Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and method of controlling magnetic resonance imaging apparatus

1. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for receiving a magnetic resonance signal generated from a subject by applying an gradient magnetic field and a high frequency to the subject arranged in a static magnetic field, comprising:

a storage unit configured to store positional information which is information about relative positional relationships between a reference image and a first ROI set on the reference image;

a ROI setting unit configured to set a second ROI on a positioning image based on the positional information; and

a reconstruction unit configured to reconstruct a tomographic image based on the second ROI set on the positioning image.

2. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the ROI setting unit is configured to set the second ROI with respect to the tomographic image based on anatomical information including at least one of an outline of a body surface, an outline of a bone, an outline of a soft tissue, a position of a bone and a position of a soft tissue in the subject.

3. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an input unit configured to input an instruction changing and moving the set ROI,

wherein the ROI setting unit changes or moves the second ROI based on the inputted instruction.

4. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for receiving a magnetic resonance signal generated from a subject by applying an gradient magnetic field and a high frequency to the subject arranged in a static magnetic field and generating a tomographic image by using the magnetic resonance signal, comprising:

a storage unit configured to store a reference image in which a first ROI to determine a position of a tomographic image is set;

a positional information generating unit configured to generate positional information which is information about positional relationships between the first ROI and the reference image;

a ROI setting unit configured to set a second ROI on a positioning image; and

a reconstruction unit configured to reconstruct a tomographic image based on the second ROI set on the positioning image.

5. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 4 ,

wherein the positional information generating unit extracts anatomical information including at least one among an outline of a body surface, an outline of a predetermined bone, an outline of a predetermined soft tissue, a position of a predetermined bone and a position of the predetermined soft tissue in the subject imaged on the reference image and generates the positional information based on the anatomical information of the reference image, and

the ROI setting unit extracts anatomical information including at least one among an outline of a body surface, an outline of a predetermined bone, an outline of a predetermined soft tissue, a position of a predetermined bone and a position of the predetermined soft tissue in the subject imaged on the tomographic image and sets the second ROI with respect to the tomographic image based on the anatomical information of the tomographic image.

6. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:

a display unit configured to display the reference image in which the first ROI is set and the positioning image in which the second ROI is set such that the first and the second ROIs are arranged parallel to each other or at least a part of the first ROI overlaps on a part of the second ROI.

7. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 4 ,

wherein the reference image is an image which is previously obtained by the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus.

8. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:

an input unit configured to input an instruction changing and moving the set second ROI,

wherein the ROI setting unit changes or moves the set second ROI based on the inputted instruction.

9. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for receiving a magnetic resonance signal generated from a subject by applying an gradient magnetic field and a high frequency to the subject arranged in a static magnetic field and generating a tomographic image by using the magnetic resonance signal, comprising:

a storage unit configured to store positional information which is information about relative positional relationships between a plurality of past positioning images and a first ROI set for each of the plurality of past positioning images for determining a position of a tomographic image and which defines on what positional relationships the first ROI is set with respect to the corresponding past positioning image, for each past positioning image;

a selecting unit configured to select from the plurality of positional information positional information serving as a reference for setting on the current positioning image a second ROI to determine a position of a tomographic image based on anatomical information of a current positioning image for the subject; and

a ROI setting unit configured to set the second ROI on the current positioning image by using the selected reference positional information.

10. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 9 ,

wherein the selecting unit determines whether the past positioning image for the same tomographic subject as the current positioning image is in the storage unit or not,

the selection unit notifies that the past positioning image serving as a reference image does not exist when it is determined that the past positioning image for the same tomographic subject as the current positioning image is not in the storage unit, and

the selection unit executes the selection when it is determined that the past positioning image for the same tomographic subject as the current positioning image is in the storage unit.

11. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:

an input unit configured to inputting an instruction changing and moving the set second ROI,

wherein the ROI setting unit changes or moves the set second ROI based on the inputted instruction.

12. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 9 ,

wherein the ROI setting unit extracts anatomical information including at least one among an outline of a body surface, an outline of a predetermined bone, an outline of a soft tissue, a position of a bone and a position of the soft tissue in the subject imaged on the current positioning image and sets the second ROI with respect to the current positioning image based on the anatomical information.

13. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for receiving a magnetic resonance signal generated from a subject by applying an gradient magnetic field and a high frequency to the subject arranged in a static magnetic field and generating a tomographic image by using the magnetic resonance signal, comprising:

a storage unit configured to store a plurality of past positioning images in which a first ROI to determine a position of a tomographic image is set;

a selecting unit configured to select from the plurality of past positioning images a reference image serving as a reference for setting on the current positioning image a second ROI to determine a position of a tomographic image based on anatomical information of a current positioning image for the subject;

a positional information generating unit configured to generate positional information defining on what positional relationships the first ROI is set with respect to the reference image; and

a ROI setting unit configured to set on the current positioning image the second ROI to determine the position of the tomographic image based on the positional information.

14. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 13 ,

wherein the selecting unit determines whether the past positioning image for the same tomographic subject as the current positioning image is in the storage unit or not,

the selection unit notifies that the past positioning image serving as a reference image does not exist when it is determined that the past positioning image for the same tomographic subject as the current positioning image is not in the storage unit, and

the selection unit executes the selection when it is determined that the past positioning image for the same tomographic subject as the current positioning image is in the storage unit.

15. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 13 , further comprising:

an input unit configured to input an instruction changing and moving the set second ROI,

wherein the ROI setting unit changes or moves the set second ROI based on the inputted instruction.

16. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 13 ,

wherein the selecting unit extracts anatomical information including at least one among an outline of a body surface, an outline of a bone, an outline of a soft tissue, a position of a bone and a position of the soft tissue in the subject imaged on the current positioning image and selects the reference image based on the anatomical information of the reference image.

17. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 13 ,

wherein the positional information generating unit extracts anatomical information including at least one among an outline of a body surface, an outline of a bone, an outline of a soft tissue, a position of a bone and a position of the soft tissue in the subject imaged on the reference image and generates the positional information based on the anatomical information of the reference image, and

the ROI setting unit extracts anatomical information including at least one among an outline of a body surface, an outline of a bone, an outline of a soft tissue, a position of a bone and a position of the soft tissue in the subject imaged on the current positioning image and sets the second ROI with respect to the current positioning image based on the anatomical information.

18. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 17 , further comprising:

a display unit configured to display the reference image in which the first ROI is set and the current positioning image in which the second ROI is set such that they are arranged parallel to each other or at least a part of them overlaps.

19. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 17 ,

wherein the reference image is an image which is previously obtained by the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus.

20. A method of controlling a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for receiving a magnetic resonance signal generated from a subject by applying an gradient magnetic field and a high frequency to the subject arranged in a static magnetic field and generating a tomographic image by using the magnetic resonance signal, comprising:

setting a second ROI on a positioning image to determine a position of a tomographic image based on positional information which is information about relative positional relationships between a reference image and a first ROI set on the reference image for determining a position of a tomographic image; and

obtaining a tomographic image of the subject by using the positioning image in which the second ROI is set.

21. A method of controlling a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for receiving a magnetic resonance signal generated from a subject by applying an gradient magnetic field and a high frequency to the subject arranged in a static magnetic field and generating a tomographic image by using the magnetic resonance signal, comprising:

generating positional information about positional relationships of a first ROI to determine a position of a tomographic image is set with respect to the reference image; and

setting on a positioning image a second ROI to determine a position of a tomographic image based on the positional information.

22. A method of controlling a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for receiving a magnetic resonance signal generated from a subject by applying an gradient magnetic field and a high frequency to the subject arranged in a static magnetic field and generating a tomographic image by using the magnetic resonance signal, comprising:

storing in a storage unit positional information which is information about relative positional relationships between a plurality of past positioning images and a first ROI set for each of the plurality of past positioning images for determining a position of a tomographic image and which defines on what positional relationships the first ROI is set with respect to the corresponding past positioning image for each past positioning image;

selecting from the plurality of positional information positional information serving as a reference for setting on the current positioning image a second ROI to determine a position of a tomographic image based on anatomical information of the current positioning image for the subject; and

setting the second ROI on the current positioning image by using the selected reference positional information.

23. A method of controlling a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for receiving a magnetic resonance signal generated from a subject by applying an gradient magnetic field and a high frequency to the subject arranged in a static magnetic field and generating a tomographic image by using the magnetic resonance signal, comprising:

storing in a storage unit a plurality of past positioning images in which a first ROI to determine a position of a tomographic image is set;

selecting from the plurality of past positioning images a reference image serving as a reference for setting on a current positioning image a second ROI to determine a position of a tomographic image based on anatomical information of the current positioning image for the subject;

generating positional information defining on what positional relationships the first ROI is set with respect to the reference image; and

setting on the current positioning image the second ROI to determine the position of the tomographic image based on the positional information.