KR20160120649A - Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and method for obtaining a magnetic resonance image thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An RF controller for controlling an RF pulse of one period to be applied to a target during a time interval including a first acquisition time interval and a second acquisition time interval in which a first inversion RF pulse is applied; And a second RF signal for imaging a first FLAIR image for a first slice of the object and a second RF signal for imaging at least one first magnetic resonance image for a second slice of the object during a first acquisition time interval, A signal transmitting / receiving unit sequentially acquiring signals; A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus is disclosed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, and a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus,

And more particularly, to an apparatus and method for acquiring a magnetic resonance image having a plurality of contrasts. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and a magnetic resonance imaging method.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an image of information obtained through resonance after exposing an atomic nucleus to a magnetic field. The resonance of an atomic nucleus refers to the phenomenon that when a specific high frequency is applied to an atomic nucleus magnetized by an external magnetic field, the atomic nucleus of a low energy state is excited into a high energy state by absorbing the high frequency energy. The nuclei have different resonance frequencies depending on the type and the resonance is influenced by the intensity of the external magnetic field. There are innumerable nuclei inside the human body and generally use hydrogen nuclei for magnetic resonance imaging.

In acquiring magnetic resonance images, there is a demand for techniques for imaging magnetic resonance images within a short period of time.

In order to obtain the information of the 3D volume of the object in a short time, a method of acquiring a plurality of 2D slice images in the direction of the slices constituting the 3D volume is used. In this case, it is common to photograph the two-dimensional slice image by the number of slices.

Multislice imaging techniques are being developed to shorten the time for reconstructing magnetic resonance images. The multi-slice imaging technique acquires a magnetic resonance (MR) signal corresponding to a plurality of slices of a target object within one repetition time (TR) and outputs the obtained signal as an image corresponding to each position It is a technique to separate and reconfigure.

In such a multi-slice imaging technique, there is a need to provide an apparatus and a method for rapidly acquiring a desired type of MRI images in one repetition time.

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for acquiring a magnetic resonance image having a plurality of contrast degrees and a magnetic resonance imaging method therefor are provided.

The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to the disclosed embodiment controls the RF pulse of one week to be applied to a target object during a time interval including a first acquisition time interval and a second acquisition time interval in which a first inversion RF pulse is applied An RF control unit; And a second RF signal for imaging a first FLAIR image for a first slice of the object and a second RF signal for imaging at least one first magnetic resonance image for a second slice of the object during a first acquisition time interval, A signal transmitting / receiving unit sequentially acquiring signals; .

The apparatus may further include an image processing unit for acquiring a first FLAIR image based on the first RF signal and acquiring at least one first MRI image based on the second RF signal.

Also, the first RF signal for imaging the first FLAIR image may be obtained before the second RF signal for imaging at least one first MRI image after the inversion time.

Also, the first acquisition time interval is included in half of the repetition time (TR), and the second acquisition time interval is included in the other half of the repetition time.

Also, the image processing unit may acquire at least one of a T1-weighted image, a T2-weighted image, a T2 * -weighted image, and a proton density (PD) image based on the second RF signal.

Further, the image processing unit may sequentially acquire at least one image.

Also, the RF control unit applies a second inverted RF pulse during a second acquisition time interval, and the signal transmission and reception unit transmits a third RF signal for imaging the second FLAIR image for the second slice and a third RF signal for imaging the second slice for the second acquisition time period, And sequentially acquiring a fourth RF signal for imaging at least one second magnetic resonance image for one slice.

The image processing unit may acquire a second FLAIR image based on the third RF signal and acquire at least one second MRI image based on the fourth RF signal.

A method of acquiring a magnetic resonance image according to the disclosed embodiment includes: applying a first inverted RF pulse to a target object during a first acquisition time interval; Applying a one-week RF pulse to a target during a time interval including a first acquisition time interval and a second acquisition time interval; And sequentially acquiring a first RF signal for imaging a first FLAIR image for a first slice of a subject and a second RF signal for imaging at least one first magnetic resonance image for a second slice of the subject ; .

The acquiring step may further include: acquiring a first FLAIR image based on the first RF signal; And acquiring at least one first magnetic resonance image based on the second RF signal; As shown in FIG.

Also, the first RF signal for imaging the first FLAIR image may be obtained before the second RF signal for imaging at least one first MRI image after the inversion time.

Also, the first acquisition time interval is included in half of the repetition time, and the second acquisition time interval is included in the other half of the repetition time.

In addition, acquiring the second MRI image may include acquiring at least one of a T1 weighted image, a T2 weighted image, a T2 weighted image, and a proton density (PD) image.

In addition, the step of acquiring an image may include acquiring at least one image sequentially.

The applying further includes applying a second inverse RF pulse during a second acquisition time interval, wherein acquiring comprises: during a second acquisition time interval, imaging the second FLAIR image for the second slice And sequentially acquiring a third RF signal for imaging the first slice and a fourth RF signal for imaging at least one second magnetic resonance image for the first slice.

