JP2856479B2 - Magnetic resonance diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to morphological information such as slice images of a subject (living body) and spectroscopy using magnetic resonance (MR) development. The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance diagnostic apparatus for obtaining functional information such as a scopy.

(Prior Art) A magnetic resonance phenomenon is a phenomenon in which a nucleus having a non-zero spin and a magnetic moment placed in a static magnetic field resonatesly absorbs and emits only an electromagnetic wave of a specific frequency. Resonates at an angular frequency ω ₀ (ω ₀ = 2πν ₀ , ν ₀ ; Larmor frequency) shown in FIG.

ω ₀ = γH ₀ where γ is the gyromagnetic ratio specific to the type of nucleus, and H ₀ is the static magnetic field strength.

An apparatus for performing a living body diagnosis using the above principle processes an electromagnetic wave having the same frequency induced above after the above-described resonance absorption, and performs a nuclear processing, a nuclear relaxation time, a longitudinal relaxation time T ₁ , and a transverse relaxation time T ₁ .
_2. Diagnostic information reflecting information such as flow, chemical shift, etc., such as slice images of the subject, is obtained non-invasively.

The collection of diagnostic information by magnetic resonance can excite all parts of the subject arranged in a static magnetic field and collect signals. However, there are restrictions on the device configuration and clinical demands on imaging images. Therefore, as an actual apparatus, an example of a specific site related to a specific nucleus is excited and its signal is collected.

In this case, the specific part to be imaged is generally a slice part having a certain thickness, and the echo signal from this slice part and the magnetic resonance signal (MR signal) of the FID signal are often used. The data are collected by executing a data encoding process, and the data group is subjected to image reconstruction processing by, for example, a two-dimensional Fourier transform method, thereby generating a slice image of the specific portion.

In addition to the above-described imaging of slice images mainly for morphological diagnosis, there is imaging for obtaining spectroscopy for functional diagnosis. This spectroscopy is performed for various types of atomic nuclei in an area of several square centimeters in relation to the data collection time and the like.

Generally, the above-mentioned slice images are taken of ¹ H (proton) which contains the largest amount, and spectroscopy is taken of ³¹ P, ²³ Na for analysis of metabolic function.

Generally, spectroscopy is positioned in a slice image, and the spectroscopy is often filed in relation to the slice image. In addition, there is a request to consider the history of slice images and spectroscopy for the same subject.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) Here, a description will be given of a photographing procedure for diagnosis of history of the above-described spectroscopy performed conventionally. That is, taken by ¹ H slice image in a certain day for a subject of the examinee identification signal multi n, set two of the region of interest (ROI) on the basis of the slice image, for each ROI ³¹ P
Take a spectroscopy image. Then, another day, they try to obtain spectroscopy under the same conditions. In this case, the positioning of the spectroscopy in the second photographing was performed as follows. That is, the first slice image is filmed as a positioning image,
For the second time, look at the first sliced image on the film, set the ROI by operating the mouse device and trackball device so that the same ROI as the previous time, and perform spectroscopy shooting under that setting I have to.

However, according to the positioning method described above, since the setting is based on the visual sense, the reproducibility of the positioning is poor,
In addition, there is a problem in that if the film is lost, positioning cannot be performed and spectroscopy history diagnosis cannot be performed.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic resonance diagnostic apparatus which can easily perform history diagnosis on spectroscopy.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention has a structure in which the following means are enhanced in order to solve the problems and achieve the object. That is, the present invention generates a magnetic resonance phenomenon involving one or more nuclei at a specific portion of a subject, collects magnetic resonance phenomena caused by the phenomenon, and generates and displays image information based on magnetic resonance parameters. In the magnetic resonance diagnostic apparatus, an image indicating at least one region of interest for spectroscopy specified by a position and a size is superimposed on a slice image that can be searched using the subject identification number, the imaging date, and the like as an index. A file device capable of storing a plurality of data, and control means for selecting at least one of the data from at least the file device;
Display means for displaying an image relating to the at least one data selected by the control means.

