MRI Fluid Flow Velocity Measurement Without Contrast Agents
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems lack efficient methods for measuring fluid flow velocities without using contrast agents, particularly in non-contrast imaging techniques, which limits the accuracy and ease of obtaining fluid flow data.
Innovation Solution
The MRI system employs a collecting unit to gather fluid images, a specifying unit to determine the distance traveled by the fluid, and a calculating unit to calculate flow velocity by dividing the traveled distance by the elapsed time, using diastolic-systolic subtraction images or Time-SLIP imaging techniques, allowing for both specific and mean velocity measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional MRI imaging methods are used without contrast agents, then the imaging process is simpler and safer, but the ability to measure fluid flow velocities is limited and inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by acquiring multiple fluid images at different time points (including diastolic and systolic phases) before calculating flow velocity. This preliminary data collection enables accurate velocity measurement without contrast agents by establishing baseline images for comparison and distance calculation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/chemical approach of using contrast agents with a computational/image processing approach. By using diastolic-systolic subtraction imaging and Time-SLIP techniques, the system substitutes physical contrast enhancement with mathematical image processing to achieve accurate flow velocity measurement.
2Ease of operation
If diastolic-systolic subtraction imaging or Time-SLIP techniques are implemented, then fluid flow velocity can be measured without contrast agents, but the processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system performs self-service by automatically calculating flow velocity from the acquired images. The specifying unit automatically determines traveled distance by comparing diastolic and systolic images, and the calculating unit computes velocity by dividing distance by elapsed time, reducing manual intervention and simplifying operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The MRI system achieves multi-functionality by combining fluid imaging with flow velocity measurement capabilities in a single system. The same imaging hardware and processing pipeline serve both anatomical visualization and functional flow assessment, eliminating the need for separate contrast agent administration and simplifying the overall procedure.
3Measurement precision
If multiple fluid images are collected at different time points, then accurate velocity calculation is enabled, but the imaging time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic action by acquiring images at specific cardiac phases (diastolic and systolic) rather than continuously. This periodic sampling at critical time points enables accurate velocity measurement while minimizing total imaging time, as only the necessary temporal snapshots are captured for calculation.
Data Source
AI summary
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a collecting unit, a specifying unit, an acquiring unit and a calculating unit. The collecting unit collects a plurality of fluid images that are images of a fluid traveling though a subject. The specifying unit specifies a distance traveled by the fluid by using a difference image between a reference image that is one of the fluid images and each fluid image. The acquiring unit acquires an elapsed time corresponding to the traveled distance from pulse sequence information that is used to collect the fluid images. The calculating unit calculates a flow velocity of the fluid by dividing the traveled distance by the elapsed time.