WO2018093206A1

WO2018093206A1 - Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging device and method

Info

Publication number: WO2018093206A1
Application number: PCT/KR2017/013129
Authority: WO
Inventors: 박재석; 이훈재
Original assignee: 성균관대학교산학협력단
Priority date: 2016-11-18
Filing date: 2017-11-17
Publication date: 2018-05-24
Also published as: KR101852112B1

Abstract

A method for a magnetic resonance imaging device to provide a magnetic resonance image according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a step of acquiring magnetic resonance imaging data by applying a pulse sequence for acquiring a bright-blood magnetic resonance image, and a pulse sequence for acquiring a dark-blood magnetic resonance image; and a step of generating a bright-blood magnetic resonance image and a dark-blood magnetic resonance image on the basis of the magnetic resonance imaging data.

Description

Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and method

The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and method for providing contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging has been applied to increase the contrast (contrast) of the image by injecting a contrast agent, and has been applied for the purpose of identifying the lesion more clearly.

As a result of confirming the result using the general method of providing an enhanced MR image, there is a problem that the intensity of blood flow signals in the surrounding area and a suspected disease such as cancer or inflammation is similar, and the contrast is enhanced at the same time, and it is very difficult to distinguish. Therefore, the imaging technique that suppresses the signal of the blood flow can be easily used, but there is a high probability of false-positive error that the blood signal, which is not sufficiently suppressed, can be mistaken for a lesion.

Among the existing contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging methods, white blood imaging has a problem in that accurate diagnosis is difficult because blood flow and lesions are simultaneously enhanced. In addition, among the conventional methods of providing an enhanced MR image, black blood imaging has a problem in that it is difficult to distinguish lesions from blood flow in an area where blood flow is low.

For example, to augment the signal of brain cancer or brain metastasis, a contrast agent is injected, which increases the rate of T1 recovery, producing a strong signal in T1-weighted images, but in normal brain tissues the blood-brain barrier (BBB, Blood-Brain Barrier prevents the contrast agent in the blood from penetrating brain tissue. However, the brain-brain metastasis is a part of the brain-brain barrier is destroyed, the contrast agent in the blood can penetrate the brain cancer or brain metastasis area. In other words, when contrast medium is injected to enhance signals of brain cancer or metastasis cancer in contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, not only the brain cancer or brain metastatic cancer region but also the signal of blood flow containing contrast medium is enhanced so that it is difficult to clearly identify the lesion. do.

In order to solve this problem, using a variable angular bow angle three-dimensional turbo spin echo sequence including a blood flow suppressing unit (Korean Patent No. 10-1056451, or selectively removing the signal of the flow of blood flow to obtain a T1-weighted image of the tissue Method) to selectively remove signals of blood flow by applying blood flow suppression pulses (US20110092797, MOTION-SENSITIZED DRIVEN EQUILIBRIUM BLOOD-SUPPRESSION SEQUENCE FOR VESSEL WALL IMAGING). Can be obtained. Both methods use motion-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging to selectively suppress signals from moving parts or objects. However, contrast-enhanced MR imaging suppresses blood flow based on blood flow, and thus signals from slow blood flow are not sufficiently suppressed, so it is still difficult to distinguish from brain cancer or brain metastasis cancer.

Some embodiments of the present invention have the purpose of acquiring a black blood flow image and a white blood flow image together and using the same to more clearly specify the lesion.

In a method of providing a magnetic resonance image by a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, magnetic resonance image data may be obtained by applying a pulse sequence for acquiring leukemia magnetic resonance images and a pulse sequence for acquiring black blood magnetic resonance images. And generating a white blood magnetic resonance image and a black blood magnetic resonance image based on the obtaining and the magnetic resonance image data.

By sequentially applying the pulse sequence for acquiring leukemia magnetic resonance images and the pulse sequence for acquiring black blood magnetic resonance images, sensitivity of the patient's movement can be reduced compared to the case where each image is acquired by a separate procedure. In addition, the effect of the difference in contrast medium remaining in blood vessels and lesions can be minimized. Accordingly, the error can be minimized when comparing or fusion of the white blood magnetic resonance image and the black blood magnetic resonance image.

