 301 (i.e., the end closer to the right of the object being detected) is the second vector Vector2. That is, the second vector Vector2 is parallel to the second coordinate axis direction. The length of the second vector Vector2, |Vector2|, can be obtained based on image analysis of the first scanning area 301. Thus, the coordinate value range of the first scanning area on the second coordinate axis is, for example, [-|Vector2|,|Vector2|].

[0101] The direction from the center C1 of the first scanning area 301 to the front of the object being detected is called the third coordinate axis direction. The third coordinate axis direction is perpendicular to the coronal plane in the three planes. In the third coordinate axis direction, the vector connecting the center C1 and the front end of the first scanning area 301 (i.e., the end closer to the front of the object being detected) is the third vector Vector3. That is, the third vector Vector3 is parallel to the third coordinate axis direction. The length of the third vector Vector3, |Vector3|, can be obtained based on image analysis of the first scanning area 301. Thus, the coordinate range of the first scanning area on the third coordinate axis is, for example, [-|Vector3|,|Vector3|].

[0102] By assigning corresponding coefficients to the first vector Vector1, the second vector Vector2, and the third vector Vector3, and performing vector synthesis, any point in the first scanning region 301 can be represented. In this application, the size of the first scanning region 301 in the first coordinate axis direction can be determined based on the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system in the first coordinate axis direction, that is, the scanning field of view corresponding to the size of the first scanning region 301 in the first coordinate axis direction (i.e., Figure 7 The field of view 1) is less than or equal to the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system in the first coordinate axis direction. For example, the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system in the first coordinate axis direction is 50 cm or less.

[0103] The size of the first scanning area 301 in the second coordinate axis direction can be determined based on the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system in the second coordinate axis direction, that is, the scanning field of view corresponding to the size of the first scanning area 301 in the second coordinate axis direction (i.e., Figure 7 The field of view 2) is less than or equal to the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system in the second coordinate axis direction.

[0104] The size of the first scanning area 301 in the third coordinate axis direction can be determined based on the number of slices and the thickness of each slice in the third coordinate axis direction when the medical imaging system images in the third coordinate axis direction. That is, the size of the first scanning area 301 in the third coordinate axis direction is equal to the product of the slice thickness and the number of slices when the medical imaging system images in the third coordinate axis direction.

[0105] When scanning the first scanning area 301 using a medical imaging system, the frequency encoding direction of the medical imaging system can be parallel to the first coordinate axis, the phase encoding direction can be parallel to the second coordinate axis, and the slice selection direction can be parallel to the third coordinate axis. For explanations regarding the frequency encoding direction, phase encoding direction, and slice selection direction, please refer to the aforementioned explanations. Figure 1 Related explanations.

[0106] In operation 602, the position (i.e., the center position) of the center C2 of the second scanning area 302 is set according to the coincidence dimension D of the first scanning area 301 and the second scanning area 302 in the direction of the first coordinate axis of the first coordinate system.

[0107] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the center C1 of the first scanning area 301 and the center C2 of the second scanning area 302.

[0108] like Figure 8As shown, in some examples, the center C2 of the second scanning area 302 is located below the center C1 of the first scanning area 301, and the distance d between the centers C1 and C2 along the first coordinate axis is 2 * |Vector1| - D. Therefore, moving the center C1 downwards by a distance d along the first coordinate axis yields the position of the center C2. For example, the overlap dimension D can be 0.2 times the dimension of the first scanning area 301 along the first coordinate axis, i.e., D = 0.2 * 2 * |Vector1|. Therefore, the distance d between the centers C1 and C2 is 2 * 0.8 * |Vector1|.

[0109] In operation 603, the coordinate value range of the second scanning area 302 on each coordinate axis is set according to the center C2 position of the second scanning area 302 (for example, obtained by operation 602) and the size of the second scanning area 302 in each coordinate axis direction of the first coordinate system.

[0110] In some examples, the dimensions of the first scanning region 301 along each coordinate axis of the first coordinate system are multiplied by corresponding coefficients to obtain the dimensions of the second scanning region 302 along each coordinate axis of the first coordinate system. For example, if the coefficient is equal to 1, then the dimensions of the second scanning region 302 along each coordinate axis of the first coordinate system are equal to the dimensions of the first scanning region 301 along the corresponding coordinate axis of the first coordinate system. In other words, the dimensions of the second scanning region 302 along the first coordinate axis are 2*|Vector1|, the dimensions of the second scanning region 302 along the second coordinate axis are 2*|Vector2|, and the dimensions of the second scanning region 302 along the third coordinate axis are 2*|Vector3|.