The acquiring may further include obtaining a second FLAIR image based on the third RF signal; And acquiring at least one second magnetic resonance image based on the fourth RF signal; As shown in FIG.

There is provided a computer-readable recording medium on which a program for implementing a magnetic resonance imaging method according to the disclosed embodiment is recorded.

1 is a schematic diagram of a general MRI system.
2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a communication unit according to the disclosed embodiment.
FIG. 3 (a) is a block diagram schematically showing a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to the disclosed embodiment.
3 (b) is a flowchart briefly showing a method of acquiring a magnetic resonance image according to the disclosed embodiment.
4 is a block diagram showing a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to the disclosed embodiment.
5 is a diagram illustrating a portion of a sequence according to the disclosed embodiment.
6 is a flow chart briefly illustrating the structure of a sequence according to the disclosed embodiment.
7 is a diagram illustrating a method of generating a magnetic resonance image according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The disclosed advantages and features, and how to accomplish them, will be apparent with reference to the embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the embodiments are not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein but are to be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein, To fully disclose the scope of the invention to a person skilled in the art, and the disclosed embodiments are only defined by the scope of the claims.

The terms used in this specification will be briefly described, and the disclosed embodiments will be described in detail.

Although the terminology used herein has taken a generic term that is currently in widespread use in consideration of its functionality in the disclosed embodiments, it may vary depending on the intent or circumstance of the skilled artisan, the emergence of new technology, and the like. 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. Accordingly, the terms used in the present specification should be defined based on the meaning of the term, not on the name of a simple term, and on the contents throughout the specification.

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. Also, as used herein, the term "part " refers to a hardware component such as software, FPGA or ASIC, and" part " However, "part" is not meant to be limited to software or hardware. "Part" may be configured to reside on an addressable storage medium and may be configured to play back one or more processors. Thus, by way of example, and not limitation, "part (s) " refers to components such as software components, object oriented software components, class components and task components, and processes, Subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays and variables. The functions provided in the components and "parts " may be combined into a smaller number of components and" parts " or further separated into additional components and "parts ".

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. In order to clearly illustrate the embodiments disclosed in the drawings, portions not related to the description are omitted.

As used herein, an "image" may refer to multi-dimensional data composed of discrete image elements (e.g., pixels in a two-dimensional image and voxels in a three-dimensional image). For example, the image may include an X-ray device, a CT device, an MRI device, an ultrasound diagnostic device, and a medical image of an object acquired by another medical imaging device.

Also, in this specification, an "object" may include a person or an animal, or a part of a person or an animal. For example, the subject may include a liver, a heart, a uterus, a brain, a breast, an organ such as the abdomen, or a blood vessel. The "object" may also include a phantom. A phantom is a material that has a volume that is very close to the density of the organism and the effective atomic number, and can include a spheric phantom that has body-like properties.

In this specification, the term "user" may be a doctor, a nurse, a clinical pathologist, a medical imaging expert or the like as a medical professional and may be a technician repairing a medical device, but is not limited thereto.

In the present specification, the term "MR image (Magnetic Resonance image) " means an image of a target object obtained using the nuclear magnetic resonance principle.

In the present specification, the term "pulse sequence" means a series of signals repeatedly applied in the MRI system. The pulse sequence may include a time parameter of the RF pulse, for example, a Repetition Time (TR) and a Time to Echo (TE).

In addition, the term " pulse sequence diagram "in this specification describes the order of events occurring in the MRI system. For example, the pulse sequence schematic diagram may be a schematic diagram showing an RF pulse, a gradient magnetic field, an MR signal, and the like over time.

The MRI system is a device for acquiring an image of a single-layer region of a target object by expressing intensity of an MR (Magnetic Resonance) signal for a RF (Radio Frequency) signal generated in a magnetic field of a specific intensity in contrast. For example, when an object is instantaneously examined and discontinued after an RF signal that lies in a strong magnetic field and resonates only with a specific nucleus (eg, a hydrogen nucleus), the MR signal is emitted from the particular nucleus. MR signals can be received to obtain an MR image. The MR signal means an RF signal radiated from the object. The magnitude of the MR signal can be determined by the concentration of a predetermined atom (e.g., hydrogen) included in the object, the relaxation time T1, the relaxation time T2, and the flow of blood.

The MRI system includes features different from other imaging devices. Unlike imaging devices, such as CT, where acquisitions of images are dependent on the direction of the detecting hardware, the MRI system can acquire oriented 2D images or 3D volume images at any point. Further, unlike CT, X-ray, PET, and SPECT, the MRI system does not expose radiation to the subject and the examiner, and it is possible to acquire images having a high soft tissue contrast, The neurological image, the intravascular image, the musculoskeletal image and the oncologic image can be acquired.

1 is a schematic diagram of a general MRI system. Referring to FIG. 1, the MRI system may include a gantry 20, a signal transceiver 30, a monitoring unit 40, a system controller 50, and an operating unit 60.