1 is a diagram illustrating a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a diagram showing a pulse sequence associated with the operation of a conventional magnetic resonance imaging apparatus.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of processing a contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance image according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 shows an example of a pulse sequence according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of specifying a lesion in the contrast enhanced magnetic resonance image processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a diagram illustrating a process of generating a blood vessel road map applied to an embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a view showing a lesion specification process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As a technical means for achieving the above-described technical problem, the method for providing a magnetic resonance image by the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention (a) pulse sequence and black blood flow magnetic field for obtaining leukemia magnetic resonance image Obtaining magnetic resonance image data by applying a pulse sequence for acquiring a resonance image, and (b) generating a white blood magnetic resonance image and a black blood magnetic resonance image based on the magnetic resonance image data.

In addition, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for providing a contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance image according to another embodiment of the present invention is a memory that stores a program for generating a contrast-enhanced MR image from a magnetic resonance signal received from the MRI scanner and executing the program And a processor, wherein the processor obtains magnetic resonance image data by applying a pulse sequence for acquiring leukemia magnetic resonance images and a pulse sequence for acquiring black blood magnetic resonance images, and based on the acquired magnetic resonance image data. Blood flow magnetic resonance images and black blood magnetic resonance images are generated and output.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. In the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted in order to clearly describe the present invention, and like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part is "connected" to another part, this includes not only "directly connected" but also "electrically connected" with another element in between. . In addition, when a part is said to "include" a certain component, which means that it may further include other components, except to exclude other components unless otherwise stated.

In the present specification, "magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)" refers to an image of an object acquired using the nuclear magnetic resonance principle.

In addition, “image” or “image” means multi-dimensional data composed of discrete elements, and includes a plurality of pixels in a two-dimensional image and a plurality of voxels in a three-dimensional image. It means consisting of.

In addition, the "object" is an object of imaging of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, and may include a person, an animal, or a part thereof. In addition, the subject may include various organs such as the heart, brain or blood vessels or various kinds of phantoms.

In addition, the "user" may be a doctor, a nurse, a medical imaging expert, or a device repair technician as a medical expert, but is not limited thereto.

In addition, the "pulse sequence" means a signal repeatedly applied by the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus. The pulse sequence may include a repetition time (TR), an echo time (Time to Echo, TE), or the like as a time parameter of the RF pulse.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 1 may include an MRI scanner 10, a signal processor 20, a monitor 40, a controller 50, and an interface 60.

The MRI scanner 10 forms a magnetic field and generates a resonance phenomenon for the atomic nucleus, and the magnetic resonance image is photographed while the object is located inside the MRI scanner 10. The MRI scanner 10 includes a main magnet 12, a gradient coil 14, an RF coil 16, and the like, through which a static magnetic field and a gradient magnetic field are formed, and an RF signal is irradiated toward the object.

The main magnet 12, the gradient coil 14 and the RF coil 16 are disposed in the MRI scanner 10 according to a preset direction. The object may be positioned on a table that can be inserted into the cylinder along the horizontal axis of the cylinder, and the object may be positioned inside the bore of the MRI scanner 10 as the table moves.

The main magnet 12 generates a static magnetic field that aligns in a direction the direction of the magnetic dipole moment of the nuclei contained in the object.

The gradient coil 14 includes X coils, Y coils, and Z coils that generate gradient magnetic fields in the X, Y, and Z axis directions that are perpendicular to each other. The gradient coil 14 induces resonant frequencies differently for each part of the object to obtain location information of each part of the object.

The RF coil 16 may radiate an RF signal to the object and receive a magnetic resonance image signal emitted from the object. The RF coil 16 may output an RF signal having a frequency equal to the frequency of the precession toward the atomic nucleus that performs the precession, and then receive a magnetic resonance image signal emitted from the object.