[0111] Therefore, based on the center C2 position of the second scanning region 302 and its dimensions along each coordinate axis of the first coordinate system, combined with the shape of the second scanning region 302 (for example, the second scanning region 302 and the first scanning region 301 have the same shape, both being cuboids), the value range of the second scanning region 302 on each coordinate axis of the first coordinate system can be determined. For example, the value range of the second scanning region 302 on the first coordinate axis is [-|Vector1|,|Vector1|], the value range of the second scanning region 302 on the second coordinate axis is [-|Vector2|,|Vector2|], and the value range of the second scanning region 302 on the third coordinate axis is [-|Vector3|,|Vector3|]. Furthermore, the slice thickness and number of slices corresponding to the second scanning region 302 can be the same as the slice thickness and number of slices corresponding to the first scanning region 301.

[0112] By operating steps 601, 602, and 603, a second scanning area 302 is set, the center C2 of which can be located on the second medical scan image 32. This second scanning area 302 can be displayed on the composite image 30, thereby facilitating operator confirmation.

[0113] Furthermore, if the operator adjusts the position or size of the second scanning area 302, the original first scanning area 301 will automatically adjust accordingly. The specific method for automatically adjusting the original first scanning area 301 to follow the adjusted second scanning area 302 can be found in operations 601, 602, and 603 described above. That is, the adjusted second scanning area 302 can be considered as the new first scanning area in operations 601, 602, and 603, and the second scanning area set based on this new first scanning area replaces the original first scanning area 301.

[0114] In other embodiments of operation 203, such as Figure 5 As shown in (a), the field of view corresponding to the first scanning region 301a is larger than the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system. There are two or more second scanning regions 302a generated based on the first scanning region 301a, and two adjacent second scanning regions 302a partially overlap.

[0115] In the following description, it will be used as Figure 5 Taking (a) as an example, there are two second scanning regions 302a, and these two second scanning regions 302a partially overlap.

[0116] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a method for setting two or more second scanning regions based on a first scanning region, as another embodiment of operation 203, used to... Figure 5 The first scan area 301a shown generates two or more (e.g., two) second scan areas 302a, namely, second scan areas 3021 and 3022.

[0117] like Figure 9 As shown, the method for setting two or more second scanning regions based on a first scanning region includes:

[0118] 901. Based on the scanning field of view corresponding to the first scanning area and the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system, set the number of second scanning areas;

[0119] 902. Based on the number of second scanning areas and the overlap size of adjacent second scanning areas in the direction of the first coordinate axis of the first coordinate system, set the position of the center of each second scanning area in the direction of the first coordinate axis;

[0120] 903. Based on the position of the center of each second scanning area in the direction of the first coordinate axis and the size of each second scanning area in the direction of each coordinate axis of the first coordinate system, set the range of coordinate values ​​of each second scanning area in the direction of each coordinate axis.

[0121] exist Figure 9 In the method shown, the first coordinate system is, for example, an anatomical coordinate system. In this first coordinate system, the first coordinate axis is perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the three planes, the second coordinate axis is perpendicular to the sagittal plane, and the third coordinate axis is perpendicular to the coronal plane. Furthermore, for a further explanation of the first coordinate system, the directions of the first, second, and third coordinate axes, please refer to the above description of... Figure 6 The method shown is explained in detail.

[0122] In this application, the first scanning area 301a can be a cuboid region, but this application is not limited to this. For example, the first scanning area 301a can also be set to other shapes besides cuboid, such as sphere, ellipsoid or polyhedron.

[0123] In this application, the scanning field of view corresponding to the size of the first scanning region 301a in the first coordinate axis direction is larger than the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system in the first coordinate axis direction. For example, the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system in the first coordinate axis direction is 50 cm. Therefore, in operation 901, the number of second scanning regions 302a can be set according to the scanning field of view corresponding to the size of the first scanning region 301a in the first coordinate axis direction (e.g., F1) and the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system in the first coordinate axis direction (e.g., F0).

[0124] For example, dividing F1 by F0, if the decimal part of the quotient is less than a predetermined value (e.g., 0.5), the quotient is rounded up, and the result is the number of second scan areas 302a. Alternatively, dividing F1 by F0, if the decimal part of the quotient is greater than a predetermined value (e.g., 0.5), the quotient is rounded up, and then 1 is added, and the result is used as the number of second scan areas 302a. This ensures that even when adjacent second scan areas 302a overlap, the multiple second scan areas 302a can still cover the first scan area 301a along the first coordinate axis.

