KR20160097797A - The phantom for measuring artifact generated by magnetic susceptibility difference in magnetic resonance image - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a phantom for measuring an artifact generated due to a difference in magnetic susceptibility of a magnetic resonance image (MRI). The phantom has a polyhedral shape. At least one side of the phantom is separable to allow a measurement object to enter. At least one reference object is disposed on at least one surface of the phantom to form three axes perpendicular to each other. A disposition position of at least one reference object is variable on a plane on which the reference object is to be disposed, and the measurement object accommodated to an interior of the phantom can be disposed at a predetermined position within the phantom by a fixing unit of the phantom.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a phantom for measuring an artifact caused by a difference in magnetization susceptibility in an MRI image,

The present invention relates to a phantom for measuring an artifact caused by a difference in magnetization sensitivity in an MRI image.

Due to the rapid development of science and technology, medical equipment has become more advanced, and various procedures and diagnoses that have not been possible in the past have become possible one by one. As an example of such medical equipment, there are various imaging apparatuses that can observe the inside of the human body more precisely and in detail.

Such imaging devices include, for example, a computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine imaging (SPECT) or positron emission tomography (PET) Can be used to treat.

(CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine imaging (SPECT) or positron emission tomography (PET) It has various advantages and disadvantages depending on the purpose of diagnosis.

In the case of a patient with a metallic object such as an implant implanted in the human body, when the MRI test is performed, the artifacts on the image due to the difference in magnetic susceptibility between the metal object and the human body tissue Lt; / RTI > If such an artifact occurs, the image of the surrounding tissue of the metal object may be distorted and the anatomical structure can not be clearly identified, so that it may be difficult to read the image and discriminate the disease. Therefore, it is necessary to confirm the size of the artifact through the measurement of the artifact caused by the magnetic susceptibility before using the passive implant in the MR environment.

The present invention provides a phantom that can be utilized for measuring artifacts caused by a difference in magnetization susceptibility between a medical implant and a tissue in an MRI image.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a phantom for measuring an artifact generated by a difference in magnetization susceptibility is provided. At least one surface of the phantom is detachable for entry and exit of the measurement object, and at least one reference object is disposed on at least one side of the phantom so as to form three axes orthogonal to each other, And the arrangement position of the at least one reference body is variable on the plane on which the reference body is to be arranged and the measuring body accommodated inside the phantom can be arranged at a predetermined position inside the phantom by the fixed portion of the phantom.

The phantom may have a closed structure to prevent the liquid from flowing out even when the liquid is received therein.

The phantom may be formed of a material other than metal.

The reference body may be in the shape of a circular column and the height value may be equal to or less than the width or height value of at least one side of the phantom.

At least one U-shaped guide or at least one circular guide into which the reference body can be inserted and the inner surface of the U-shaped guide or the circular guide are formed on the surface on which the at least one reference body is to be arranged, May be the same size.

The measuring unit may be connected to the fixing unit using a fixing member, and the fixing unit may include at least one of an upper fixing unit and a lower fixing unit. The upper fixing unit may include a hole included in the detachable surface, And a second sub-fixing part embedded in the bottom surface of the phantom engageable with the first sub-fixing part and the first sub-fixing part capable of being attached to and detached from the fixing part, And the first sub fixing portion and the second sub fixing portion may be formed such that there is no clearance at the time of coupling.

The fixing member may be a synthetic fiber.

The upper fixing part may include at least one wedge area to which the fixing member can engage.

The first sub-fixing portion includes a protrusion, the protrusion is in an arch shape and can engage with the fixing member, and the second sub-fixing portion can be buried in the center of the bottom surface.

The predetermined position is a position on a straight line passing through the center of the hole and the lower fixing unit and may be variable according to the length of the fixing member coupled with the measuring object.

Using the phantom according to one embodiment of the present invention, the standard measurement method of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), which specifies a standard test method for MR (Magnetic Resonance) susceptibility artifact measurement, Quantitative measurement of artifacts is possible. In particular, a reference object, which can be installed at a variable position in the phantom according to the size of the implant to be measured, can facilitate the creation of an experimental environment. In addition, the sliding-type implant fixation means, which is capable of attaching and detaching the implant, has the advantage of minimizing the error due to the experiment design by allowing the implant to be mounted in the phantom in the same position and condition without moving the phantom during the artifact measurement process have.

