MRE Phase Ramp Correction via Low-Pass Filtering
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) techniques face challenges with pulse sequences like EPI, which introduce phase discontinuities and artifacts, leading to inaccurate tissue stiffness calculations and limiting clinical utility.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that corrects MRE data using a low-pass filter to address phase ramp errors, enabling the use of efficient pulse sequences previously avoided due to data quality issues, by transforming and filtering medical imaging data to generate corrected elastogram images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If efficient pulse sequences like EPI are used in MRE, then productivity is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to phase discontinuities and artifacts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a low-pass filter to the motion-encoded gradients to convert the harmful phase discontinuities and artifacts introduced by efficient pulse sequences into benign conditions. The filtering operation removes high-frequency noise and phase errors while preserving the essential motion information needed for tissue stiffness calculation, thereby enabling the use of fast EPI sequences without sacrificing measurement accuracy
2Productivity
If efficient pulse sequences like EPI are used in MRE, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to phase ramps and data quality issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a low-pass filter as an intermediary processing step between data acquisition and tissue stiffness calculation. This filter acts as a mediator that cleanses the raw MRE data of phase ramps and artifacts introduced by efficient pulse sequences, producing filtered data that is both fast to acquire and reliable for clinical use
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method provides robust and accurate elastogram images by correcting phase discontinuities, improving tissue stiffness calculations and expanding the range of usable pulse sequences in MRE, enhancing clinical utility.
Implementation Method 1
the individual magnetic moments of the nuclear spins in the tissue attempt to align with this polarizing field, but process about it in random order at their characteristic Larmor frequency
Implementation Method 2
an oscillating stress is applied to the object being imaged in a method called MR elastography (MRE)... the induction of shear waves in the tissue to be examined via an external source of vibration
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for generating a magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) report includes a) acquiring MRE data from a subject including positively motion encoded medical imaging data and negatively motion encoded medical imaging data and b) deriving uncorrected difference medical imaging data from the MRE data for a given slice. The method also includes c) filtering the uncorrected difference medical imaging data to create filtered medical imaging data corrected for errors associated with phase ramps occurring during gradient switching used to derive the positively motion encoded medical imaging data and negatively motion encoded medical imaging data, d) generating a corrected difference image for the given slice from the filtered medical imaging data and the uncorrected difference medical imaging data, e) repeating steps b) through d) for each slice reflected in the MRE data, and f) generating a report of elastic properties of the subject from the corrected difference image.