(Operation) According to the above configuration, the display means can display the slice image on which the image indicating the region of interest captured before is superimposed.
I It is easy to recognize the position to be set and can be set by electrical setting operation, so that operability is good.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of a magnetic resonance diagnosis apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the magnetic resonance diagnostic apparatus of the present embodiment, FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams showing the data structure for files in the magnetic resonance diagnostic apparatus of the present embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a multi display for positioning in the magnetic resonance diagnosis apparatus of the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, a static magnetic field coil of a normal or superconducting type (a shim coil for correcting a static magnetic field) is added as a magnet assembly MA capable of accommodating the subject P therein. There is also.) 1
And a gradient magnetic field generating coil 2 of X, Y, and Z axes for generating a gradient magnetic field for providing device information of a magnetic resonance signal induction site, and transmitting a rotating high frequency magnetic field and generating a magnetic resonance signal ( A transmitter 4 for controlling the transmission of the RF pulse, a receiver 5 for controlling the transmission of the induced MR signal, and An X-axis gradient magnetic field power supply (GXA) 6, a Y-axis gradient magnetic field power supply (GYA) 7, a Z-axis gradient magnetic field power supply (GZA) 8, and a slice for performing excitation control of the X, Y, and Z axis gradient magnetic field generating coils 2 respectively. A sequencer 9 capable of executing a pulse sequence for generating an image and a pulse sequence for generating a spectroscopy; a computer 10 for controlling these and performing signal processing of a detection signal and displaying the signal; a monitor 11; A mouse device 13 is provided.

It has a file system in addition to the basic configuration described above. This file system is the first file device 1
4, second file device 15, controller 16, ROI setting unit
It consists of 17 parts.

Here, the first file device 14 stores the subject identification number PID i and the photographing date DAYi as in the data structure shown in FIG.
Slice image PI that can be searched using the index as an index
_A plurality of _{PID i, DAY i} can be stored.
The slice image PI _{PID i, DAY i} is obtained by superimposing an image ROI i indicating a region of interest on the slice image. Therefore, one slice image PI
_{When the PID i and DAY i} are displayed on the monitor 11, the slice image and the image indicating the region of interest appear on the same screen, and furthermore, character data for the subject identification number PID i and the imaging date DAY i,
P (position) for image ROI i (P, S) showing region of interest
And character data for S (size) are displayed, for example, at the right corner of the screen. Examples of this are upper right display, upper left display, lower left display and the like in FIG.

Further, the second file device 15 can search using the subject identification number PID i, the imaging date DAY i, and the image ROI i (P, S) indicating the region of interest as an index, as in the data structure shown in FIG. A plurality of spectroscopy ROI i _{PID i, DAY i} can be stored.

Further, the controller 16 can display a plurality of slice images PI _{PID i, DAY i} from the first file device 14 on the monitor 11 by a command from the console 12 or the mouse device 13, for example. The upper right display, upper left display, lower left display, etc. of FIG. 4 are shown.

Further, the ROI setting unit 17 receives an image ROI i (P, P, i) indicating a region of interest in the slice image PI _{PID i, DAY i} displayed on the monitor 11 by a command from the console 12 or the mouse device 13.
By specifying S), the conditions for the ROI are given to the computer 10, and preparation for spectroscopy photography is automatically performed for the ROI.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. That is, it is assumed that three slice images have already been photographed together with the troscopy before photographing this time.
That is, the slice image is already stored in the first file device 14.
PI _{PID1, DAY1} , PI _{PID2, DAY2} , PI _{PID3, DAY3} are stored.

Then, in the first shooting, the slice image PI
_{PID1, DAY1} 2 different as the positioning image ROI1 (P,
S), ROI2 (P, S) are set and their spectroscopy is obtained, these are ROI1 _PID1, DAY1 and POI2
It is assumed that _{PID1 and DAY1} are stored in the second file device 15. In the second shooting, slice image PI
_{PID2, DAY2} 2 different as the positioning image ROI1 (P,
S), ROI3 (P, S) are set and their spectroscopy is obtained, these are ROI1 _PID2, DAY2 and ROI3
It is assumed that _{PID2 and DAY2} are stored in the second file device 15. In three circuit imaging, slice image PI
_{PID3, day3} 2 different as the positioning image ROI2 (P,
S), ROI3 (P, S) are set and their spectroscopy is obtained, these are ROI2 _PID3, DAY3 and POI3
It is assumed that _{PID3 and DAY3} are stored in the second file device 15.