The gantry 20 blocks electromagnetic waves generated by the main magnet 22, the gradient coil 24, the RF coil 26 and the like from being radiated to the outside. A static magnetic field and an oblique magnetic field are formed in the bore in the gantry 20, and an RF signal is radiated toward the object 10.

The main magnet 22, the gradient coil 24, and the RF coil 26 may be disposed along a predetermined direction of the gantry 20. The predetermined direction may include a coaxial cylindrical direction or the like. The object 10 can be placed on a table 28 insertable into the cylinder along the horizontal axis of the cylinder.

The main magnet 22 generates a static magnetic field or a static magnetic field for aligning the magnetic dipole moment of the nuclei included in the object 10 in a predetermined direction. As the magnetic field generated by the main magnet is strong and uniform, a relatively precise and accurate MR image of the object 10 can be obtained.

The gradient coil 24 includes X, Y, and Z coils that generate a gradient magnetic field in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions orthogonal to each other. The gradient coil 24 can provide position information of each part of the object 10 by inducing resonance frequencies differently for each part of the object 10.

The RF coil 26 can irradiate the RF signal to the patient and receive the MR signal emitted from the patient. Specifically, the RF coil 26 transmits an RF signal having the same frequency as the frequency of the car motions to the atomic nuclei present in the patient who carries out the car wash motion, stops the transmission of the RF signal, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > MR < / RTI >

For example, the RF coil 26 generates an electromagnetic wave signal having a radio frequency corresponding to the kind of the atomic nucleus, for example, an RF signal, to convert a certain atomic nucleus from a low energy state to a high energy state, 10). When an electromagnetic wave signal generated by the RF coil 26 is applied to an atomic nucleus, the atomic nucleus can be transited from a low energy state to a high energy state. Thereafter, when the electromagnetic wave generated by the RF coil 26 disappears, the atomic nucleus to which the electromagnetic wave has been applied can emit electromagnetic waves having a Lamor frequency while transiting from a high energy state to a low energy state. In other words, when the application of the electromagnetic wave signal to the atomic nucleus is interrupted, the energy level from the high energy to the low energy is generated in the atomic nucleus where the electromagnetic wave is applied, and the electromagnetic wave having the Lamor frequency can be emitted. The RF coil 26 can receive an electromagnetic wave signal radiated from the nuclei inside the object 10.

The RF coil 26 may be implemented as a single RF transmitting / receiving coil having both a function of generating an electromagnetic wave having a radio frequency corresponding to the type of the atomic nucleus and a function of receiving electromagnetic waves radiated from the atomic nucleus. It may also be implemented as a receiving RF coil having a function of generating an electromagnetic wave having a radio frequency corresponding to the type of an atomic nucleus and a receiving RF coil having a function of receiving electromagnetic waves radiated from the atomic nucleus.

In addition, the RF coil 26 may be fixed to the gantry 20 and may be removable. The removable RF coil 26 may include an RF coil for a portion of the object including a head RF coil, a thorax RF coil, a bridge RF coil, a neck RF coil, a shoulder RF coil, a wrist RF coil, and an ankle RF coil. have.

Also, the RF coil 26 can communicate with an external device by wire and / or wireless, and can perform dual tune communication according to a communication frequency band.

The RF coil 26 may include a birdcage coil, a surface coil, and a transverse electromagnetic coil (TEM coil) according to the structure of the coil.

In addition, the RF coil 26 may include a transmission-only coil, a reception-only coil, and a transmission / reception-use coil according to an RF signal transmitting / receiving method.

In addition, the RF coil 26 may include RF coils of various channels such as 16 channels, 32 channels, 72 channels, and 144 channels.

The gantry 20 may further include a display 29 located outside the gantry 20 and a display (not shown) located inside the gantry 20. It is possible to provide predetermined information to a user or an object through a display located inside and outside the gantry 20.

The signal transmitting and receiving unit 30 controls the inclined magnetic field formed in the gantry 20, that is, the bore, according to a predetermined MR sequence, and can control transmission and reception of the RF signal and the MR signal.

The signal transmitting and receiving unit 30 may include a gradient magnetic field amplifier 32, a transmitting and receiving switch 34, an RF transmitting unit 36, and an RF receiving unit 38.

The gradient magnetic field amplifier 32 drives the gradient coil 24 included in the gantry 20 and generates a pulse signal for generating a gradient magnetic field under the control of the gradient magnetic field control unit 54, . By controlling the pulse signals supplied from the oblique magnetic field amplifier 32 to the gradient coil 24, gradient magnetic fields in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions can be synthesized.

The RF transmitter 36 and the RF receiver 38 can drive the RF coil 26. The RF transmitting unit 36 supplies RF pulses of the Ramore frequency to the RF coil 26 and the RF receiving unit 38 can receive the MR signals received by the RF coil 26.

