Method and imaging apparatus for positioning a patient slice from which image data are to be acquired

1. A method for positioning a slice within an object from magnetic resonance (MR) data are to be acquired with an MR apparatus comprising an MR scanner, said method comprising:

using a processor to operate said MR scanner in order to execute a localization scan of the object;

in said processor, automatically determining localization information from said localization scan that describes an arrangement of the object in the MR scanner with respect to a reference position;

in said processor, executing an auto-align function algorithm in order to automatically determine at least one item of alignment information from the localization information, with positioning information being individually assigned by the processor to a respective examination region of the object, with each item of alignment information comprising an item of positioning information for a slice in the respective examination region;

manually making at least one slice positioning entry into said processor that includes an item of manual positioning information describing a manual positioning of the object in the MR scanner;

in said processor, automatically determining offset information dependent on said at least one slice positioning entry, said offset information including a relative slice positioning of said slice effected only by said manual positioning information, with respect to said reference position;

in said processor, automatically determining a position of the object in the MR scanner dependent on said at least one slice positioning entry and said offset information in order to operate the MR scanner to place the slice at the determined position and to acquire MR data from the slice at the determine position;

using said processor to operate said MR scanner in order to obtain an MR image of the slice at the determined position, and making the MR image of the slice at the determined position available in electronic from the processor, as a data file;

electronically storing the offset information separately from the determined positioning of the object, in a magnetic resonance measurement protocol in a form that is retrievable to automatically operate the MR scanner, using the magnetic resonance measurement protocol, to acquire said MR data from said slice;

in a different acquisition of MR data for a different slice in the object, separately retrieving the offset information and using the retrieved offset information to configure a different slice position for said different slice in said different MR data acquisition, and to operate the MR scanner to obtain an MR image of said different slice at said different slice position; and

making said MR image of said different slice available from said processor in electronic form, as a further data file.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising displaying said offset information at a user interface in communication with said processor.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising generating said positioning information as a matrix of geometric movements, selected from the group consisting of translations and rotations.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising designating said manual positioning information in said at least one slice positioning entry by, via a user interface in communication with said processor, at least one of:

setting numerical values for relative geometric movements of said slice, selected from the group consisting of consisting of translations and rotations; and

displaying a representation of the slice to be positioned in a displayed representational image of the object, and displacing the representation of said slice with respect to the displayed representational image.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said examination object is a person, and comprising selecting said examination region to include a predetermined organ of the person.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising in said at least one manual slice positioning entry, also selecting one of the items of alignment information from a displayed list of said items of alignment information.

7. A magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus comprising:

an MR scanner;

a processor configured to operate said MR scanner in order to execute a localization scan of an object;

said processor being configured to automatically determine localization information from said localization scan that describes an arrangement of the object in the MR scanner with respect to a reference position;

said processor being configured to execute an auto-align function algorithm in order to automatically determine at least one item of alignment information from the localization information, with positioning information being individually assigned by the processor to a respective examination region of the object, with each item of alignment information comprising an item of positioning information for a slice in the respective examination region;

said processor having an interface that receives at least one slice positioning entry into said processor that includes an item of manual positioning information describing a manual positioning of the object in the MR scanner;

said processor being configured to automatically determine offset information dependent on said at least one slice positioning entry, said offset information including a relative slice positioning of said slice effected only by said manual positioning information, with respect to said reference position;

said processor being configured to automatically determine a position of the object in the MR scanner dependent on said at least one slice positioning entry and said offset information in order to operate the MR scanner to place the slice at the determined position and to acquire MR data from the slice at the determined position;

said processor being configured to operate said MR scanner in order to obtain an MR image of the slice at the determined position, and making the MR image of the slice at the determined position available in electronic from the processor, as a data file;

a memory;

said processor being configured to store the offset information separately from the determined position of the object, in a magnetic resonance measurement protocol in said memory in a form that is retrievable to automatically operate the MR scanner, using the magnetic resonance measurement protocol, to acquire said MR data from said slice;

in a different acquisition of MR data for a different slice in the object, said processor being configured to separately retrieve the offset information from the memory and using the retrieved offset information to set, a different slice position for said different slice in said different MR data acquisition, and to operate the MR scanner to obtain an MR image of said different slice at said different slice position; and

said processor being configured to make said MR image of said different slice available from said processor in electronic form, as a further data file.

8. A non-transitory, computer-readable data storage medium encoded with programming instructions, said storage medium being loaded into a control computer of a magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus, said MR apparatus also comprising an MR scanner, said programming instructions causing said control computer to:

operate said MR scanner in order to execute a localization scan of an object;

automatically determine localization information from said localization scan that describes an arrangement of the object in the MR scanner with respect to a reference position;

automatically execute an auto-align function algorithm in order to determine at least one item of alignment information from the localization information, with positioning information being individually assigned by a processor to a respective examination region of the object, with each item of alignment information comprising an item of positioning information for a slice in the respective examination region;

receive at least one slice positioning entry into said control computer that includes an item of manual positioning information describing a manual positioning of the object in the MR scanner;

automatically determine offset information dependent on said at least one slice positioning entry, said offset information including a relative slice positioning of said slice effected only by said manual positioning information, with respect to said reference position;

automatically determine a position of the object in the MR scanner dependent on said at least one slice positioning entry and said offset information in order to operate the MR scanner to acquire MR data from the slice to place the slice at the determined position;

operate said MR scanner in order to obtain an MR image of the slice at the determined position, and making the MR image of the slice at the determined position available in electronic from the processor, as a data file;

electronically store the offset information separately from the determined position of the object, in a magnetic resonance measurement protocol in a form that is retrievable to automatically operate the MR scanner, using the magnetic resonance measurement protocol, to acquire said MR data from said slice;

in a different acquisition of MR data for a different slice in the object, separately retrieve the offset information and using the retrieved offset information to set, a different slice position for said different slice in said different MR data acquisition, and operate the MR scanner to obtain an MR image of said different slice at said different slice position; and

make said MR image of said different slice available from said processor in electronic form, as a further data file.