For example, the RF coil 16 generates and applies an RF signal having a frequency corresponding to the atomic nucleus to the object in order to transition the nucleus from the low energy state to the high energy state. Thereafter, when the RF coil 16 stops transmitting the RF signal, the nuclear nucleus to which the electromagnetic wave is applied radiates an electromagnetic wave having a Lamor frequency while transitioning from a high energy state to a low energy state, and the RF coil 16 Receive the corresponding electromagnetic signal.

The RF coil 16 includes a transmitting RF coil for transmitting an RF signal having a radio frequency corresponding to the type of atomic nucleus and a receiving RF coil for receiving electromagnetic waves radiated from the atomic nucleus.

In addition, the RF coil 16 may be fixed to the MRI scanner 10 or may be in a removable form. The detachable RF coil 16 may be implemented in the form of a head RF coil, a chest RF coil, a leg RF coil, a neck RF coil, a shoulder RF coil, a wrist RF coil, and an ankle RF coil, which may be coupled to a part of an object. Can be.

The MRI scanner 10 may provide various information to a user or an object through a display, and may include a display 18 disposed outside and a display (not shown) disposed inside.

The signal processor 20 may control a gradient magnetic field formed inside the MRI scanner 10 according to a predetermined MR pulse sequence, and control transmission and reception of an RF signal and a magnetic resonance image signal.

The signal processor 20 may include a gradient magnetic field amplifier 22, a switching unit 24, an RF transmitter 26, and an RF receiver 28.

The gradient amplifier 22 drives the gradient coil 14 included in the MRI scanner 10, and generates a gradient signal that generates a gradient magnetic field under the control of the gradient magnetic field controller 44. To feed. By controlling the pulse signal supplied from the gradient amplifier 22 to the gradient coil 14, gradient magnetic fields in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions can be synthesized.

The RF transmitter 26 supplies an RF pulse to the RF coil 16 to drive the RF coil 16. The RF receiver 28 receives a magnetic resonance image signal transmitted after the RF coil 16 receives it.

The switching unit 24 may adjust a transmission / reception direction of the RF signal and the magnetic resonance image signal. For example, the RF signal is irradiated to the object through the RF coil 16 during the transmission operation, and the magnetic resonance image signal from the object is received through the RF coil 16 during the reception operation. The switching unit 24 controls the switching operation by the control signal from the RF control unit 46.

The interface unit 30 may command pulse sequence information to the control unit 40 according to a user's operation, and may transmit a command for controlling the operation of the entire MRI system. The interface unit 30 may include an image processor 36, an output unit 34, and an input unit 32 that process a magnetic resonance image signal received from the RF receiver 38.

The image processor 36 may generate MR image data of the object 10 by processing the MR image signal received from the RF receiver 38.

The image processor 36 applies various signal processing such as amplification, frequency conversion, phase detection, low frequency amplification, filtering, etc. to the magnetic resonance image signal received by the RF receiver 38.

The image processing unit 36 may, for example, arrange digital data in k-space, and reconstruct the data into image data by performing two-dimensional or three-dimensional Fourier transform.

In addition, various signal processings applied by the image processor 36 to the magnetic resonance image signal may be performed in parallel. For example, signal processing may be applied in parallel to a plurality of magnetic resonance image signals received by a multi-channel RF coil to reconstruct the plurality of magnetic resonance image signals into image data.

The output unit 34 may output image data or reconstructed image data generated by the image processor 36 to the user. In addition, the output unit 54 may output information necessary for the user to operate the MRI system, such as a user interface (UI), user information, or object information. The output unit 54 may include a speaker, a printer, or various image display means.

The user may input object information, parameter information, scan conditions, pulse sequences, information on image composition or difference calculation, etc. through the input unit 32. The input unit 32 may include a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a voice recognizer, a gesture recognizer, a touch screen, and the like, and may include various input devices within a range apparent to those skilled in the art.

The controller 40 is a sequence controller 42 for controlling a sequence of signals formed in the MRI scanner 10, and a scanner controller 48 for controlling devices mounted on the MRI scanner 10 and the MRI scanner 10. It may include.

The sequence controller 42 includes a gradient magnetic field controller 44 that controls the gradient magnetic field amplifier 22, and an RF controller 46 that controls the RF transmitter 26, the RF receiver 28, and the switching unit 24. do. The sequence controller 42 may control the gradient amplifier 22, the RF transmitter 26, the RF receiver 28, and the switching unit 24 according to a pulse sequence received from the interface unit 30. The pulse sequence includes all the information necessary to control the gradient amplifier 22, the RF transmitter 26, the RF receiver 28 and the switching unit 24, for example, a pulse applied to the gradient coil 24. It may include information on the strength of the pulse signal, an application time, an application timing, and the like.

The monitoring unit 50 monitors or controls the MRI scanner 10 or devices mounted on the MRI scanner 10. The monitoring unit 50 may include a system monitoring unit 52, an object monitoring unit 54, a table control unit 56, and a display control unit 58.

The system monitoring unit 52 includes a state of a static magnetic field, a state of a gradient magnetic field, a state of an RF signal, a state of an RF coil, a state of a table, a state of a device measuring body information of an object, a state of a power supply, a state of a heat exchanger, It can monitor and control the condition of the compressor.

The object monitoring unit 54 monitors the state of the object, and includes a camera for photographing the movement or position of the object, a respiration meter for measuring the respiration of the object, an ECG meter for measuring the electrocardiogram of the object, or a body temperature of the object. It may include a body temperature meter.

The table controller 56 controls the movement of the table where the object is located. The table controller 56 may control the movement of the table in synchronization with the sequence control signal output from the sequence controller 42. For example, in moving imaging of an object, the table control unit 56 may move the table according to sequence control, whereby the object has a larger FOV than the field of view of the MRI scanner. You can shoot.

The display control unit 58 controls the display positioned on the outside and the inside of the MRI scanner 10 on / off or a screen to be output to the display. In addition, when the speaker is located inside or outside the MRI scanner 10, the display controller 58 may control on / off of the speaker or sound to be output through the speaker.

The MRI scanner 10, the RF coil 16, the signal processing unit 20, the monitoring unit 50, the control unit 40, and the interface unit 30 may be wirelessly or wired to each other, and in the case of wirelessly connecting to each other. The apparatus may further include an apparatus (not shown) for synchronizing clocks therebetween. Communication between the MRI scanner 10, the RF coil 16, the signal processing unit 20, the monitoring unit 50, the control unit 40 and the interface unit 30 is a high-speed digital such as Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS). Interface, asynchronous serial communication such as universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART), low delay network protocol such as error synchronization serial communication or controller area network (CAN), optical communication, and the like can be used. Communication methods can be used.

When a gradient magnetic field is formed by passing a current through the z-axis gradient coil 14z for a predetermined time, the resonance frequency is changed to be larger or smaller depending on the magnitude of the gradient magnetic field. When a high frequency signal corresponding to a specific position is applied through the RF coil 16, only protons in the cross section corresponding to the specific position cause resonance. Thus, the z-axis gradient coil 154 is used for slice selection. As the gradient of the gradient magnetic field formed in the z-axis direction is larger, a thinner slice may be selected.

When a slice is selected through the gradient magnetic field formed by the z-axis gradient coil 14z, the spindles constituting the slice all have the same frequency and the same phase, so that each spin cannot be distinguished.

At this time, when the gradient magnetic field is formed in the y-axis direction by the y-axis gradient coil 14y, the gradient magnetic field causes a phase shift so that the rows of the slices have different phases.

That is, when the y-axis gradient magnetic field is formed, the spindle of the row with the large gradient magnetic field is shifted in phase with the high frequency and the spindle of the row with the small gradient magnetic field is phase shifted with the lower frequency. When the y-axis gradient field disappears, each row of the selected slice undergoes a phase shift to have different phases, thereby distinguishing the rows. The gradient magnetic field generated by the y-axis gradient coil 14y is used for phase encoding.