[0125] In operation 902, the position of the center (e.g., geometric center) of each second scanning region in the first coordinate axis direction can be set according to the number of second scanning regions 302a (e.g., obtained through operation 901) and the overlap size of adjacent second scanning regions 302a in the first coordinate axis direction.

[0126] In some examples, along the first coordinate axis, with the upper end of the first scan region 301a as the starting point, the center of the uppermost second scan region among multiple second scan regions is set. For example, the uppermost second scan region is... Figure 5 The second scanning region 3021 in (a). The size of the uppermost second scanning region in the direction of the first coordinate axis is, for example, a first predetermined size (e.g., the scanning field of view corresponding to the first predetermined size is less than or equal to F0), wherein the first predetermined size may be a size preset based on F0.

[0127] After the center position of the uppermost second scanning area is set, the center position of the lower second scanning area 302a (e.g., the second scanning area 3022) can be set. For example, the center of the lower second scanning area 3022 is located below the center of the second scanning area 3021, and the overlap dimension between the lower second scanning area 3022 and the second scanning area 3021 in the first coordinate axis direction is D1. Therefore, in the first coordinate axis direction, the distance d1 between the center of the second scanning area 3021 and the center of the second scanning area 3022 is = the first predetermined dimension - D1. So, by moving the center of the second scanning area 3021 downward along the first coordinate axis direction by a distance d1, the center position of the second scanning area 3022 is obtained.

[0128] Similarly, if there is another second scanning area 302a below the second scanning area 3022, then the center position of the other second scanning area 302a is set according to the center position of the second scanning area 3022 and the overlap size between the second scanning area 3022 and the other second scanning area 302a.

[0129] In operation 903, the coordinate value range of each second scanning area on each coordinate axis is set according to the position of the center of each second scanning area 302a in the direction of the first coordinate axis and the size of each second scanning area 302a in the direction of each coordinate axis of the first coordinate system.

[0130] In some examples, the size of the second scanning region 302a in the first coordinate axis direction can be the first predetermined size described above. The sizes of the first scanning region 301a in the second and third coordinate axis directions of the first coordinate system are multiplied by corresponding coefficients to obtain the sizes of the second scanning region 302a in the second and third coordinate axis directions. For example, if the coefficient is equal to 1, then the sizes of the second scanning region 302a in the second and third coordinate axis directions are equal to the sizes of the first scanning region 301a in the second and third coordinate axis directions, respectively.

[0131] Therefore, based on the position of the center of each second scanning area 302a and the dimensions of each second scanning area 302a in each coordinate axis direction of the first coordinate system, and combined with the shape of the second scanning area 302a (for example, both the second scanning area 302a and the first scanning area 301a are cuboids), the range of values ​​of each second scanning area 302a on each coordinate axis of the first coordinate system can be determined.

[0132] By operating steps 901, 902, and 903, two or more second scan areas 302a can be set. These two or more second scan areas 302a can be displayed on the composite image 30, thereby facilitating operator confirmation.

[0133] Furthermore, if the operator adjusts the position or size of any one of the second scanning areas 302a, the other second scanning areas 302a will automatically adjust accordingly. For example, after the position or size of one second scanning area 302a is adjusted, the second scanning areas 302a overlapping with it will also be adjusted accordingly (for details, please refer to...). Figure 6 (as shown in the method), and then the adjustment will be passed on to more second scan areas 302a.

[0134] This application also provides a device for setting a scanning area, the same as the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0135] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a device for setting the scanning area according to an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 10 As shown, the scanning area setting device 1000 includes:

[0136] A first setting unit 1002 sets a first scanning region in a reference medical image, wherein the reference medical image is a composite image generated by stitching together a first medical scan image and a second medical scan image, or the reference medical image includes either the first medical scan image or the second medical scan image, wherein the first scanning region is located on at least one of the first medical scan image and the second medical scan image; and

[0137] The second setting unit 1003 sets one or more second scanning areas according to the first scanning area.

[0138] In addition, such as Figure 10As shown, the scan area setting device 1000 may further include a reference medical image acquisition unit 1001. The reference medical image acquisition unit 1001 is used to acquire a reference medical image. For example, the reference medical image acquisition unit 1001 may stitch together a first medical scan image and a second medical scan image to form a composite image, which is used as the reference medical image; or, for example, the reference medical image acquisition unit 1001 may form a reference medical image based on either the first medical scan image or the second medical scan image. The reference medical image acquired by the reference medical image acquisition unit 1001 may be sent to a first setting unit 1002 and a second setting unit 1003 for setting a first scan area and a second scan area.