Also, using the phantom according to an embodiment of the present invention can be utilized for MR compatibility measurement of an implant manufacturer. In the case of implants that can be implanted in the human body, MR implants that are implanted in the human body are subjected to MR compatibility test to confirm the effect of the MR imaging device when exposed to the MR environment where strong magnetic fields and electromagnetic waves are used. do. At this time, if the phantom according to one embodiment of the present invention is utilized, the measurement of the MR susceptibility artifact, which is one of a plurality of evaluation items, can be easily performed.

In addition, the phantom according to an embodiment of the present invention can be utilized in various research fields related to evaluation of MR susceptibility artifacts due to an implant. MR susceptibility to a large number of implants used in medical care. It is possible to obtain information on artifacts by quantitatively measuring and evaluating the size of artifacts. In each medical institution, information on such artifacts may be utilized in related academic research.

Figure 1 illustrates a phantom according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 shows a top view of a phantom according to one embodiment of the invention.
Figure 3 illustrates the lower surface of a phantom according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 illustrates one side of a phantom according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 illustrates the other side of the phantom according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 shows a phantom and a measuring body disposed in the phantom according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The terms used in this specification will be briefly described and the present invention will be described in detail.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Also, in certain cases, there may be a term selected arbitrarily by the applicant, in which case the meaning thereof will be described in detail in the description of the corresponding invention. Therefore, the term used in the present invention should be defined based on the meaning of the term, not on the name of a simple term, but on the entire contents of the present invention.

When an element is referred to as "including" an element throughout the specification, it is to be understood that the element may include other elements as well, without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

The term "Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) " as used throughout the specification refers to an image of a target object obtained using a nuclear magnetic resonance principle.

Throughout the specification, the term "user" may be a physician, a medical physicist, a radiologist, a medical imaging expert, etc., as a medical professional and may be, but not limited to, a technician repairing a medical device.

Throughout the specification, "object" can include a portion of the body. For example, a subject may include organs such as the liver, heart, uterus, brain, breast, abdomen, and the like.

Also, throughout the specification, the term "measuring body" may mean that it can be attached to or inserted into a subject. Such a measuring body may include a medical needle, an implant, a radium insertion tube, and the like.

In the specification, "phantom" means a substance having a volume very close to the density of an organism and an effective atomic number. In the phantom according to an embodiment of the present invention, various types of phantoms, .

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In order to clearly illustrate the present invention, parts not related to the description are omitted, and similar parts are denoted by like reference characters throughout the specification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 illustrates a phantom according to one embodiment of the present invention.

As an embodiment of the present invention, a phantom 1000 for measuring an artifact generated by a difference in magnetization susceptibility may be provided. The phantom 1000 is a polyhedron and at least one surface 100 of the phantom 1000 is detachable for the entrance and exit of the measuring object and at least one reference object 10 (100, 200, 300, 400, 500 or 600) of the phantom 1000 so that the at least one reference body 10 is arranged in three mutually orthogonal axes, The measuring object accommodated in the phantom 1000 may be arranged at a predetermined position inside the phantom by the fixed portions 110 and 210 of the phantom.

The phantom 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a polyhedron. The length (L, W, or H) of each surface of the phantom 1000 may be the same or different from each other. In other words, the lateral length or the longitudinal length of each surface may be the same or different. For example, the phantom 1000 may be a cube. The length of each side of the cube phantom can be 150 millimeters. The upper surface (for example, 100) of the phantom 1000 in the form of a cube may be shaped like a hood so as to be detachable for the entrance and exit of the measuring object. The unit of length (L, W, or H) of each face of the phantom 1000 may be millimeters, centimeters, or inches, and the like.

Further, the phantom 1000 may have a closed structure to prevent liquid from flowing out even when the liquid is received therein. Further, the phantom 1000 may be formed of a material other than metal. In other words, the phantom is formed of a material other than metal, so that the difference in magnetization susceptibility due to the phantom can be prevented from occurring.

The height h1 of the reference body 10 is at least one of the sides 200, 300, 400, 500, or 600 of the phantom 1000, (L or W) or the height value (H). In other words, the reference member 10 may be a circular column having a predetermined diameter 11 and a height value h1. For example, the predetermined diameter 11, which is the diameter of the reference body 10, may be 10 millimeters.

