Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and method of judging presence or absence of resonance in magnetic resonance imaging apparatus

1. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising:

a gradient magnetic unit that generates a gradient magnetic field:

an obtention unit that obtains data defining natural resonant mechanical oscillation characteristics of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus caused by changes in the gradient magnetic field while imaging plural slices; and

a judgment unit that judges whether sympathetic mechanical vibration generated by interaction between rapidly changing magnetic Lorentz forces acting on MRI gradient coils of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus is likely to occur for a proposed MRI data acquisition sequence prior to its being used based on the obtained oscillation characteristics.

2. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a memory unit that stores natural mechanical oscillation information corresponding to natural mechanical oscillation of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus,

wherein the judgment unit judges whether sympathetic mechanical vibration is likely to occur based on the obtained oscillation characteristic and the natural oscillation information.

3. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the judgment unit judges whether the sympathetic vibration is likely to occur based on whether expected oscillation due to sympathetic mechanical vibration is equal to or larger than a threshold value.

4. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a setting unit that sets imaging conditions,

wherein the obtention unit obtains the oscillation characteristic based on the set imaging conditions.

5. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:

the setting unit changes the proposed imaging conditions when it is judged by the judgment unit that excess sympathetic mechanical vibration is likely to occur and accepts the proposed imaging conditions for use in imaging when it is judged that excess sympathetic vibration is not likely to occur.

6. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the setting unit changes a number of slices to be imaged per unit time when the imaging conditions are changed.

7. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the setting unit alters a sequence of the changing gradient magnetic field when the imaging conditions are changed.

8. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:

the setting unit sets the imaging condition for use in imaging when it is judged by the judgment means that excess sympathetic mechanical vibration is not likely to occur.

9. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:

the setting unit sets an FSE pulse sequence.

10. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the gradient magnetic unit generates gradient magnetic fields in two orthogonal axis directions respectively; and

the obtention unit obtains separate oscillation characteristics corresponding to each of the two directions.

11. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:

the memory unit stores natural oscillation information corresponding to natural mechanical oscillations the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus has along the two axis directions respectively, and

the judgment unit judges whether the sympathetic vibration is likely to occur based on the oscillation characteristics and the natural oscillation information in said two axis directions.

12. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:

the judgment unit judges whether sympathetic mechanical vibration is likely to occur based on whether the sympathetic vibration likely to be caused in the two directions respectively, is equal to or larger than corresponding threshold values.

13. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein:

the gradient unit generates a third gradient magnetic field along a third axial direction orthogonal to each of the two axis directions;

the obtention unit obtains an oscillation characteristic corresponding to the third axis direction of the magnetic resonance imagine apparatus according to a change of the gradient magnetic field in the third axis direction when plural slices are imaged; and

the judgment unit judges whether sympathetic vibration occur based on the natural oscillation of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus along the third axial direction and the obtained oscillation characteristic.

14. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:

a setting unit that sets imaging conditions,

wherein the obtention unit estimates mechanical oscillation characteristics taking into account changes over the time for imaging plural slices of the gradient magnetic fields that are likely to be caused by imaging under the set imaging conditions.

15. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 14 , wherein:

the setting unit changes the imaging conditions when it is judged that excess sympathetic mechanical vibration is likely to occur in at least one axis direction among the two axis directions, and

the setting unit does not change the imaging conditions when it is judged that excess sympathetic mechanical vibration is not likely to occur in each axis direction.

16. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 14 , wherein:

the setting unit changes a number of slices to be imaged per unit time when the imaging condition is changed.

17. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 14 , wherein:

the setting unit changes a sequence of changing gradient magnetic fields in an axis direction where it is judged that excess sympathetic mechanical vibration is likely to occur if the imaging conditions are changed.

18. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a presentation unit for presenting to an operator an imaging condition where excess sympathetic mechanical vibration is not likely to occur when it is judged by the judgment unit that excess sympathetic mechanical vibration is likely to otherwise occur.

19. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the obtention unit obtains the mechanical oscillation characteristic of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus caused by changes of the gradient magnetic field while imaging a number of slices.

20. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, comprising:

a gradient magnetic generation means for generating a gradient magnetic field;

an obtention means for obtaining data defining natural resonant mechanical oscillation characteristics of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus caused by changes of the gradient magnetic field while imaging plural slices; and

a judgment means for judging whether sympathetic mechanical vibration generated by interaction between rapidly changing magnetic Lorentz forces acting on MRI gradient coils of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus is likely for a proposed MRI data acquisition sequence prior to its being used based on the obtained oscillation characteristics.

21. A method of controlling a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, said method comprising:

obtaining data defining natural resonant mechanical oscillation characteristics of an magnetic resonance imaging apparatus caused by changes of a gradient magnetic field while imaging plural slices; and

judging whether excess sympathetic mechanical vibration generated by interaction between rapidly changing magnetic Lorentz forces acting on MRI gradient coils of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus is likely to occur for a proposed MRI data acquisition sequence prior to its being used based on the obtained oscillation characteristic;

modifying the proposed MRI data acquisition sequence if excess sympathetic mechanical vibration is likely to occur; and

usinq the modified MRI data acquisition sequence to produce an image.