Method and apparatus to graphically display a pre-scan volume on a localizer image

1. A method of MR imaging for a bilateral breast scan comprising the steps of:

acquiring a localizer image of a volume-of-interest from a scanning of a localizer series;

displaying the localizer image;

displaying a number of pre-scan volumes overlaid on the localizer image, each pre-scan volume corresponding to a shimming region for which shim values are to be determined;

positioning the pre-scan volumes at desired locations on the localizer image in response to user input;

performing a multiple pass pre-scan session to set one or more scan parameters for data acquisition of the number of pre-scan volumes, the one or more scan parameters including a shim value for each of the number of pre-scan volumes;

acquiring MR data from the number of pre-scan volumes; and

reconstructing an image from the MR data

wherein the desired locations correspond to a first breast and a second breast such that one pre-scan volume includes the first breast and another pre-scan volume includes the second breast, and wherein the step of acquiring MR data includes the step of executing a bilateral breast series of data acquisition.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more parameters further includes a value of center field homogeneity.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of displaying the number of pre-scan volumes includes the step of enabling a user to position a pre-scan volume relative to the volume-of-interest.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of allowing the user to define a center frequency slice/slab in the volume-of-interest.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the multiple pass pre-scan session includes a first pass pre-scan of a first pre-scan volume and a second pass pre-scan of a second pre-scan volume.

6. A graphical MR prescription tool comprising:

a display configured to display a localizer image generated from MR data acquired from a subject; and

a computer configured to:

graphically display the localizer image on the display;

graphically display a slab for data acquisition on the localizer image;

enable a user to interactively define and position a pair of pre-scan volumes within the slab, the pair of pre-scan volumes corresponding to a first breast and a second breast of a patient;

graphically define the pre-scan volume within the slab;

determine a shim value for the pre-scan volume corresponding to the first breast in a first pre-scan pass; and

determine a shim value for the pre-scan volume corresponding to the second breast in a second pre-scan pass;

wherein the shim values are automatically determined by the computer without a manual setting of such shim values by the user and are applied to control shimming during a subsequent bilateral breast series MR data acquisition from the slab.

7. The graphical tool of claim 6 wherein the pre-scan volume includes a shimming region.

8. The graphical tool of claim 6 wherein the user interface is further configured to allow a user to define slices/slabs for high resolution imaging such that the slices/slabs are in a region where the user wants a center frequency to lie.

9. The graphical tool of claim 8 wherein the slab includes multiple pre-scan volumes.

10. The graphical tool of claim 6 wherein the user interface is further configured to graphically define another pre-scan volume within the slab.

11. The graphical tool of claim 10 wherein the pre-scan volume includes a first breast region of the subject and the another pre-scan volume includes a second breast region of the subject.

12. An MRI apparatus comprising:

a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system having a plurality of gradient coils positioned about a bore of a magnet to impress a polarizing magnetic field and an RF transceiver system and an RF switch controlled by a pulse module to transmit RF signals to an RF coil assembly to acquire MR images; and

a computer programmed to:

cause the MRI system to scan a localizer series to acquire a localizer image of a desired anatomical region of a patient;

display the localizer image;

graphically display a pair of pre-scan volumes on the localizer image;

enable an operator directed positioning of the pre-scan volumes over desired anatomical regions on the localizer image;

determine shim values for the pair of pre-scan volumes by performing a pair of pre-scans, with the shim values being implemented to control shimming during a subsequent MR data acquisition from the slab;

wherein the determining of the shim values by the computer eliminates the need for a manual setting of such shim values by the operator.

13. The MRI apparatus of claim 12 wherein the computer is further programmed to determine shim values for a first pre-scan volume in a first pre-scan pass and shim values for a second pre-scan volume in a second pre-scan pass.

14. The MRI apparatus of claim 12 wherein the computer is further programmed to display the pair of pre-scan volumes three-dimensionally.

15. The MRI apparatus of claim 12 wherein the computer is further programmed to graphically re-position at least one of the pre-scan volumes in response to one or more user commands.

16. The MRI apparatus of claim 12 wherein the pair of pre-scan volumes corresponds to the breasts of a patient.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon and representing a set of instructions that when executed by a computer causes the computer to:

scan a localizer series to acquire a localizer image of a breast region of a patient;

display the localizer image;

display a slab of interest on the localizer image that defines a region or volume-of-interest within the localizer image, the volume-of-interest encompassing the breast region;

display a number of pre-scan volumes in the slab;

provide for placement of the number of pre-scan volumes in the slab and on the localizer image in response to operator instructions, such that the pre-scan volumes are positionable over a first breast and a second breast in the breast region;

perform pre-scan passes to determine shim values for the number of pre-scan volumes, without any manual setting of such shim values by an operator;

execute a bi-lateral breast scan imaging sequence to acquire MR data of the number of pre-scan volumes, wherein the shim values for the number of pre-scan volumes are implemented in executing the imaging sequence; and

reconstruct an image of the first and second breasts from the MR data.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the set of instructions further causes the computer to re-position the number of pre-scan volumes in response to one or more user commands.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the set of instructions further causes the computer to execute a first pre-scan of a first pre-scan volume and a second pre-scan of a second pre-scan volume.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the number of pre-scan volumes in the slab includes a first breast region of the subject and a second breast region of the subject.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 wherein the computer is further programmed to determine shim values for the first breast region of the pre-scan volumes in a first pre-scan pass and shim values for a second breast region of the pre-scan volumes in a second pre-scan pass.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically inputting the shimming values to a controller for regulating current to one or more shim coils during acquisition of the MR data.