The transmission / reception switch 34 can adjust the transmission / reception direction of the RF signal and the MR signal. For example, an RF signal may be irradiated to the object 10 through the RF coil 26 during a transmission mode, and an MR signal from the object 10 may be received via the RF coil 26 during a reception mode . The transmission / reception switch 34 can be controlled by a control signal from the RF control unit 56. [

The monitoring unit 40 can monitor or control devices mounted on the gantry 20 or the gantry 20. The monitoring unit 40 may include a system monitoring unit 42, an object monitoring unit 44, a table control unit 46, and a display control unit 48.

The system monitoring unit 42 monitors the state of the static magnetic field, the state of the gradient magnetic field, the state of the RF signal, the state of the RF coil, the state of the table, the state of the device for measuring the body information of the object, You can monitor and control the state of the compressor.

The object monitoring unit 44 monitors the state of the object 10. Specifically, the object monitoring unit 44 includes a camera for observing the movement or position of the object 10, a respiration measuring unit for measuring respiration of the object 10, an ECG measuring unit for measuring the electrocardiogram of the object 10, Or a body temperature measuring device for measuring the body temperature of the object 10. [

The table control unit 46 controls the movement of the table 28 on which the object 10 is located. The table control unit 46 may control the movement of the table 28 in accordance with the sequence control of the sequence control unit 50. [ For example, in moving imaging of a subject, the table control unit 46 may move the table 28 continuously or intermittently according to the sequence control by the sequence control unit 50, , The object can be photographed with a FOV larger than the field of view (FOV) of the gantry.

The display control unit 48 controls the displays located outside and inside the gantry 20. Specifically, the display control unit 48 can control on / off of a display located outside and inside of the gantry 20, a screen to be output to the display, and the like. Further, when a speaker is located inside or outside the gantry 20, the display control unit 48 may control on / off of the speaker, sound to be output through the speaker, and the like.

The system control unit 50 includes a sequence control unit 52 for controlling a sequence of signals formed in the gantry 20 and a gantry control unit 58 for controlling gantry 20 and devices mounted on the gantry 20 can do.

The sequence control section 52 includes an inclination magnetic field control section 54 for controlling the gradient magnetic field amplifier 32 and an RF control section 56 for controlling the RF transmission section 36, the RF reception section 38 and the transmission / reception switch 34 can do. The sequence control unit 52 can control the gradient magnetic field amplifier 32, the RF transmission unit 36, the RF reception unit 38 and the transmission / reception switch 34 in accordance with the pulse sequence received from the operating unit 60. [ Here, the pulse sequence includes all information necessary for controlling the oblique magnetic field amplifier 32, the RF transmitter 36, the RF receiver 38, and the transmitter / receiver switch 34. For example, Information on the intensity of the pulse signal applied to the coil 24, the application time, the application timing, and the like.

The operating unit 60 can instruct the system control unit 50 of the pulse sequence information and can control the operation of the entire MRI system.

The operating unit 60 may include an image processing unit 62, an output unit 64, and an input unit 66 that receive and process the MR signal received by the RF receiving unit 38.

The image processing unit 62 can process the MR signal received from the RF receiving unit 38 to generate MR image data for the object 10.

The image processing unit 62 receives the MR signal received by the RF receiving unit 38 and applies various signal processing such as amplification, frequency conversion, phase detection, low frequency amplification, filtering, and the like to the received MR signal.

The image processing unit 62 arranges digital data in a k space (for example, a Fourier space or a frequency space) of a memory and performs two-dimensional or three-dimensional Fourier transform on the data, Data can be reconstructed.

If necessary, the image processing unit 62 performs synthesis processing or difference calculation processing (K3 answer-latter processing) on the reconstructed image data (data), and performs synthesis processing or difference processing processing on the reconstructed image data ) Can be performed. The compositing process may be an addition process, a maximum value projection (MIP) process, etc. for the pixel (K4 answer: followed by an addition process and a maximum value process). Further, the image processing unit 62 can store not only the image data to be reconstructed but also the image data on which the combining process and the difference calculating process have been performed in a memory (not shown) or an external server.

In addition, various signal processes applied to the MR signal by the image processing unit 62 may be performed in parallel. For example, a plurality of MR signals may be reconstructed into image data by applying signal processing to a plurality of MR signals received by the multi-channel RF coil in parallel.

The output unit 64 can output the image data or the reconstructed image data generated by the image processing unit 62 to the user. The output unit 64 may output information necessary for a user to operate the MRI system, such as a UI (user interface), user information, or object information. The output unit 64 may be a speaker, a printer, a CRT display, an LCD display, a PDP display, an OLED display, an FED display, an LED display, a VFD display, a DLP (Digital Light Processing) display, a flat panel display (PFD) Display, transparent display, and the like, and may include various output devices within a range that is obvious to those skilled in the art.

The user can input object information, parameter information, scan conditions, pulse sequence, information on image synthesis and calculation of difference, etc., by using the input unit 66. [ Examples of the input unit 66 may include a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a voice recognition unit, a gesture recognition unit, a touch screen, and the like, and may include various input devices within a range obvious to those skilled in the art.

