JPH06114035A - Mr imaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the mental and physical labor of an operator. CONSTITUTION:When an imaging area and a trouble are inputted by an input device 14, a computer 6 accesses an inspection procedure memory 15 and an imaging parameter memory 16 to take out necessary data and displays the respective imaging procedures due to the optimum imaging parameters on a monitor device 13 to automatically execute respective imaging operations according to said procedures.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for performing imaging using the NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) phenomenon.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Patients (subjects) with MR imaging equipment
When the image pickup is performed, usually, after the patient is set in the gantry, coil tuning and system adjustment are performed, and then simple image pickup for image pickup positioning is performed. When the positioning image is obtained, the imaging parameters for obtaining the original image are input, and the slice plane is set based on the previous positioning image. After that, the imaging of the set slice plane is automatically performed with the above parameters, and the image of the slice plane is reconstructed.

By the way, in the inspection performed by using this MR imaging apparatus, there are many cases in which several types of images having different slice plane positions and directions or different contrasts are obtained. Therefore, it is necessary to repeat the above procedure several times,
The inspection is completed only after all the images of several types of images based on the procedure are completed. In particular,
During the inspection for 30 minutes to 1 hour, the operator performs the above operation every 5 to 10 minutes. Also, when performing this operation, the operator must always be aware of where the test is and what to do next.

[0004]

Therefore, in the conventional MR imaging apparatus, there is a problem that a great burden is placed on the operator. That is, since the examination by the MR imaging device is often performed for about 10 people a day for about 8 hours, the operator needs to keep his / her attention concentrated during that time, which is not only mentally exhausted. It is also easy to make an operation mistake. Further, there is a problem that a beginner does not know what procedure is generally used for the inspection.

In view of the above, the present invention is easy to operate,
The mental burden on the operator has been lightened, input errors have been reduced, and improvements have been made so that even beginners can easily operate.
An object is to provide an R imaging device.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, in the MR imaging apparatus according to the present invention,
Storage means in which information regarding examination procedures and imaging parameters is stored in advance, input means for inputting an imaging region and imaging disease, and various types of storage means are accessed by accessing the storage device according to the input imaging region and imaging disease. A means for automatically obtaining an image according to the inspection procedure and the image capturing parameters by obtaining an inspection procedure based on a combination of the image capturing and the optimal image capturing parameter for each image capturing, and a state of progress of the image capturing Is provided.

[0007]

When the operator inputs the imaging region and the imaging disease by the input means, the storage means in which the information regarding the inspection procedure and the imaging parameters is stored in advance is accessed, and the inspection procedure and each imaging by the combination of various imagings are performed. The optimum imaging parameter of is acquired, and imaging is automatically executed according to the inspection procedure and the imaging parameter. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the effort of the operator, using the experience and knowledge, to consider the examination procedure according to the imaged site and the imaged disease and obtain the optimum parameter for each imaged.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing an MR imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the main magnet 1
Is for generating a static magnetic field, and a gradient magnetic field is applied by the gradient magnetic field coil 2 so as to be superposed on this static magnetic field. The space to which the static magnetic field and the gradient magnetic field are applied is an examination space in which the subject 3 is placed. An RF coil 4 for irradiating the subject 3 with an excitation RF pulse and receiving an NMR signal generated in the subject 3 is attached to the subject 3.

A gradient magnetic field power source 5 is connected to the gradient magnetic field coil 2 and is supplied with electric power for generating a gradient magnetic field. An RF pulse subjected to amplitude modulation is supplied from the transmission circuit 8 to the RF coil 4. That is, the carrier wave from the signal generator 7 is amplitude-modulated in the transmitting circuit 8 by a modulating wave having a predetermined waveform and sent to the RF coil 4.

The echo signal from the subject 3 received by the RF coil 4 is sent to the receiving circuit 10 via the preamplifier 9 and the received signal is phase-detected using the signal from the signal generator 7 as a reference signal. The detected signal is sampled by the A / D converter 11, converted into digital data, and taken into the computer 6.

The computer 6 controls the waveform and amplitude value of the modulated wave of the excitation RF pulse in the transmission circuit 8, determines the frequency and phase of the signal generator 7, and determines the sampling timing of the A / D converter 11. Further, the gradient magnetic field power supply 5 is controlled to arbitrarily program the timing, waveform, intensity, etc. of the gradient magnetic field pulse. Further, processing for reconstructing an image from the collected digital data is performed. The image display device 12 connected to the computer 6 displays a reconstructed image and the like.

