38 results about "Fat saturation" patented technology

The invention relates to a method of MR imaging of at least a portion of a body (10) of a patient positioned in an examination volume of a MR device (1). It is an object of the invention to provide a method that enables improved fat saturation. The method of the invention comprises the steps of: - subjecting the portion of the body (10) to a calibration sequence comprising RF pulses and switched magnetic field gradients controlled in such a manner that a calibration signal data set is acquired by means of a multi-point Dixon technique at a first image resolution; - deriving calibration parameters from the calibration signal data set; - controlling the MR device (1) according to the derived calibration parameters; - subjecting the portion of the body (10) to an imaging sequence comprising RF pulses and switched magnetic field gradients controlled in such a manner that a diagnostic signal data set is acquired at a second image resolution which is higher than the first image resolution; and - reconstructing a diagnostic MR image from the diagnostic signal data set. Moreover, the invention relates to a MR device (1) for carrying out the method and to a computer program to be run on a MR device (1).

A method includes recording a magnetic resonance (MR) spectrum with the aid of a high frequency (HF) coil and a magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) device. A static magnetic field results in a recording volume of the MRT device. The method also includes an automatic analysis of the MR spectrum by searching for two resonant signals in the form of a fat peak, a water peak, and a minimum between the fat peak and the water peak. Such an automatic analysis is used for an automatic decision as a function of a predeterminable criterion, as to whether a series, including a plurality of acts, or a single act is performed. The homogeneity of the static magnetic field is adjusted with the aid of at least one shim coil of the MRT device, and an HF pulse is calculated for fat saturation as a function of the result of the search.

The present invention provides a fat saturation device to be used in conjunction with a magnetice resonance imaging (MRI) breast coil, which provides padding for the comfort of the patient being imaged while eliminating the skin-air interface, thereby reducing the level of artefacts in the image. The device comprises a coil surface pad that contacts the surface of the coil, the pad having apertures therein through which the patients breasts extend when the patient is positioned on the coil for imaging. Aperture sleeves that are removable or retractable extend from the bottom surface of the coil surface into the apertures of the breast coil. The device comprises a fat saturation material.

A system and method is disclosed for eliminating localized fluctuation artifacts caused by fat signal contamination in MR images, the system includes a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system having a plurality of gradient coils positioned about a bore of a magnet, and an RF transceiver system and an RF switch controlled by a pulse module to transmit RF signals to an RF coil assembly to acquire MR images, and a computer programmed to apply a spectral-spatial fat saturation pulse, apply a slice selection gradient pulse, acquire imaging data of an imaging slice of interest, and generate an image.

The present invention provides for a method for using a silicon dioxide (SiO2) material that is equally effective in improving magnetic field homogeneity during MR imaging. The present invention further provides for using silicon dioxide in its granular state. The granular silicon dioxide can then be poured inside a flexible container and the flexible container can be formed to fit any contour of the body.

A magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) method with spectral fat saturation or spectral water excitation in a tissue region that is to be represented of a patient who is to be examined, includes the following steps: (Step 1) frequency adjustment measurement of a region of a patient that is to be represented with a selected first partial coil of the MRT system, (Step 2) precise determination of the resonance frequency of water with the aid of the spectrum obtained in Step 1 exhibiting the resonance frequencies of fat and water, (Step 3) repetition of Steps 1 and 2 with at least one additionally selected second partial coil of the MRT system adjacent to the first partial coil, (Step 4) measuring of a k space data record with a partial coil or a partial coil combination on the basis of the water resonance frequency assigned to these partial coils, (Step 5) repetition of Step 4 with other partial coils or other partial coil combinations until the entire tissue region to be represented has been measured, (Step 6) combining of the measuring results obtained in Steps 4 and 5, and (Step 7) representing of the results obtained in Step 6 in the image space in the form of an overall image of the tissue region to be represented.

In a method and magnetic resonance (MR) scanner for acquiring an MR data set of multiple slices of a volume of interest of an examination object (patient), on receipt of a trigger signal relating to the patient's respiration and indicating the start of an acquisition time window, a fat saturation technique is begun and, in one of a number of acquisition blocks having a number of echo trains each relating to a single slice and a single portion of k-space, wherein all the echo trains of each individual acquisition block relate to different slices, magnetic resonance data for the different slices are acquired. A magnetic resonance image of each slice is determined for that slice by combining magnetic resonance data acquired in different acquisition blocks and relating to a portion of k-space. For at least two of the acquisition blocks, a different sequence of the slices to be acquired by the echo trains is used within the acquisition block.

The present invention provides a device for use in magnetic resonance imaging of a woman's breasts. The device has breast-supporting cups that comprise an enhanced fat saturation material to facilitate fat suppression during imaging. Significantly, the wearer can put the device on and position it with little or no assistance and without loss of dignity due to manipulation by a technician.

An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a method of non-invasively detecting and imaging temperature or temperature changes by assessing the temperature induced shifts in the saturation spectrum of water using MRI, namely saturation shift referencing. This procedure includes the MRI procedures to assess water saturation spectrum and the data processing steps to determine the temperature induced shifts of water resonance frequency and consequently to estimate the temperature change. This procedure also includes the procedure of assessing fat saturation spectrum and estimating fat resonance frequency. This method can be used as a clinical procedure for temperature mapping in multiple applications, especially where a significant amount of fat is present. One application is to monitor the temperature of the targeted tumor and its surrounding tissues during the procedure of hyperthermia. Such local hyperthermia can be applied, using high-intensity focus-ultrasound for deep-seated tissues or heating supplies for superficial tissues.

In a method and apparatus for magnetic resonance imaging of an examination subject using an acquisition sequence that includes at least one acquisition cycle, wherein the acquisition cycle includes a readout block set with at least two readout blocks, and a saturation pulse set with at least two saturation pulses, the saturation pulses of the saturation pulse set are respectively associated with respective readout blocks of the readout block set, and the saturation pulses of the saturation pulse set have respectively varying flip angles.

In a method, computer and magnetic resonance imaging system for determining a control sequence for operating the magnetic resonance imaging system to generate magnetic resonance image data of a region to be imaged of an examination subject, from which magnetic resonance raw data are acquired, information describing the anatomical structure of the region to be imaged is made available in the computer, and a surrounding area and a central area are specified in the region to be imaged dependent on the determined anatomical structure. Furthermore, a one-dimensional water / fat saturation pulse sequence for saturating the surrounding areas is determined and a multidimensional water / fat saturation pulse sequence for saturating the central area is determined.

In a method and a magnetic resonance (MR) system for fat saturation when acquiring MR data in a predetermined volume segment of an examination object (O), a flip angle is determined as a function of a predetermined requirement for a fat signal that is acquired by the magnetic resonance system in the volume segment, and an RF preparation pulse is emitted that has the determined flip angle. This is followed by emission of a SPAIR pulse, followed by acquisition of the MR data.

The invention discloses an image processing method and an image processing device for suppressing a fat signal. The image processing method comprises the steps that: a magnetic resonance system carries out Fourier transform on a collected free induction decay signal to obtain a resonance frequency distribution spectrum of hydrogen protons in water and fat; the magnetic resonance system analyses the resonance frequency distribution spectrum of the hydrogen protons in water and fat, so as to obtain resonance frequency distribution situations of actual fat hydrogen protons and match fat saturation pulses; and the magnetic resonance system performs fat saturation by utilizing the fat saturation pulses obtained through matching, so as to suppress the generation of the fat signal and generate a fat suppression image of magnetic resonance. The image processing method and the image processing device apply the fat saturation pulses with different bandwidths and central frequencies according to the resonance frequency distribution situations of actual fat hydrogen protons, suppress the fat signal by means of the fat saturation pulses, and improve the success rate of fat suppression, thereby acquiring the magnetic resonance image with obvious fat suppression effect.