1, the signal transmission / reception unit 30, the monitoring unit 40, the system control unit 50, and the operating unit 60 are shown as separate objects. However, the signal transmission / reception unit 30, the monitoring unit 40, Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the functions performed by the control unit 50 and the operating unit 60, respectively, may be performed in different objects. For example, the image processor 62 described above converts the MR signal received by the RF receiver 38 into a digital signal, but the RF receiver 38 or the RF coil 26 directly converts the MR signal received by the RF receiver 38 into a digital signal. .

The gantry 20, the RF coil 26, the signal transmitting and receiving unit 30, the monitoring unit 40, the system control unit 50 and the operating unit 60 may be connected to each other wirelessly or wired, And a device (not shown) for synchronizing clocks with each other. Communication between the gantry 20, the RF coil 26, the signal transmitting and receiving unit 30, the monitoring unit 40, the system control unit 50 and the operating unit 60 can be performed at a high speed such as LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling) A digital interface, an asynchronous serial communication such as a universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART), a hypo-synchronous serial communication, or a CAN (Controller Area Network) can be used. Various communication methods can be used.

2 is a diagram showing a configuration of the communication unit 70 according to the disclosed embodiment. The communication unit 70 may be connected to at least one of the gantry 20, the signal transmission / reception unit 30, the monitoring unit 40, the system control unit 50, and the operating unit 60 shown in FIG.

The communication unit 70 can exchange data with other medical devices in a hospital server or a hospital connected through a PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System), and can transmit and receive data in a digital image and communication (DICOM) Medicine) standards.

2, the communication unit 70 may be connected to the network 80 by wired or wireless communication with the server 92, the medical device 94, or the portable device 96. [

Specifically, the communication unit 70 can transmit and receive data related to the diagnosis of the object through the network 80, and can transmit and receive the medical image captured by the medical device 94 such as CT, MRI, X-ray and the like. Further, the communication unit 70 may receive the diagnosis history of the patient, the treatment schedule, and the like from the server 92 and utilize it for diagnosis of the target object. The communication unit 70 may perform data communication with not only the server 92 in the hospital or the medical device 94 but also the portable device 96 such as a doctor, a customer's mobile phone, a PDA, or a notebook computer.

Also, the communication unit 70 may transmit the abnormality of the MRI system or the medical image quality information to the user via the network 80, and may receive the feedback from the user.

The communication unit 70 may include one or more components that enable communication with an external device and may include, for example, a short range communication module 72, a wired communication module 74 and a wireless communication module 76 have.

The short-range communication module 72 refers to a module for performing short-range communication with a device located within a predetermined distance. The local communication technology according to the disclosed embodiments may include a wireless LAN, a Wi-Fi, a Bluetooth, a zigbee, a WFD, an ultra wideband (UWB) Data Association, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Near Field Communication (NFC), and the like.

The wired communication module 74 refers to a module for performing communication using an electrical signal or an optical signal. In the wired communication technology according to the disclosed embodiment, wired communication using a pair cable, a coaxial cable, an optical fiber cable, Techniques may be included, as well as wired communication technologies that would be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The wireless communication module 76 transmits and receives a wireless signal to at least one of a base station, an external device, and a server on the mobile communication network. Here, the wireless signal may include various types of data depending on a voice call signal, a video call signal, or a text / multimedia message transmission / reception.

FIG. 3 (a) is a block diagram schematically showing a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to the disclosed embodiment. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 includes an RF control unit 110 and a signal transmission / reception unit 120.

The RF controller 110 controls the RF pulse of one period to be applied to the object during the time interval including the first acquisition time interval and the second acquisition time interval in which the first inversion RF pulse is applied. Here, the one-week RF pulse may be an RF pulse applied during one repetition time (TR).

The signal transmitting and receiving unit 120 sequentially acquires the first RF signal and the second RF signal during the first acquisition time interval. The first RF signal is a signal for imaging the FLAIR image for the first slice of the object. The second RF signal is a signal for imaging at least one first magnetic resonance image for a second slice of the object. Here, the first slice and the second slice may be slices adjacent to each other. Specifically, the first slice and the second slice may be successively adjacent slices. Alternatively, the first slice and the second slice may be slices interleaved and continuous with at least one slice therebetween. Hereinafter, the FLAIR image of the first slice imaged using the first RF signal is referred to as a first FLAIR image.

3 (b) is a flowchart briefly showing a method of acquiring a magnetic resonance image according to the disclosed embodiment. In step 302, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 applies a first inverted RF pulse to the object in a first acquisition time period.

In step 304, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 applies a one-week RF pulse to the object for a time period including a first acquisition time interval and a second acquisition time interval.

In step 306, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 sequentially acquires the first RF signal and the second RF signal. The first RF signal is a signal for imaging the first FLAIR image for the first slice of the object. The second RF signal is a signal for imaging at least one first magnetic resonance image for a second slice of the object.

4 is a block diagram showing a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to the disclosed embodiment. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may include an RF control unit 110, a signal transmission / reception unit 120, an image processing unit 130, and a display unit 140.