The slice is selected through the gradient magnetic field formed by the z-axis gradient coil 14z, and the rows constituting the selected slice are distinguished by different phases through the gradient magnetic field formed by the y-axis gradient coil 14y. However, each spindle constituting a row has the same frequency and the same phase and cannot be distinguished.

In this case, when the gradient magnetic field is formed in the x-axis direction by the x-axis gradient coil 14x, the x-axis gradient magnetic field allows the spindles constituting each row to have different frequencies so as to distinguish each spin. The gradient magnetic field generated by the x-axis gradient coil 14x is used for frequency encoding.

As described above, the gradient magnetic field formed by the z-, y-, and x-axis gradient coils encodes a spatial position of each spindle through slice selection, phase encoding, and frequency encoding.

On the other hand, it has been described above that the z-axis direction is used for slice selection, the y-axis direction is used for phase coding, and the x-axis direction is used for frequency encoding, but this direction is for illustrative purposes, and is not necessarily limited thereto.

The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 1 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention has a feature in the configuration of the image processor 36. In this case, the image processor 36 or the interface unit 30 including the image processor 36 may be implemented as a separate computing device, and based on a memory and a processor mounted in the computing device, contrast enhancement magnetic resonance will be described later. Performs an operation of generating an image.

In this case, a program for generating a contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance image is stored in the memory. A memory is a general term for a nonvolatile storage device that maintains stored information even when power is not supplied, and a volatile storage device that requires power to maintain stored information.

The processor generates an contrast-enhanced MR image based on the magnetic resonance signal received from the signal processor 20 according to the execution of the program stored in the memory.

In this case, the magnetic resonance signal may be image data including a plurality of frames representing a space according to the passage of time in the space-time encoding region (k, t-space).

As described above with reference to FIG. 1, in order to generate a magnetic resonance signal, the MRI scanner 10 adjusts another magnetic field using an electromagnetic pulse while fixing one magnetic field to excite a spin system. Can be. The MRI scanner 10 may form a magnetic field based on the plurality of gradient coils 14 to obtain a magnetic resonance signal for a space-time region.

As such, the processor of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 1 may receive a signal obtained from the MRI scanner 10. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 1 may generate an contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance image by using the magnetic resonance signal obtained from the MRI scanner 10.

First, a pulse sequence for acquiring leukemia magnetic resonance images and a pulse sequence for acquiring black blood magnetic resonance images are applied through the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 1 to obtain magnetic resonance image data output as a response thereto ( S310). In this case, a contrast agent is injected into the photographing subject.

For example, as a pulse sequence for acquiring leukemia magnetic resonance images, a gradient magnetic field capable of largely acquiring a blood flow signal may be used, and a fast low angle shot (FLASH) technique may be applied. The FLASH technique is a representative T1-weighted imaging technique, and is suitable for acquiring white blood flow images with bright signals in the bloodstream where T1 is shortened by the contrast agent. The black blood flow signal is appropriately acquired by an imaging technique in which a signal of a moving spin can be suppressed, and is typically used for a motion-based signal suppression module (MSDE) or a motion applying a spin-echo pulse sequence and a spin-echo technique to magnetization preparation. Sensitive flow-sensitized GRE can be used.

As shown in the drawing, the pulse sequence for acquiring leukemia magnetic resonance images and the pulse sequence for acquiring black blood magnetic resonance images are sequentially repeated to acquire magnetic resonance image data. In the drawing, a pulse sequence for acquiring a leukemia magnetic resonance image and a pulse sequence for acquiring a black blood magnetic resonance image are respectively applied once, but such a pulse sequence is repeatedly applied.

For example, as shown in (a), after applying a pulse sequence corresponding to the FLASH technique, and as shown in (b), corresponds to a variable lean angle three-dimensional turbo spin echo technique having a blood flow suppression function Apply a pulse sequence. This technique changes the gradient magnetic field to suppress the signal of the moving spin in the variable bow angle three-dimensional turbo spin echo sequence, by adding a large gradient magnetic field to both sides of the refocus pulse first applied after the 90 degree pulse. Or increase the size of the spoiler gradient magnetic fields applied to both refocus pulses.