[0139] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the reference medical image acquisition unit 1001 may not be included in the scanning area setting device 1000.

[0140] For a detailed description of each unit of the scanning area setting device 1000, please refer to the relevant descriptions of each step of the scanning area setting method in the above embodiments.

[0141] It is worth noting that the above description only covers the components or modules relevant to this application, but this application is not limited thereto. The aforementioned device may also include other components or modules, and for details regarding these components or modules, please refer to related technologies.

[0142] For the sake of simplicity, Figure 10 The diagram only exemplifies the connection relationships or signal flow between various components or modules; however, those skilled in the art should understand that various related technologies, such as bus connections, can be employed. The aforementioned components or modules can be implemented using hardware facilities such as processors and memory; this application does not limit the scope of the embodiments.

[0143] The above embodiments are merely illustrative examples of embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited thereto, and appropriate modifications can be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments can be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments can be combined.

[0144] This application also provides a medical imaging system. It includes a scanning area setting device 1000, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. This medical imaging device may include, for example, a computer, server, workstation, laptop computer, smartphone, etc.; however, this application is not limited to these.

[0145] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a medical imaging system according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 11As shown, the medical imaging system 1100 may include one or more processors (e.g., a central processing unit, CPU) 1110 and one or more memories 1120; the memories 1120 are coupled to the processors 1110. The memories 1120 may store various types of data; in addition, they may store a program 1121 for information processing, and execute the program 1121 under the control of the processors 1110.

[0146] In some embodiments, the functions of the scan region setting device 1000 are integrated into the processor 1110. The processor 1110 is configured to implement the scan region setting method described in the above embodiments of this application.

[0147] In some embodiments, the scanning area setting device 1000 is configured separately from the processor 1110. For example, the scanning area setting device 1000 can be configured as a chip connected to the processor 1110, and the functions of the scanning area setting device 1000 can be implemented through the control of the processor 1110.

[0148] For example, processor 1110 is configured to perform the following control: setting a first scan region in a reference medical image, the reference medical image being a composite image generated by stitching together a first medical scan image and a second medical scan image, or the reference medical image including either the first medical scan image or the second medical scan image, wherein the first scan region is located on at least one of the first medical scan image and the second medical scan image; and setting one or more second scan regions based on the first scan region.

[0149] In a specific example Figure 11 The medical imaging system 1100 can be Figure 1 The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system 100 is shown. The reference medical image used in the scan area setting method can be obtained based on a medical scan image (e.g., at least one of a first medical scan image and a second medical scan head image) acquired by performing a pre-scanning procedure on the MRI system 100.

[0150] in, Figure 11 The memory 1120 can correspond to Figure 1 At least one of the memories 137 and 126, for example, memory 1120 may be independent of at least one of the memories 137 and 126, or memory 1120 may communicate with at least one of the memories 137 and 126, or memory 1120 may include at least one of the memories 137 and 126, etc. Figure 11 The processor 1110 can correspond to Figure 1The processor 1110 may be independent of at least one of the CPU 131, CPU 124, and image processor 128, or the processor 1110 may communicate with at least one of the CPU 131, CPU 124, and image processor 128, or the processor 1110 may include at least one of the CPU 131, CPU 124, and image processor 128, etc.

[0151] In addition, such as Figure 11 As shown, the medical imaging system 1100 may also include: input / output (I / O) devices 1130 and displays 1140, etc.; wherein, the functions of the above components are similar to those of the prior art, and will not be described in detail here.

[0152] In addition, such as Figure 11 As shown, the medical imaging system 1100 may also include a camera 1150.

[0153] It is worth noting that the medical imaging system 1100 is not necessarily required to include... Figure 11 All components shown; in addition, the medical imaging device 1100 may also include Figure 11 For components not shown, please refer to relevant technologies.

[0154] In this application, when the medical imaging system 1100 (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging system 100) scans the object 170, it can utilize the scanning area setting method of this application (e.g., Figure 2 (As shown) to set the scanning area, thereby improving scanning efficiency.

[0155] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the scanning process performed by the magnetic resonance imaging system 100. For example... Figure 12 As shown, the scanning process includes:

[0156] 1201. The magnetic resonance imaging system 100 performs a pre-scan on the object to be detected, and obtains at least one of a first medical scan image 31 and a second medical scan image 32. For example, the magnetic resonance imaging system 100 performs a pre-scan on two parts of the object to be detected (i.e., performs two pre-scans) to obtain a first medical scan image 31 and a second medical scan image 32. Or, for example, the magnetic resonance imaging system 100 performs a pre-scan on one part of the object to be detected (i.e., performs one pre-scan) to obtain a first medical scan image 31 or a second medical scan image 32.

[0157] 1202. The magnetic resonance imaging system 100 obtains a reference medical image based on at least one of a first medical scan image 31 and a second medical scan image 32. For example, the magnetic resonance imaging system 100 stitches together the first medical scan image 31 and the second medical scan image 32 to obtain a composite image 30 (e.g., Figure 3 As shown in (a), the synthesized image 30 is used as a reference medical image. For example, the magnetic resonance imaging system 100 generates a reference medical image 30a based on one of the first medical scan image 31 and the second medical scan image 32 (as shown in (a)). Figure 3 (as shown in (b));

[0158] 1203, The display 118 of the magnetic resonance imaging system 100 (e.g.) Figure 1 The reference medical image (e.g., composite image 30 or reference medical image 30a) is displayed, and a first scan area 301 is set on the reference medical image based on the operator's operation (e.g., ...). Figure 4 (as shown in (a) or (b)) or 301a (as shown in (a) or (b)) Figure 5 As shown in (a) or (b), for example, the operator uses, as Figure 1 The input device 114 or control panel 116 shown marks a rectangle on the reference medical image, which corresponds to the first scan area 301 or 301a;

[0159] 1204. The magnetic resonance imaging system 100 sets one or more second scanning regions according to the first scanning region, for example, such as... Figure 4 As shown in (a) or (b), the scanning field of view corresponding to the first scanning area 301 is less than or equal to the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system 100. A second scanning area 302 is set according to the first scanning area 301. For example, as shown in (a) or (b) Figure 5 As shown in (a) or (b), the scanning field of view corresponding to the first scanning area 301a is larger than the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system 100, and two or more second scanning areas 302a are set according to the first scanning area 301a.

[0160] 1205. A magnetic resonance imaging system 100, based on at least two scanning regions of a first scanning region and one or more second scanning regions, detects an object (e.g., Figure 1 The object to be detected (170) is scanned in multiple scanning regions (e.g., this scan can be referred to as a formal scan), that is, a multi-station scan, for example, corresponding to Figure 4 As shown in example (a) or (b), the magnetic resonance imaging system 100 scans the part of the object to be detected corresponding to the first scan region 301 and the part of the object to be detected corresponding to the second scan region 302, respectively, to obtain two or more formal scan images. For example, corresponding to... Figure 5 In the example shown in (a) or (b), the magnetic resonance imaging system 100 scans the part of the object to be detected corresponding to the second scan area 3021 and the part of the object to be detected corresponding to the second scan area 3022, respectively, to obtain two or more formal scan images.

[0161] 1206. The magnetic resonance imaging system 100 stitches together two or more formal scan images obtained in operation 1205 to obtain a formal scan medical image. This formal scan medical image can cover two or more parts of the subject under examination. Thus, even if the area to be scanned in the subject under examination exceeds the field of view of the magnetic resonance imaging system 100, a medical image covering the area to be scanned can still be obtained. For example, the area to be scanned in the subject under examination is the entire spine of the subject under examination.

[0162] This application also provides a computer-readable program, wherein when the program is executed in a medical imaging system, the program causes the computer to perform the scanning area setting method described in the foregoing embodiments in the medical imaging system.

[0163] This application also provides a storage medium storing a computer-readable program, wherein the computer-readable program causes a computer to perform the scanning area setting method described in the foregoing embodiments in a medical imaging system.

[0164] The apparatus and methods described above in this application can be implemented in hardware or in combination with software. This application relates to a computer-readable program that, when executed by a logic component, enables the logic component to implement the apparatus or components described above, or to implement the various methods or steps described above. This application also relates to storage media for storing the above programs, such as hard disks, magnetic disks, optical disks, DVDs, flash memory, etc.

[0165] The methods / apparatus described in conjunction with the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied in hardware, software modules executed by a processor, or a combination of both. For example, one or more and / or combinations of one or more functional block diagrams shown in the figures can correspond to various software modules in a computer program flow, or to various hardware modules. These software modules can correspond to the various steps shown in the figures, respectively. These hardware modules can be implemented, for example, using a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to embed these software modules.