In accordance with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F2119-06, which specifies standard test methods for artifact measurement by difference in magnetization susceptibility, all measurement images must include a circle as a reference material . In general, an MRI apparatus can acquire an image on both x, y, and z axes. Therefore, in order to acquire a reference body in a circular shape on three axes, it may be desirable to configure the shape of the reference body as a circular column. For example, the reference body 10 may be a medium that does not cause distortion of the magnetic field (nondistorizing). Further, the reference body 10 may be, for example, a nylon rod having a diameter of 0.5 inches, but is not limited thereto.

The reference body 10 may be disposed at a variable position on at least one surface 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, or 600 of the phantom 1000 so as to form three mutually orthogonal axes. In other words, the reference body 10 can be arranged to be orthogonal to each other so as to appear in a circle on both the x, y, and z axes of the photographed image.

ASTM F2119-06 recommends acquiring images before and after installation of the measurement object inside the phantom (1000) to measure MR susceptibility artifacts. In other words, it is recommended that an image by the reference body 10 and an image including both the reference body 10 and the measuring body are acquired in pairs. Therefore, in order to satisfy such a measurement procedure, only the reference body 10 is installed inside the phantom 1000 to acquire an image, and while maintaining the same state without moving the phantom 1000, Installation can be most effective. The at least one reference body 10 is placed in the phantom 1000 using the phantom 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention and the reference image is measured by taking images such as MR The reference image can be obtained. Then, the measurement object is placed in the phantom, and the image obtained by MR imaging or the like of the phantom is compared with the reference image acquired in advance, so that the artifact can be effectively measured and evaluated.

In other words, as in the embodiment of the present invention, a sliding removable fixing part is provided at the center of the bottom surface of the phantom 1000, and a fixing member is fixed to the center of the detachable surface 100 of the phantom 1000 through a small hole The movement of the phantom 1000 can be minimized, and images including only the reference body 10 and images including the reference body 10 and the measuring body can be obtained in pairs.

In addition, the phantom 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include the fixing portions 110 and 210. FIG. The measuring object housed inside the phantom 1000 may be disposed at a predetermined position inside the phantom by the fixed portions 110 and 210 of the phantom.

The size of the measuring object that can be used for the human body varies, and the size of the artifacts that may appear in the MR image may vary depending on the material of the measuring body.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the reference body 10 is placed at a variable position with respect to each axis of x, y, and z, so that all of the images for the axes of x, y, So that the influence on the size of the artifact and the size of the artifact can be minimized. In other words, by disposing the reference body at the variable position with respect to each axis, disturbance by the reference body 10 in the image acquisition for the measurement body and the artifact can be eliminated. This will be described later with reference to Figs. 3 to 5.

Figure 2 shows a top view of a phantom according to one embodiment of the invention.

The upper surface 100 of the phantom 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention may have an area of, for example, a width W and an height H of height. In the center of the upper surface 100, A hole 120 may be provided for the entrance and exit of a usable fixing member. The upper fixing part 110 may be disposed adjacent to the hole 120 of the upper surface 100. The upper fixing part 110 may include at least one wedge area 111 which allows the fixing member to be engaged. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when the upper fixing part 110 is in the form of a hexahedron, at least one wedge area 111 having a predetermined depth value may be included in each of the surfaces. Such a wedge region can eliminate the movement of the fixing member through engagement with the fixing member. In other words, when the fixing member is a synthetic fiber such as a nylon yarn, the synthetic fiber can be fixed by inserting this synthetic fiber into at least one wedge region 111. [

Figure 3 illustrates the lower surface of a phantom according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The lower surface 200 of the phantom 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention may have an area of, for example, a width W and an X length value L. In the center of the lower surface 200, And a lower fixing part 210 for the lower fixing part 210. The lower fixing part 210 includes a first sub fixing part 211 which is detachable and a second sub fixing part 212 which is engageable with the first sub fixing part 211 and embedded in the bottom surface of the phantom, The first sub fixing part 211 and the second sub fixing part 212 may be combined so that no clearance exists.

