MRI Motion Artifact Reduction via Dummy Echo Signal Comparison
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Solution Overview
Problem
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is vulnerable to subject motion, leading to artifacts, and existing methods for motion correction are either time-consuming or require high calculation costs.
Innovation Solution
An MRI apparatus and method that compares dummy echo signals across multiple shots to identify and remove motion-related shots, using correlation values to determine which shots to exclude from image generation, thereby reducing motion artifacts without complex calculations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If navigator-based motion identification is used, then motion data can be identified, but imaging time is prolonged due to additional sequence requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary information (motion-related shots) from the acquired data by comparing dummy echo signals across shots, rather than using additional navigator sequences or processing all k-space data. This allows motion identification without the time penalty of additional sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses dummy echo signals (copies of the actual echo signals without phase encoding) to detect motion. By comparing these simplified copies across multiple shots, the system can identify motion without requiring the full complex imaging sequences, thus reducing imaging time while maintaining motion detection capability.
2Manufacturing precision
If motion correction is performed on all k-space data or calculated from physical models, then motion artifacts can be reduced, but calculation costs and processing time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the motion-related information from dummy echo signals and identifies specific shots containing motion, rather than performing complex calculations on all k-space data. This selective approach dramatically reduces calculation time while still enabling effective motion artifact reduction by excluding only the problematic shots from image reconstruction.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of performing full motion correction on all data, the patent applies partial action by identifying and removing only the specific shots that contain motion artifacts. This partial correction approach is sufficient to reduce motion artifacts while avoiding the high computational cost of processing all data.
3Manufacturing precision
If complex motion correction algorithms are applied, then motion artifacts can be reduced, but device complexity and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses simple dummy echo signals (computationally inexpensive) instead of complex navigator sequences or sophisticated motion correction algorithms. These simple signals are acquired and compared to identify motion, providing an efficient low-cost solution that reduces both device complexity and computational requirements while maintaining effective motion artifact reduction.
Data Source
AI summary
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes a processing circuit. The processing circuit acquires a plurality of echo signals not to be encoded corresponding to a plurality of respective shots about acquisition of a plurality of echo signals having been encoded by magnetic resonance imaging for a subject, compares the echo signals not to be encoded with each other about the shots, and identifies a shot to be removed about generation of a magnetic resonance image about the subject out of the shots based on a comparison result of the echo signals not to be encoded.