A monitor device 13 for displaying inspection procedures and the like is connected to the computer 6, and
An input device 14 such as a coordinate input device such as a mouse or a trackball for inputting coordinates in relation to the display image of the image display device 12 and a keyboard device for inputting numerical values or the like is connected. Further, the inspection procedure memory 15 in which data regarding the inspection procedure is stored and the imaging parameter memory 16 in which imaging parameters are stored are also connected to the computer 6.

The memory 15 stores in advance the optimum examination procedure corresponding to the imaged region and the imaged disease.
For example, when the imaged region is the lumbar spine and the disease is a herniated intervertebral disc, the memory 15 stores five examination procedures for imaging as shown in FIG. That is,
In "imaging 1", a pilot scan is performed on the coronal plane, in "imaging 2", a T1-weighted image by the spin echo method is captured on the sagittal plane, and the sagittal plane should be set manually. In "imaging 3", the sagittal plane should be set. In the "imaging 4", the T1 weighted field echo method of the multi-angle transverse plane requiring manual setting is performed, and in the "imaging 5", the multi-angle T2 weighted field echo method is performed. The inspection procedure of performing is stored.

On the other hand, in the memory 16, an imaging sequence such as a spin echo method or a field echo method, an imaging region, a slice surface such as a coronal surface or a sagittal surface, and an element such as a T1 weighted image or a T2 weighted image. The imaging parameters are stored such that the optimum parameters are read out for each.

Therefore, when setting the patient in the gantry, the operator inputs the imaged region and the imaged disease using the input device 14. Then, the computer 6 reads the optimum inspection procedure from the inspection procedure memory 15 according to the input. For example, when the imaged region is input to the lumbar spine and the disease is input to the intervertebral disk hernia, the above-described examination procedure is read out from the memory 15, and accordingly, the imaging parameter for each imaged is read out from the memory 16. Then, the computer 6 displays the inspection procedure in sequence or in a list format on the monitor device 13, and sequentially performs imaging with the optimum imaging parameters in accordance with the procedure. If manual setting is required (“imaging 2” or “imaging 4”), automatic imaging is temporarily stopped and the operator's input is awaited. When the operator's input is made, the computer 6 finds the optimum imaging parameter accordingly and automatically executes the imaging again. Then, the progress of this imaging is displayed on the monitor device 13.

Therefore, in this example, the operator only has to perform the operation for the patient setting and the slice plane setting in the "imaging 2" and "imaging 4", and the operation becomes easy. Further, the inspection procedure is performed by the computer 6 by the monitor device 13.
Since it is displayed on the screen, it is not necessary for the operator to think, and the progress of the examination can be known by the monitor device 13.

It should be noted that the examination procedure memory 15 does not store all examination procedures categorized according to all imaging regions, imaging diseases, etc. as they are, but stores each element thereof, and the computer 6 May be read out and combined by using a conditional expression or the like, and finally the inspection procedure as shown in FIG. 2 may be obtained. The same applies to the imaging parameter memory 16, and the imaging parameters read out from the memory 16 by the computer 6 can be combined by using a conditional expression or the like. In that case, all combinations of imaging parameters are stored in this memory 16. Instead of storing it, you will store the necessary elements of it.

[0018]

According to the MR imaging apparatus of the present invention, the number of operations for inspection can be greatly reduced, the operator does not have to think individually, and the burden is reduced, and input errors can be prevented. Even an inexperienced operator can easily carry out the inspection.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an MR imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an inspection procedure provided by the MR imaging apparatus of the same embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Main Magnet 2 Gradient Magnetic Field Coil 3 Subject 4 RF Coil 5 Gradient Magnetic Field Power Supply 6 Computer 7 Signal Generator 8 Transmitter Circuit 9 Preamplifier 10 Receiver Circuit 11 A / D Converter 12 Image Display Device 13 Monitor Device 14 Input Device 15 Inspection Procedure Memory 16 Imaging parameter memory

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Storage means for preliminarily storing information about examination procedures and imaging parameters, input means for inputting an imaging site and imaging disease, and the storage means according to the input imaging site and imaging disease. A means for accessing and obtaining an inspection procedure based on a combination of various kinds of imaging, obtaining optimum imaging parameters for each imaging, automatically performing imaging according to the inspection procedure and the imaging parameters, and the above-described inspection procedure are displayed. An MR imaging apparatus further comprising: means for displaying the progress of imaging.