The lower surface 200 of the phantom 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include at least one guide 220 to which the reference body 10 is coupled. The guide 220 may be in the form of a circular tube of a predetermined height, but is not limited thereto. For example, guide 220 may be a circular tube having a height value of 10 inches. The inner surface of the guide 220 may have the same diameter as the diameter of the cross section of the reference member 10 in the form of a circular column. In other words, the diameter of the inner surface of the guide 220 may be the same as the diameter 11 of the reference member 10. The reference body 10 and the guide 220 may be combined so that there is no clearance at the time of mutual coupling.

At least one guide 220 is spaced apart from the center 200 of the lower surface 200 by a predetermined distance in the horizontal or vertical direction on the lower surface 200 of the phantom 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention, . ≪ / RTI > For example, 25 millimeters apart on both sides of at least one guide 220 or the center of the lower surface 200, and may be disposed 20 millimeters apart from each of the guides 220 in a horizontal direction So that the guide can be further disposed. In other words, as shown in FIG. 3, the guides are disposed at 25 mm intervals in the horizontal direction on the basis of the center of the lower surface 200, and 45 mm apart in the horizontal direction on the basis of the center, respectively, But the distance and direction of the spacing are not necessarily limited thereto.

Figure 4 illustrates one side of a phantom according to one embodiment of the present invention.

One side 300 or 400 of the phantom 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention may have an area of, for example, a width W and an X height value H, At least one U-shaped guide 310 into which a plurality of guide pins 310 can be inserted. The U-shaped guides 310 can be arranged at a height d1 of a predetermined ratio with respect to the height value H. [ In other words, at least one U-shaped guide 310 included in one side 300 or 400 of the phantom 1000 may be disposed horizontally with respect to the height value of d1. For example, a U-shaped guide 310 may be disposed at a distance of 25 millimeters on both sides in the horizontal direction on the basis of the center of one side 300 or 400, and each of these U- And a U-shaped guide may be additionally disposed spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction by 20 millimeters. In other words, a U-shaped guide is disposed at a distance of 25 millimeters in the horizontal direction on the basis of the center of one side (300 or 400), and a U-shaped guide is arranged at a distance of 45 millimeters However, the distance and the direction of the spacing are not necessarily limited thereto.

In addition, at least one U-shaped guide 310 may be arranged in a laminated structure spaced apart at a predetermined interval as shown in FIG. For example, the at least one U-shaped guide 310 may be arranged in a laminated manner in a grid pattern spaced apart by an interval of 0.4 inch or 10 millimeters or more.

Also, the insertion of the reference body 10 into the U-shaped guide 310 can be inserted such that there is no clearance. In other words, the inner surface of the U-shaped guide 310 may have the same diameter as the diameter of the cross section of the reference member 10 in the form of a circular column. In other words, the diameter of the inner surface of the U-shaped guide 310 may be the same as the diameter 11 of the reference member 10. The reference body 10 and the guide 310 may be combined so that there is no clearance at the time of mutual coupling.

Figure 5 illustrates the other side of the phantom according to one embodiment of the present invention.

One side 500 or 600 of the phantom 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention may have an area of, for example, a width L and an X height value H, At least one U-shaped guide 510 into which a plurality of U-shaped guides 10 can be inserted. The U-shaped guide 510 may be disposed at a height d2 of a predetermined ratio with respect to the height value H. [ The height d2 on the other side 500 or 600 may be larger or smaller as compared to one side 300 or 400. [ In other words, the height d2 may be larger or smaller than the height d1. At least one U-shaped guide 310 included in one side 300 or 400 of the phantom 1000 and at least one U-shaped guide 510 included in the other side 500 or 600 of the phantom, The reference bodies 10 to be inserted in the first and second protrusions 310 and 510 may have different height values so that they do not come into contact with each other or interfere with each other.

Also, at least one U-shaped guide 510 included in one side 500 or 600 of the phantom may be horizontally disposed with reference to the height value of d2 as shown in FIG. Also, at least one U-shaped guide 510 may be arranged in a laminated structure spaced apart at predetermined intervals as shown in FIG. For example, at least one U-shaped guide 510 may be arranged in a laminated fashion in a grid pattern spaced apart by 0.4 inch or 10 millimeter or more spacing.

