Simultaneous Multi-Slice Fat Navigator MRI Acquisition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current magnetic resonance imaging techniques face challenges in achieving high-resolution, motion-robust data acquisition due to limitations in navigator sequences, particularly in three-dimensional recordings, which result in poor spatial resolution and longer recording times.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of Simultaneous MultiSlice (SMS) imaging for fat navigators, allowing simultaneous excitation and readout of multiple fat navigator slices, combined with advanced pulse sequences and algorithms like GRAPPA, to achieve high-resolution movement data acquisition in minimal time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If three-dimensional fat navigator recordings are used, then coverage of the recording area is improved, but spatial resolution deteriorates and recording time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The recording area is divided into multiple two-dimensional slices that are recorded separately. Each slice provides high spatial resolution while the collection of all slices covers the entire three-dimensional recording area. This segmentation approach avoids the resolution degradation inherent in direct 3D recordings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from direct three-dimensional recording to a multi-slice approach where multiple two-dimensional slices are recorded simultaneously using parallel imaging techniques. This dimensional transformation allows achieving 3D coverage while maintaining 2D resolution quality in each slice.
2Reliability
If conventional navigator sequences are used, then movement tracking is achieved, but recording time is too long causing motion artifacts
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple slice recordings are merged into a single simultaneous acquisition using parallel imaging technology. This combining approach maintains the movement tracking accuracy of traditional navigators while reducing the total recording time by acquiring all slices in parallel rather than sequentially.
Solution Approach 2:
The parallel imaging technique enables continuous acquisition of all slices within a single excitation cycle, eliminating the temporal gaps and sequential delays inherent in conventional navigator sequences. This continuous action reduces the overall navigator recording time while maintaining tracking reliability.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple slices are recorded sequentially, then spatial coverage is improved, but time consumption increases and resolution decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple slice acquisitions are merged into a single simultaneous measurement using parallel imaging. The combined acquisition achieves full spatial coverage of all slices while reducing the total acquisition time compared to sequential recording methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The parallel imaging system performs multiple slice acquisitions within a single excitation cycle, making the imaging process multi-functional. Each slice is recorded with the same excitation pulse, achieving universal coverage across all slices without requiring separate acquisition sequences.
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 enables precise and high-resolution determination of movement data with significantly shorter navigator data acquisition times, reducing blurring and enhancing image quality by allowing multiple fat navigator slices to be recorded simultaneously, thus improving diagnostic suitability.
Implementation Method 1
Magnetic resonance imaging represents a meanwhile common means of image recording
Implementation Method 2
excites spins fat-selectively in an excitation module by means of one or more radio-frequency pulses
Implementation Method 3
the navigator data are recorded simultaneously from the excited fat navigator slices in the readout module by means of the fat navigator sequence using simultaneous multi-slice imaging
Data Source
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AI summary
Method for acquiring magnetic resonance data of an acquiring area of a patient, in particular at least a part of the patient's head, with a magnetic resonance device (35), wherein, for motion correction between acquiring time periods (18) for acquiring magnetic resonance data in navigator time periods (17) by means of a fat navigator sequence comprising a fat-selective excitation module with at least one radio frequency pulse and a readout module subsampling in the acquired layer, navigator data (20) are acquired from which motion data to be used for motion correction of the magnetic resonance data are determined, wherein the navigator data (20) are acquired simultaneously from the excited fat navigator layers by means of the fat navigator sequence utilizing simultaneous multi-layer imaging after the excitation module acting on several fat navigator layers to be acquired in the readout module.