MRI Fluid Imaging Using Temporal Resolution Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems face inefficiencies in imaging fluids, particularly in identifying and capturing the optimal periods within the cardiac cycle for imaging blood flow, leading to prolonged scan times and resource wastage due to the need for extensive data acquisition with small increments over the entire cardiac cycle.
Innovation Solution
The MRI system employs a determining unit to identify an interest period with higher temporal resolution, using methods like ECG-Prep imaging or Time-SLIP imaging, allowing for focused imaging during periods of significant signal change, such as systole to diastole, and generates difference images to display time-resolved fluid vascular images, reducing scan time through operator selection or automated calculation of scan intervals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If data acquisition is performed with small increments over the entire cardiac cycle, then temporal resolution is improved, but scan time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cardiac cycle into an interest period (systole to diastole) and a non-interest period. Data acquisition is concentrated in the interest period with small time increments to achieve high temporal resolution, while the non-interest period is skipped or sampled coarsely. This segmentation allows high temporal resolution without requiring small increments throughout the entire cardiac cycle, thus reducing overall scan time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary determination of the interest period using ECG-Prep imaging or Time-SLIP imaging to identify the systole to diastole period. This preliminary action allows the system to focus subsequent high-resolution data acquisition only on the relevant period, avoiding wasted time acquiring data during non-interest periods while maintaining temporal resolution for the critical flow imaging.
2Reliability
If data acquisition is performed throughout the entire cardiac cycle, then completeness of fluid imaging is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential interest period (systole to diastole) from the entire cardiac cycle for high-resolution data acquisition. By taking out and focusing on this specific period where fluid flow is most prominent, the system maintains imaging completeness for the critical function while improving productivity by skipping non-essential periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the data acquisition strategy based on the cardiac cycle phase. During the interest period, high-resolution imaging is performed with small time increments. During non-interest periods, acquisition is reduced or paused. This dynamic adaptation ensures complete imaging of fluid flow when it occurs while optimizing scan efficiency by avoiding redundant acquisitions during non-flow periods.
3Measurement precision
If imaging is performed at high temporal resolution throughout the cardiac cycle, then measurement precision is improved, but resource utilization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating high temporal resolution imaging only in the interest period where fluid flow is most significant, rather than uniformly applying high resolution throughout the entire cardiac cycle. This localized high-resolution imaging maintains measurement precision for the critical function while reducing resource wastage during non-interest periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses partial action by performing high-resolution data acquisition only for the necessary interest period rather than the entire cardiac cycle. This partial approach provides sufficient temporal resolution for accurate fluid imaging while avoiding excessive resource consumption that would result from continuous high-resolution imaging throughout all cardiac phases.
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
This approach significantly reduces scan time by concentrating data acquisition on periods of steep signal changes, enabling efficient imaging of fluid dynamics with improved temporal resolution and resource utilization, while automatically determining optimal scan parameters to produce time-resolved non-contrast MRA images.
Implementation Method 1
magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and magnetic resonance imaging method
Data Source
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AI summary
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus (100) according to an exemplary embodiment includes a determining unit (22) and an imaging unit (22). When a fluid traveling through a subject is imaged for multiple times at different phases, the determining unit (22) determines a period on the time axis within which imaging is performed at intervals satisfying a predetermined temporal resolution. The imaging unit (22) performs imaging for multiple times by the temporal resolution within the period.