As such, by sequentially applying the pulse sequence for acquiring the leukemia magnetic resonance image and the pulse sequence for acquiring the black blood magnetic resonance image together, and acquiring the magnetic resonance image data thereof, the respective images are obtained in separate procedures. Compared with the acquired case, sensitivity to movement of the patient can be reduced, and the influence due to the difference in contrast agent remaining in blood vessels and lesions can be minimized. That is, when the white blood magnetic resonance image and the black blood magnetic resonance image are sequentially acquired, errors due to the movement of the patient appear in the same aspect, so that the error can be minimized when analyzing the two images. Accordingly, the error can be minimized when comparing or fusion of the white blood magnetic resonance image and the black blood magnetic resonance image.

Next, the white blood magnetic resonance image and the black blood magnetic resonance image are generated using the obtained magnetic resonance data (S320).

For example, if a magnetic resonance signal is sampled at the Nyquist rate, the Fourier transform can simply reconstruct the image. In addition, if the magnetic resonance signal is sampled at a rate lower than the Nyquist ratio, the image may be reconstructed using a conventionally known image reconstruction algorithm such as a compression sensing technique or a parallel image technique. Since such a reconstruction algorithm is known in the art, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The white blood magnetic resonance image and the black blood magnetic resonance image generated as described above may be provided to an image diagnoser and used to diagnose whether a lesion occurs in a subject. For example, parallel to one screen as shown in FIG. 7 below. It may be displayed in a disposed state. In addition, image processing to more clearly specify the lesion may be performed as follows.

The lesion is identified from the lesion estimation region based on the lesion estimation region specified in the black blood magnetic resonance image and the state of the blood vessel region in the leukemia magnetic resonance image (S330).

With reference to the drawings will be described in more detail.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of specifying a lesion in the method of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a process of generating a vascular roadmap applied to an embodiment of the present invention. 7 is a view showing a lesion specific process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, in the black blood magnetic resonance image, the lesion estimation region is specified around the bright region (S332). The region may be manually specified in the black blood magnetic resonance image by the image diagnoser, or the lesion estimation region may be automatically specified by the image processing algorithm based on the brightness intensity value of each pixel.

Next, a blood vessel road map is constructed from the leukemia magnetic resonance image (S334).

That is, the regions corresponding to blood vessels in the leukemia magnetic resonance image are divided into separate segments, and a road map of the blood vessels is formed based on these segments. As image processing techniques for constructing a vascular road map, pattern recognition technology, model technology, tracking technology, artificial intelligence technology, and neural network technology may be applied. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a blood vessel region may be extracted from a leukemia image using an active contour method, which is a model-based algorithm. The active contour method extracts the blood vessel area by expanding the area of one lung curve. As shown in the figure, the blood vessel area can be extracted while gradually expanding the area of the lung curve (60-65).

Next, the lesion is identified by comparing the lesion estimation region with the vascular road map (S336).

To this end, a region corresponding to the previously identified lesion estimation region is specified in the leukemia magnetic resonance image, and the lesion is precisely specified based on state information of the vessel region indicating whether a vessel region exists in the region. To this end, the previously constructed vessel road map is utilized.

That is, if there is no region corresponding to the lesion estimation region in the vascular road map of the leukemia magnetic resonance image, the entire lesion estimation region may be identified as the lesion.

In addition, when a region corresponding to the lesion estimation region exists in the vascular roadmap of the leukemia magnetic resonance image, the vascular region may be excluded from the lesion estimation region based on the continuity of the region and the lesion estimation region, and the bare region may be lesioned. Can be specified. The continuity can be judged through the pattern recognition based technology, model based technology, tracking based technology, artificial intelligence based technology, neural network based technology.

Through this process, the lesion is identified and the specified lesion is output through the display.