The RF controller 110 may control the RF pulse of one week to be applied to the object during the time interval including the first acquisition time interval and the second acquisition time interval in which the first inverted RF pulse is applied. In the disclosed embodiment, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 can acquire a multi-contrast magnetic resonance image by applying RF pulses of one week to a target object.

The one-week RF pulse may include a plurality of RF pulses capable of acquiring a signal for imaging a magnetic resonance image having a different contrast from different slices of the object. For example, the one-week RF pulse may include a plurality of RF pulses having different frequencies and continuously applied to acquire a magnetic resonance signal corresponding to a plurality of different slices. In the disclosed embodiment, the one-week RF pulse may include an inverted RF pulse for imaging the FLAIR image.

In the disclosed embodiment, the first acquisition time interval may be included in half of the repeat time TR. Also, the second acquisition time interval may be included in the other half of the iteration time. The MRI apparatus 100 may apply a second inverted RF pulse during a second acquisition time interval.

The signal transmitting and receiving unit 120 may sequentially acquire the first RF signal of the object and the second RF signal of the object during the first acquisition time interval. The first RF signal may be a signal for imaging a first FLAIR image for a first slice of the object. The second RF signal may be a signal for imaging at least one first magnetic resonance image for a second slice of the object.

In the disclosed embodiment, the at least one first magnetic resonance image may comprise at least one of a T1-weighted image, a T2-weighted image, a T2 * -weighted image, and a proton density (PD) image. For example, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 acquires the FLAIR image, the T2-weighted image, and the T2 * -weighted image of the object together using the received RF signal corresponding to the RF pulse applied during the first acquisition time interval .

Specifically, in the disclosed embodiment, an inverted RF pulse for obtaining the FLAIR image for the first slice is applied within a first repetition time period corresponding to one half of one-period RF pulses applied during one repetition time TR, It is possible to obtain a sufficient magnetic resonance signal to obtain a magnetic resonance image for the second slice during the inversion time according to the inverted RF pulse. After the inversion time has expired, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may acquire a sufficient magnetic resonance signal to acquire the FLAIR image for the first slice. Subsequently, a sufficient magnetic resonance signal for acquiring at least one of a T1-weighted image, a T2-weighted image, a T2 * -weighted image, and a proton density (PD) image for the second slice can be obtained. And a magnetic resonance signal for acquiring an image for the second slice may be referred to as a second RF signal.

The image processing unit 130 may acquire the first FLAIR image for the first slice based on the first RF signal. In addition, the image processing unit 130 may acquire at least one first magnetic resonance image for the second slice based on the second RF signal.

The signal transmitting and receiving unit 120 may sequentially acquire the third RF signal and the fourth RF signal of the object during the second acquisition time interval. The third RF signal may be a signal for imaging the FLAIR image for the second slice of the object. The fourth RF signal may be a signal for imaging at least one second magnetic resonance image for a first slice of a subject. Hereinafter, the FLAIR image of the second slice imaged using the third RF signal is referred to as a second FLAIR image.

In the disclosed embodiment, the image processing unit 130 may obtain the second FLAIR image for the second slice based on the third RF signal. Also, the image processing unit 130 may acquire at least one second MRI image for the first slice based on the fourth RF signal.

In the disclosed embodiment, the at least one second magnetic resonance image may comprise at least one of a T1-weighted image, a T2-weighted image, a T2 * -weighted image, and a proton density (PD) image. For example, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 acquires the FLAIR image, the T2-weighted image, and the T2 * -weighted image of the object together using the received RF signal corresponding to the RF pulse applied during the second acquisition time interval .

The display unit 140 may display an image acquired by the image processing unit 130. The image acquired by the image processing unit 130 may have a plurality of contrast degrees. The display unit 140 can display each of the images having a plurality of contrast degrees.

5 is a diagram illustrating a portion of a sequence according to the disclosed embodiment. In order to acquire the FLAIR image, an inverse RF pulse should be applied as a target object. In this case, there is an inversion time (TI) including a delay time according to the application of the inverted RF pulse. Since it is difficult to apply different RF pulses during the inversion time, there is a dead time.

Accordingly, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 can acquire a magnetic resonance image by applying an RF pulse capable of exciting another slice during the inversion time. For example, when an inversion RF pulse 510 for exciting an odd slice is applied, the MRI apparatus 100 can generate an RF pulse (hereinafter, referred to as an RF pulse) capable of exciting an even slice 520 can be applied.

The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 can read out an RF signal for imaging a magnetic resonance image for an even-numbered slice during an inversion time. For example, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may perform an EPI readout for the even slice during the inversion time 530. The MRI apparatus 100 can acquire a T2 * emphasis image using the read RF signal. In the disclosed embodiment, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may utilize a segmented EPI.

In another embodiment, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may perform a TSE readout for an even slice during the inversion time 530. [ The MRI apparatus 100 can acquire a T2-weighted image using the read RF signal. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may acquire a T1-weighted image or a proton-enhanced (PD) image, but is not limited thereto.

