MRI Vascular Image Generation via Water-Fat Swap Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) devices face challenges in generating high-quality vascular images due to water-fat swap issues, which result in reduced blood signal in the water image and increased signal in the fat image, leading to false separations and lower image quality.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a magnetic resonance imaging device that receives multiple MR signals with different echo times from an imaging site containing blood vessels. The device processes these signals to generate a water image and combines it with the signal intensity of each MR signal to produce a vascular image, thereby compensating for voxel value reductions caused by water-fat swap.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If water-fat separation MRA using Dixon method is used, then fat separation is improved and robustness to B0 and B1 inhomogeneity is improved, but water-fat swap occurs at boundaries between tissue and air causing false separation and reduced vascular signal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple MR signals with different echo times and integrates them with the water image to generate the vascular image. This merging approach allows the vascular image to incorporate information from multiple signal sources, compensating for signal loss due to water-fat swap while maintaining the robustness benefits of Dixon method.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary water-fat separation using Dixon method to obtain a water image, then uses this water image as a basis for generating the final vascular image by combining with multiple MR signals. This preliminary action separates water and fat components before the final vascular imaging, allowing correction of swap errors in the subsequent combination step.
2Quantity of substance
If water-fat swap occurs in voxels, then vascular signal is reduced and voxel values are lowered, but combining water image with multiple MR signals compensates for this reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of signal combination by integrating multiple MR signals with different echo times into the vascular image generation process. This parameter change allows the system to compensate for voxel value reductions caused by water-fat swap, as the combined signal intensity from multiple echoes can overcome the signal loss in individual voxels.
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 effectively reduces vascular signal loss even when water-fat swap occurs within a voxel, resulting in improved image quality by maintaining higher voxel values and reducing vascular defects in the generated vascular images.
Implementation Method 1
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) devices are known as medical devices that non-invasively capture images of the inside of a patient's body. MRI devices do not irradiate the patient with X-rays, but rather apply a magnetic field to the patient to collect image data.
Implementation Method 2
In the Dixon method, an MRA blood signal is visualized using a water image calculated from the difference in chemical shifts between water and fat.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for acquiring an image in which deterioration of vascular signals due to improved water-fat swap is provided. The system includes a magnetic resonance imaging device, which receives an out-of-phase signal and in-phase signal from an imaging site including a blood vessel. The system also includes a processor that processes a digital signal including data representing the out-of-phase signal and in-phase signal. The processor executes an operation including: generating a water image Wa based on the digital signal; and adding a signal intensity |Iin| of the out-of-phase signal and a signal intensity of the in-phase signal to the water image Wa to generate a vascular image representing the blood vessel.