Referring to FIG. 7, the upper left side represents the black blood flow image, and the

portions

71 and 73 where the signal is bright can be estimated as the suspected region of the lesion. If the lesion suspected

areas

71 and 73 found in the black blood flow image are visually classified using the 3D leukemia image, blood vessels are visually illustrated. Since the first lesion suspect region 71 does not extend in any direction in the 3D image, it can be identified as a lesion, and the second lesion suspect region 73 is found in continuity in the 3D image (lower right image). It can be specified as an area. This is the most basic method of visually distinguishing and by constructing a vascular road map from the white blood flow image, it is possible to specify the lesion area more precisely and accurately.

An embodiment of the present invention may also be implemented in the form of a recording medium including instructions executable by a computer, such as a program module executed by the computer. Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. In addition, computer readable media may include both computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Communication media typically includes computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave, or other transmission mechanism, and includes any information delivery media.

The foregoing description of the present invention is intended for illustration, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be easily modified in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. will be. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single type may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined form.

The scope of the present invention is shown by the following claims rather than the above description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention. do.

Claims

In the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for providing a magnetic resonance image,

(a) acquiring magnetic resonance image data by applying a pulse sequence for acquiring leukemia magnetic resonance images and a pulse sequence for acquiring black blood magnetic resonance images; and

(b) generating a white blood magnetic resonance image and a black blood magnetic resonance image based on the magnetic resonance image data.
The method of claim 1,

In the step (a), the pulse sequence for acquiring the white blood magnetic resonance image and the pulse sequence for acquiring the black blood magnetic resonance image are sequentially applied, and then the magnetic resonance image data is acquired together. .
The method of claim 1,

(c) specifying a lesion from the lesion estimation region based on a lesion estimation region specified in the black blood flow magnetic resonance image and a vascular region corresponding to the lesion estimation region in the leukemia magnetic resonance image; Magnetic resonance image providing method further comprising.
The method of claim 3, wherein

In the step (c), the blood vessel road map in which the regions corresponding to the blood vessels are divided into separate segments in the leukocyte magnetic resonance image is compared with the lesion estimation region, and the segment corresponding to the lesion estimation region and the lesion estimation region are compared. Magnetic resonance image providing method for specifying the lesion by excluding the vascular region based on the continuity of.
The method of claim 4, wherein

The step (c) is to generate the vascular roadmap based on the pattern recognition technology, model-based technology, tracking-based technology, artificial intelligence-based technology or neural network based technology.
The method of claim 1,

And arranging and displaying the white blood magnetic resonance image and the black blood magnetic resonance image generated by the step (b) on the same screen.
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for providing contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging,

A memory for storing a program for generating contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance images from magnetic resonance signals received from an MRI scanner;

A processor for executing the program,

The processor acquires magnetic resonance image data by applying a pulse sequence for acquiring a leukemia magnetic resonance image and a pulse sequence for acquiring a black blood magnetic resonance image, and based on the acquired magnetic resonance image data, Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for generating and outputting a black blood magnetic resonance image.
The method of claim 7, wherein

The processor sequentially applies the pulse sequence for acquiring the leukemia magnetic resonance image and the pulse sequence for acquiring the black blood magnetic resonance image, and then acquires the magnetic resonance image data together.
The method of claim 7, wherein

Wherein the processor specifies a lesion from the lesion estimation region based on a lesion estimation region specified in the black blood magnetic resonance image and a state of a blood vessel region corresponding to the lesion estimation region in the leukemia magnetic resonance image. Magnetic resonance imaging device.
The method of claim 9,

The processor compares the vascular road map in which the regions corresponding to blood vessels in the leukemia magnetic resonance image with separate segments and the lesion estimation region, and compares the segment corresponding to the lesion estimation region with the continuity of the lesion estimation region. Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for specifying a lesion by excluding the blood vessel region on the basis.
The method of claim 9,

And the processor generates the blood vessel road map based on a pattern recognition technology, a model technology, a tracking technology, an artificial intelligence technology, or a neural network technology.
The method of claim 7, wherein

The processor is arranged to display the generated white blood magnetic resonance image and the black blood magnetic resonance image on the same screen.