6 is a flow chart briefly illustrating the structure of a sequence according to the disclosed embodiment. In step 610, the MRI apparatus 100 may apply an inverse RF pulse that may excite an odd slice of the object. In addition, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 can apply an RF pulse capable of exciting the even slice of the object during the inversion time. Here, the odd-numbered slice corresponds to the 'first slice' described above in FIG. 5, and the even-numbered slice corresponds to the 'second slice'.

The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may read an RF signal for imaging a magnetic resonance image for even slices during the inversion time. For example, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may perform EPI readout for an even slice during the inversion time. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may acquire a T2 * image for an even-numbered slice.

In step 620, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may read an RF signal for imaging a magnetic resonance image of an odd-numbered slice of the object. For example, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may perform TSE reading on odd-numbered slices to image a FLAIR image. Specifically, since the inverse RF pulse applied in step 610 is a pulse that excites a region of the object corresponding to the odd-numbered slice, the RF signal received at the object region corresponding to the odd- The FLAIR image for the odd-numbered slice can be obtained.

In operation 630, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may read an RF signal for imaging a magnetic resonance image of an even-numbered slice of the object. For example, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may perform TSE reading for even slices. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 can acquire a T2-weighted image for an even-numbered slice.

In the disclosed embodiment, steps 610 through 630 may be included in the first acquisition time interval 600. [ Steps 640 to 660 may be included in the second acquisition time interval 602. The first acquisition time interval and the second acquisition time interval may be included in the repetition time.

In step 640, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may apply an inverse RF pulse that may excite an even slice of the object. In addition, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may apply an RF pulse capable of exciting an odd-numbered slice of the object during the inversion time.

The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may read an RF signal for imaging a magnetic resonance image for an odd-numbered slice during an inversion time. For example, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may perform EPI reading on the odd slice during the inversion time. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 can acquire a T2 * image for an odd-numbered slice.

At step 650, the MRI apparatus 100 may read an RF signal for imaging a magnetic resonance image of an even slice of a subject. For example, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may perform TSE reading on an even slice to image a FLAIR image. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 can acquire the FLAIR image for the even slice.

In step 660, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may read an RF signal for imaging a magnetic resonance image of an odd-numbered slice of the object. For example, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may perform TSE reading on odd-numbered slices. The MRI apparatus 100 may acquire a T2-weighted image for the odd-numbered slice.

In steps 610 to 660, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may acquire an RF signal for imaging the FLAIR image, the T2 * weighted image, and the T2-weighted image for the object within one repetition time.

In the disclosed embodiment, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 includes an RF signal for imaging at least one of a FLAIR image, a T2 * weighted image, a T2 weighted image, a T1 weighted image, and a proton density weighted image for a subject within one repeat time Can be obtained. However, the signal that the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 can acquire within the repetition time is not limited thereto.

7 is a diagram illustrating a method of generating a magnetic resonance image according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 7, a sequence for a time interval including a first acquisition time interval 740 and a second acquisition time interval 780 is briefly shown. In FIG. 7, each of the first acquisition time interval 740 and the second acquisition time interval 780 has a value of 1/2 of the repetition time TR.

Also, step 610 of FIG. 6 is performed during the inversion time 730, step 620 corresponds to the read 742 operation, and step 630 corresponds to the read 744 operation. 6 is performed during the inversion time 770, step 650 corresponds to the read 782 operation, and step 660 corresponds to the read 784 operation. In the disclosed embodiment, the magnetic resonance imaging Device 100 may apply an inverse RF pulse 710 that may excite an odd slice of the object. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may also apply an RF pulse 720 that can excite an even slice of the object during the inversion time 730.

The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may read 722 an RF signal for imaging a magnetic resonance image for an even slice during the inversion time 730. [ For example, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may perform an EPI read on the even slice during the inversion time to obtain a T2 * image for the even slice.

The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may sequentially acquire magnetic resonance images for the odd-numbered slice and the even-numbered slice during the remaining first acquisition time interval 740. For example, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may read (742) an RF signal for imaging a magnetic resonance image of an odd-numbered slice of a subject.

For example, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may perform a TSE reading on an odd-numbered slice to acquire a FLAIR image.

The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may sequentially acquire one or more magnetic resonance images for the even slice during the first acquisition time interval 740 after acquiring the FLAIR image. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may read (744) an RF signal for imaging a magnetic resonance image of an even-numbered slice of the object.

In the disclosed embodiment, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 can perform TSE reading on an even slice to obtain a T2 weighted image. In another embodiment, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may read 744 an RF signal for an even slice to obtain at least one of a T1-weighted image, a T2-weighted image, a T2 * -weighted image, and a proton-enhanced image.

During the second acquisition time interval 780, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may acquire a magnetic resonance image for a different slice from the first acquisition time interval 740. In the disclosed embodiment, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 can apply an inverse RF pulse 750 that can excite an even slice of a subject. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may also apply an RF pulse 760 that can excite an odd slice of the object during the inversion time 770.