Based on the above assumptions, first, slice images PI are used for positioning in order to perform imaging for history diagnosis of a specific part.
Shoot _{PID4, DAY4} . By observing the slice images PI _{PID4 and DAY4} , the position for obtaining the spectroscopy is determined. In the present embodiment, this is performed as follows. The doctor or the like uses the three images already acquired and stored together with the slice images PI _{PID4 and DAY4} , that is, the slice image PI
_{PID1, DAY1} , PI _{PID2, DAY2} , PI _{PID3, DAY3}
Multi-display is performed on the monitor 11 together with _{PID4 and DAY4} .

According to such a multi-display, a doctor or the like easily observes three images that have already been captured, and easily recognizes a region to be subjected to the current spectroscopy imaging by viewing an image indicating an ROI superimposed on the slice image. When the image indicating the ROI superimposed and displayed in the slice image can be determined by the mouse device 13 or the like, the ROI condition corresponding to the image indicating the specified ROI is determined by the ROI setting unit 17. The calculated value is provided to the computer 10 so that the automatic ROI setting is performed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when a new spectroscopy is to be taken, positioning can be performed with reference to the already taken slice image, and the ROI condition setting can be automatically performed. Thus, operability is improved.

In the example described above, all the slice images that have already been shot are displayed in a multi-display manner. However, one slice image may be displayed simply for the purpose of easily positioning. Further, the image to be multi-displayed is not limited to the slice image for positioning, and may be an image or an illustration image obtained by another diagnostic device. In any case, various images for facilitating the positioning of the spectroscopy related to the history diagnosis are used. This can be applied to the image of FIG.

Also, various formats can be adopted for the format of the superimposed image of the slice image and the image indicating the position and size of the ROI, the data structure of the ROI data, and the display format thereof.

In addition, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, in the present invention, at least one region of interest for spectroscopy specified by a position and a size is shown in a slice image that can be searched using the subject identification number and the imaging date as an index. A file device capable of storing a plurality of data obtained by superimposing images, control means for selecting at least one of the data from at least the file device, and at least one data selected by the control means By having the display means for displaying such an image, the display means can display a slice image on which an image indicating the region of interest captured previously is superimposed, so that by viewing this display image, The operability is good because it is easy to recognize the position where the ROI should be set and can be set by an electrical setting operation.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a magnetic resonance diagnostic apparatus capable of easily performing history diagnosis on spectroscopy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of one embodiment of a magnetic resonance diagnosis apparatus according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are views showing a data structure for files in the magnetic resonance diagnosis apparatus of the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a view showing a multi-display example for positioning in the magnetic resonance diagnostic apparatus of the embodiment. MA ... magnet assembly, 1 ... static magnetic field coil,
2 ... X, Y, Z axis gradient magnetic field generating coils, 3 ... probe, 4 ... transmitter, 5 ... receiver, 6 ... X-axis gradient magnetic field power supply (GXA), 7 ... Y-axis gradient Magnetic field power supply (GYA), 8 ...
Z-axis gradient magnetic field power supply (GZA), 9 ... Sequencer, 10 ...
Computer, 11 Monitor, 12 Console, 13
... Mouse device, 14... First file device. 15 …… second
File device, 16 ... Controller, 17 ... ROI setting unit.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A magnetic field for causing a magnetic resonance phenomenon involving one or a plurality of nuclei in a specific portion of a subject, collecting magnetic resonance signals generated by the phenomenon, and generating and displaying diagnostic information based on magnetic resonance parameters. In a resonance diagnostic apparatus, an image indicating at least one region of interest for spectroscopy specified by a position and a size is superimposed on a slice image that can be searched using an identification number of a subject, an imaging date, and the like as an index. A file device capable of storing a plurality of data, control means for selecting at least one of the data from at least the file device, and a display for displaying an image relating to the at least one data selected by the control means Magnetic resonance diagnostic apparatus comprising: