Volumetric Phase-Error Correction for 4DPC MRI
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for correcting phase-offset errors in volumetric phase-contrast MRI data are limited by their reliance on two-dimensional models, which are not consistently accurate across multiple planes and require significant manual intervention or increased acquisition time, making them impractical for clinical use.
Innovation Solution
A software program that enables user-guided selection of static tissue and exclusion of spatially-wrapped voxels, using a volumetric phase-error model to accurately correct phase-offsets across a three-dimensional imaging volume, allowing for dynamic model selection based on computational resources and field of view.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If two-dimensional phase-error correction models are used, then correction can be performed with existing methods, but accuracy is insufficient across multiple planes and requires manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional phase-error correction models to three-dimensional volumetric models. This dimensional upgrade allows the correction to be applied consistently across multiple planes simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate manual corrections in each plane while maintaining or improving accuracy throughout the entire volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The volumetric phase-error model serves multiple planes and regions simultaneously with a single unified correction approach. This universal model replaces the need for plane-specific manual interventions, making the correction process both more accurate and easier to operate.
2Ease of operation
If manual subtraction of velocities from stationary tissue is used, then correction is easy to perform, but it does not completely account for spatial dependence of phase-error
Solution Approach 1:
By moving from two-dimensional manual velocity subtraction to three-dimensional volumetric modeling, the system automatically captures spatial dependencies in all directions. The volumetric model inherently accounts for spatial variation throughout the entire volume without requiring manual selection of stationary tissue regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The volumetric phase-error model automatically identifies and corrects phase errors throughout the volume without requiring manual intervention to select stationary tissue. The system self-adjusts to account for spatial dependencies by utilizing the full three-dimensional data structure.
3Reliability
If separate phase-error models are created for each slice and time-point, then correction can be applied locally, but consistency is lost and computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges separate slice-by-slice and time-point-specific phase-error models into a single unified volumetric model. This consolidation ensures consistency across all planes and time-points while reducing the overall computational complexity by eliminating the need to manage multiple separate models.
Solution Approach 2:
A single volumetric phase-error model serves all slices and time-points simultaneously, providing consistent correction throughout the entire four-dimensional dataset. This universal approach replaces the complex framework of multiple separate models with one cohesive solution.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
Processing techniques of volumetric anatomic and vector field data from volumetric phase-contrast MRI on a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system are provided to evaluate the physiology of the heart and vessels. This method includes the steps of: (1) correcting for phase-error in the source data, (2) visualizing the vector field superimposed on the anatomic data, (3) using this visualization to select and view planes in the volume, and (4) using these planes to delineate the boundaries of the heart and vessels so that measurements of the heart and vessels can be accurately obtained.