The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may read 762 an RF signal for imaging a magnetic resonance image for an odd slice during the inversion time 770. [ For example, the MRI apparatus 100 may perform an EPI read on an odd-numbered slice during an inversion time to obtain a T2 * image for an odd-numbered slice.

The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may successively acquire magnetic resonance images for the even-numbered slice and the odd-numbered slice during the remaining second acquisition time interval 780. [ For example, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may read (782) an RF signal for imaging a magnetic resonance image of an even-numbered slice of a subject.

For example, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may perform TSE reading on an even-numbered slice to acquire a FLAIR image.

The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may sequentially acquire one or more magnetic resonance images for odd-numbered slices during the second acquisition time interval 780 to acquire the FLAIR images. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may read (784) an RF signal for imaging a magnetic resonance image of an odd-numbered slice of the object.

In the disclosed embodiment, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 can perform TSE reading on odd-numbered slices to obtain a T2-weighted image. In another embodiment, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 100 may read 784 the RF signal for the odd slice to obtain at least one of a T1 weighted image, a T2 weighted image, a T2 weighted image, and a proton image.

Meanwhile, the above-described embodiments can be implemented in a general-purpose digital computer that can be created as a program that can be executed by a computer and operates the program using a computer-readable recording medium.

The computer readable recording medium may be a magnetic storage medium (e.g., a ROM, a floppy disk, a hard disk, etc.), an optical reading medium (e.g., a CD ROM, a DVD or the like), and a carrier wave Transmission).

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, You will understand. It is therefore to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive.

100: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Device
110: RF control unit
120: Signal transmission /
130:
140:

Claims (17)

An RF controller for controlling an RF pulse of one period to be applied to a target during a time interval including a first acquisition time interval and a second acquisition time interval in which a first inversion RF pulse is applied; And
For a first acquisition time interval, a first RF signal for imaging a first FLAIR image for a first slice of the subject and a second RF signal for imaging at least one first magnetic resonance image for a second slice of the subject A signal transmission / reception unit for sequentially acquiring 2 RF signals; And a magnetic resonance imaging device. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising an image processing unit for obtaining the first FLAIR image based on the first RF signal and acquiring the at least one first magnetic resonance image based on the second RF signal. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first RF signal for imaging the first FLAIR image is the second RF signal for imaging the at least one first magnetic resonance image after an inversion time (TI) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus further comprising: 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first acquisition time interval is included within a half of a repetition time (TR)
And the second acquisition time interval is included in the remaining half of the repetition time. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2,
Wherein at least one of a T1 weighted image, a T2 weighted image, a T2 weighted image, and a proton density (PD) image is acquired based on the second RF signal. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5,
And sequentially acquires the at least one image. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the RF controller applies a second inverse RF pulse during the second acquisition time interval,
The signal transmitting /
A third RF signal for imaging a second FLAIR image for the second slice and a fourth RF signal for imaging at least one second magnetic resonance image for the first slice during the second acquisition time period, Sequentially acquiring the magnetic resonance imaging data. 8. The method of claim 7,
Further comprising: an image processing unit for obtaining the second FLAIR image based on the third RF signal and acquiring the at least one second MRI image based on the fourth RF signal. Applying a first inverse RF pulse to a target object during a first acquisition time interval;
Applying a one-week RF pulse to the object during a time interval including the first acquisition time interval and the second acquisition time interval; And
Sequentially acquiring a first RF signal for imaging the first FLAIR image for the first slice of the object and a second RF signal for imaging the at least one first magnetic resonance image for the second slice of the object step; And a magnetic resonance imaging method. 10. The method of claim 9,
Obtaining the first FLAIR image based on the first RF signal; And
Obtaining the at least one first magnetic resonance image based on the second RF signal; The magnetic resonance imaging method further comprising: 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first RF signal for imaging the first FLAIR image is acquired prior to a second RF signal for imaging the at least one first MRI image after the inversion time, A magnetic resonance imaging method. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first acquisition time interval is included in half of the repeat time,
Wherein the second acquisition time interval is included in the remaining half of the repetition time. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein acquiring the first magnetic resonance image comprises:
Obtaining at least one image of a T1 weighted image, a T2 weighted image, a T2 weighted image, and a proton density (PD) image. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein obtaining the at least one image comprises:
And sequentially acquiring the at least one image. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the applying further comprises applying a second inverse RF pulse during the second acquisition time interval,
Wherein the acquiring comprises:
A third RF signal for imaging a second FLAIR image for the second slice and a fourth RF signal for imaging at least one second magnetic resonance image for the first slice during the second acquisition time period, And sequentially acquiring the magnetic resonance image. 16. The method of claim 15,
Acquiring the second FLAIR image based on the third RF signal; And
Obtaining the at least one second magnetic resonance image based on the fourth RF signal; The magnetic resonance imaging method further comprising: A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for implementing the method of any one of claims 9 to 16 is recorded.

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