Also, the insertion of the reference body 10 into the U-shaped guide 510 can be inserted such that there is no clearance. In other words, the inner surface of the U-shaped guide 510 may have the same diameter as the diameter of the cross section of the reference member 10 in the form of a circular column. In other words, the diameter of the inner surface of the U-shaped guide 510 may be the same as the diameter 11 of the reference member 10. The reference body 10 and the guide 510 may be combined so that there is no clearance at the time of mutual coupling.

Figure 6 shows a phantom and a measuring body disposed in the phantom according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The measuring unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be connected to the fixing unit 110 or 210 using the fixing member 3 and the fixing unit 110 or 210 can be connected to the upper fixing unit 110 and the lower fixing unit 110. [ The upper fixing part 110 includes at least one of the fixing part 210 and the fixing part 210. The upper fixing part 110 passes through the hole 120 included in the detachable surface 100 for the entrance and exit of the measuring object 1, And the lower fixing part 210 is detachable from the bottom surface of the phantom 1000 which is engageable with the first sub fixing part 211 and the first sub fixing part 211, And the second sub-securing portion 212 embedded in the second sub-securing portion 200. The first sub-securing portion 211 and the second sub-securing portion 212 may be coupled to each other such that no clearance exists.

Further, the fixing member 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a synthetic fiber. For example, synthetic fibers such as nylon yarns and the like.

The first sub fixing part 211 includes a protrusion and the protrusion is in an arch shape and is engageable with the fixing member 3. The second sub fixing part 212 is embedded in the center of the bottom surface 200 Can be.

The predetermined position according to an embodiment of the present invention is an arbitrary position on a straight line passing through the center of the hole 120 and the lower fixing part 210 and the length of the fixing member 3 coupled with the measuring body 1 As shown in FIG. In other words, the user can change the position of the measuring body 1 in the phantom 1000 through the adjustment of the length of the fixing member 3.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only and that those of ordinary skill in the art can readily understand that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. will be. It is therefore to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive.

The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the detailed description and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents are to be construed as being included within the scope of the present invention do.

1: measuring body 3: fixing member
10: Reference body 100 to 600: One side of the phantom
110: upper fixing part 111: wedge area
120: hole 210: lower fixing part
211: first sub fixing portion 212: second sub fixing portion
220: guide 310, 510: U-shaped guide 1000: phantom

Claims (10)

In phantoms for measuring artifacts caused by differences in magnetization susceptibility,
Wherein the phantom is in the form of a polyhedron, at least one surface of the phantom is detachable for accessing the measuring body,
Wherein at least one reference object is arranged on at least one surface of the phantom so that at least one reference object forms three axes orthogonal to each other within the phantom, Lt; / RTI >
Wherein the measuring body accommodated in the phantom is disposed at a predetermined position inside the phantom by the fixed portion of the phantom.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the phantom has a closed structure so that liquid does not flow out even when the liquid is received therein.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the phantom is formed of a material other than metal.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the reference body is a shape of a circular column and a height value is equal to or smaller than a width or height value of at least one surface of the phantom.
5. The method of claim 4,
On the surface on which the at least one reference body is to be arranged, at least one U-shaped guide or at least one circular guide into which the reference body can be inserted,
Wherein the inner surface of the U-shaped guide or circular guide is the same size as the diameter of the cross-section of the circular column.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the measuring member is connectable to the fixing unit using a fixing member,
Wherein the fixing portion includes at least one of an upper fixing portion and a lower fixing portion,
Wherein the upper fixing part is engageable with a fixing member projected to the outside of the phantom through a hole included in a detachable surface for the entrance and exit of the measuring body,
Wherein the lower fixing part includes a first sub fixing part capable of being detachable and a second sub fixing part embedded in a bottom surface of the phantom engageable with the first sub fixing part, And the sub-fixing portion is formed such that there is no clearance at the time of engagement.
The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the fixing member is a synthetic fiber.
The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the upper fixation portion includes at least one wedge region enabling engagement of the fixation member.
The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the first sub-fixing portion includes a protrusion, the protrusion is in an arch shape and is engageable with the fixing member,
And the second sub-fixing portion is capable of being embedded in the center of the bottom surface.
The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the predetermined position is a position on a straight line passing through the center of the hole and the lower fixing unit and is variable according to a length of the fixing member coupled with the measuring body.

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