Image reconstruction method and device for a magnetic resonance imaging system

1. A magnetic resonance (MR) image reconstruction method, comprising:

from a control computer, operating an MR scanner, comprising multiple receiving coils, in order to perform multiple MR scans of an examination subject situated in the MR scanner, respectively at multiple scan positions, with each MR scan being performed according to at least one scan protocol, said multiple receiving coils exhibiting a coil state that exists respectively in each of said MR scans;

operating said MR scanner from said control computer in each of said multiple MR scans so as to acquire MR data from the examination subject simultaneously with said multiple receiving coils, thereby acquiring, for each MR scan, a set of scan protocol simultaneously acquired data that is undersampled and that requires sensitivity data of said multiple receiving coils, represented in a coil calibration matrix, in order to complete the respective undersampled set of scan protocol simultaneously acquired data;

proving an image reconstruction computer with a provided coil calibration matrix;

in said image reconstruction computer, detecting the respective coil states of the multiple reception coils in at least two successive MR scans in said multiple scans that are sufficiently stable between said at least two MR scans so that said provided coil calibration matrix can be used as a shared coil calibration matrix for said at least two MR scans;

in said image reconstruction computer, reconstructing an MR image from the respective sets of scan protocol simultaneously acquired data acquired in said at least two MR scans, by completing each of the respective sets of scan protocol simultaneously acquired data acquired in said at least two MR scans using said shared coil calibration matrix; and

making the reconstructed MR image available from said image reconstruction computer, in electronic form, as a data file.

2. An image reconstruction method as claimed in claim 1 comprising, from said control computer, operating said MR scanner to perform said multiple MR scans of said subject including performing a first MR scan of said subject at a first scan position according to a first scan protocol, and acquiring a first receiving coil calibration matrix in said first MR scan, and providing said first receiving coil calibration matrix to said image reconstruction computer as said provided coil calibration matrix.

3. An image reconstruction method as claimed in claim 1 comprising providing a known coil calibration matrix to said image reconstruction computer as said provided coil calibration matrix.

4. An image reconstruction method as claimed in claim 1 comprising before operating said MR scanner to perform said multiple MR scans, operating said MR scanner, from said control computer, to perform a predetermined MR scan of said subject at a predetermined scan position according to a predetermined scan protocol, and acquiring a coil calibration matrix in said predetermined magnetic resonance scan, and providing the coil calibration matrix obtained in said predetermined magnetic resonance scan, in said image reconstruction computer as said provided coil calibration matrix.

5. An image reconstruction method as claimed in claim 1 comprising, prior to operating said MR scanner to perform said multiple MR scans, operating said MR scanner from said control computer to perform a localizer scan and, in said image reconstruction computer, reconstructing a localizer image from said localizer scan, and, in said control computer, determining, from said localizer image, at least one scan position among said multiple scan positions.

6. A magnetic resonance (MR) imaging apparatus comprising:

an MR scanner comprising multiple receiving coils;

a control computer configured to operate said MR scanner in order to perform multiple MR scans of an examination subject situated in the MR scanner, respectively at multiple scan positions, with each MR scan being performed according to at least one scan protocol, said multiple receiving coils exhibiting a coil state that exists respectively in each of said MR scans;

said control computer being configured to operate said MR scanner from said control computer in each of said multiple MR scans so as to acquire MR data from the examination subject simultaneously with said multiple receiving coils, in order to thereby acquire, for each MR scan, a set of scan protocol simultaneously acquired data that is undersampled and that requires sensitivity data of said multiple receiving coils, represented in a coil calibration matrix, in order to complete the respective undersampled set of scan protocol simultaneously acquired data;

an image reconstruction computer provided with a provided coil calibration matrix;

said image reconstruction computer being configured to detect the respective coil states of the multiple reception coils in at least two successive MR scans in said multiple scans that are sufficiently stable between said at least two MR scans so that said provided coil calibration matrix can be used as a shared coil calibration matrix for said at least two MR scans;

said image reconstruction computer being configured to reconstruct an MR image from the respective sets of scan protocol simultaneously acquired data acquired in said at least two MR scans, by completing each of the respective sets of scan protocol simultaneously acquired data acquired in said at least two MR scans using said shared coil calibration matrix; and

said reconstruction computer being configured to make the reconstructed MR image available from said image reconstruction computer, in electronic form, as a data file.

7. An image reconstruction device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said control computer is configured to operate said MR scanner to perform said multiple MR scans of said subject including performing a first MR scan of said subject at a first scan position according to a first scan protocol, and acquiring a first receiving coil calibration matrix in said first MR scan, and to provide said image reconstruction computer with said first receiving coil calibration matrix as said provided coil calibration matrix.

8. An image reconstruction device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said image reconstruction computer is configured to use a known receiving coil calibration matrix as said provided coil calibration matrix.

9. An image reconstruction device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said control computer is configured to operate said MR scanner, prior to performing said multiple MR scans, to perform a predetermined MR scan of said subject at a predetermined scan position according to a predetermined scan protocol, and to acquire a coil calibration matrix in said predetermined magnetic resonance scan, and to provide said image reconstruction computer with the coil calibration matrix obtained in said predetermined magnetic resonance scan as said provided coil calibration matrix.

10. An image reconstruction device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said control computer is configured to operate said MR scanner, prior to operating said MR scanner to perform said multiple MR scans, to perform a localizer scan, and wherein said image reconstruction computer is configured to reconstruct a localizer image from said localizer scan, and wherein said control computer is configured to determine, from said localizer image, at least one scan position among said multiple scan positions.