[0166] The software module can reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. A storage medium can be coupled to the processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium; or the storage medium can be an integral part of the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. The software module can be stored in the memory of a mobile terminal or in a memory card that can be inserted into the mobile terminal. For example, if the device (such as a mobile terminal) uses a high-capacity MEGA-SIM card or a high-capacity flash memory device, the software module can be stored in the MEGA-SIM card or the high-capacity flash memory device.

[0167] One or more and / or one or more combinations of functional blocks described in the accompanying drawings can be implemented as a general-purpose processor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, or any suitable combination thereof for performing the functions described herein. One or more and / or one or more combinations of functional blocks described in the accompanying drawings can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in communication with a DSP, or any other such configuration.

[0168] The present application has been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, those skilled in the art should understand that these descriptions are exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present application based on the principles thereof, and these modifications and variations are also within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for setting a scanning area in a medical imaging system, characterized in that, The method includes: A first scanning region is defined in a reference medical image, wherein the reference medical image is a composite image generated by stitching together a first medical scan image and a second medical scan image, or the reference medical image includes either the first medical scan image or the second medical scan image, wherein the first scanning region is located on at least one of the first medical scan image and the second medical scan image; and One or more second scanning areas are set according to the first scanning area.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The scanning field of view corresponding to the first scanning area is less than or equal to the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system. A second scanning region is set based on the first scanning region, wherein the scanning field of view corresponding to the second scanning region is less than or equal to the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system. The first scanning area and the second scanning area partially overlap, but the center of the first scanning area and the center of the second scanning area do not overlap.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The center of the first scanning area is located on one of the first medical scan image and the second medical scan image, and the center of the second scanning area set on the composite image is located on the other of the first medical scan image and the second medical scan image.

4. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, A second scanning region is set according to the first scanning region, including: Determine the center position of the first scanning area in the first coordinate system and the range of coordinate values ​​of the first scanning area on each coordinate axis; Based on the overlap dimensions of the first and second scanning areas along the first coordinate axis of the first coordinate system, the center position of the second scanning area is set; and Based on the center position of the second scanning area and the size of the second scanning area in each coordinate axis direction of the first coordinate system, the coordinate value range of the second scanning area in each coordinate axis direction is set.

5. The method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the size or position of the second scanning area is adjusted, the size or position of the first scanning area is adjusted according to the adjusted size or position of the second area.

6. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The scanning field of view corresponding to the first scanning area is larger than the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system. The number of second scan regions is two or more. The two adjacent second scan regions partially overlap.

7. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, Two or more second scanning regions are set according to the first scanning region, including: The number of second scanning regions is determined based on the scanning field of view corresponding to the first scanning region and the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system. Based on the number of the second scanning regions and the overlap size of adjacent second scanning regions along the first coordinate axis in the first coordinate system, the position of the center of each second scanning region along the first coordinate axis is set; and Based on the position of the center of each second scanning area in the direction of the first coordinate axis and the size of each second scanning area in the direction of each coordinate axis of the first coordinate system, the range of coordinate values ​​of each second scanning area in the direction of each coordinate axis is set.

8. A medical imaging system, comprising a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program, the processor being configured to execute the computer program to implement the scan area setting method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The medical imaging system as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The medical imaging system includes a magnetic resonance imaging system.

10. The medical imaging system as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The reference medical image used in the scanning area setting method is obtained based on the medical scan image acquired by the magnetic resonance imaging system during the pre-scanning process.

11. A scanning area setting device for a medical imaging system, characterized in that, The device includes: A first setting unit sets a first scanning region in a reference medical image, wherein the reference medical image is a composite image generated by stitching together a first medical scan image and a second medical scan image, or the reference medical image includes either the first medical scan image or the second medical scan image, wherein the first scanning region is located on at least one of the first medical scan image and the second medical scan image; and The second setting unit sets one or more second scanning areas based on the first scanning area.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that, The scanning field of view corresponding to the first scanning area is less than or equal to the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system. A second scanning area is set according to the first scanning area, and the scanning field of view corresponding to the second scanning area is less than or equal to the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system. The first scanning area and the second scanning area partially overlap, and the center of the first scanning area and the center of the second scanning area do not overlap.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that, The scanning field of view corresponding to the first scanning area is larger than the scanning field of view of the medical imaging system, and there are two or more second scanning areas, with two adjacent second scanning areas partially overlapping.

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