Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and method for control thereof

1. A method for controlling a magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus comprising an MR scanner comprising a basic field magnet that produces a basic magnetic field in said MR scanner, and at least one radio-frequency (RF) coil comprising a plurality of coil elements, said method comprising:

operating the MR scanner to detect multiple frequency spectra of a material of an examination subject situated in the MR scanner, using said at least one radio-frequency coil, by detecting at least two frequency spectra of said multiple frequency spectra individually with respective, different coil elements of said plurality of coil elements;

providing the detected frequency spectra to a computer and, in said computer, determining, in said multiple frequency spectra, multiple resonant frequencies of at least one molecule of said material;

in said computer, calculating a spatial distribution of a strength of said basic magnetic field that includes information designating a spatial arrangement of said plurality of coil elements, said information comprising an allocation of local magnetic field strengths calculated from said multiple resonant frequencies, to a plurality of spatial support points that are respectively assigned to said plurality of coil elements;

in said computer, using said multiple resonant frequencies to formulate control information, using said calculated spatial distribution of the strength of the basic magnetic field, designed to operate said MR scanner; and

emitting an electronic signal, in which said control information is represented, in a signal format for operating said MR scanner.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising, in said computer, merging said multiple resonant frequencies into one resulting resonant frequency of said at least one molecule, and formulating said control information as frequency adjustment control information to implement a frequency adjustment of said MR scanner using said resulting resonant frequency.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said MR scanner comprises a basic field magnet that produces a basic magnetic field, and wherein said method comprises:

in said computer, determining a distribution of values of said multiple resonant frequencies;

from said distribution of values of said multiple resonant frequencies, determining a measure of a homogeneity of said basic magnetic field; and

formulating said control information dependent on said measure of homogeneity of said basic magnetic field.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 comprising formulating said control information based on said measure of said homogeneity of said basic magnetic field to include output information dependent on said homogeneity, and displaying said output information visually to operating personnel of said MR scanner.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3 comprising generating said control information dependent on said homogeneity of said basic magnetic field to include shim control information for shimming said MR scanner.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising formulating said control information using said calculated spatial distribution of the strength of the basic magnetic field to include a calculation of shim settings, using said support points, to operate shim coils of said MR scanner.

7. A method for controlling a magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus comprising an MR scanner comprising at least one radio-frequency (RF) coil comprising a plurality of coil elements, said method comprising:

operating the MR scanner to detect multiple frequency spectra of a material of an examination subject situated in the MR scanner, using said at least one radio-frequency coil, by detecting at least two frequency spectra of said multiple frequency spectra individually with respective, different coil elements of said plurality of coil elements;

providing the detected frequency spectra to a computer and, in said computer, determining, in said multiple frequency spectra, multiple resonant frequencies of at least one molecule of said material;

in said computer, using said multiple resonant frequencies to formulate control information designed to operate said MR scanner;

in said computer, giving respective resonant frequencies in said multiple resonant frequencies respective weighting factors, with at least one weighting factor of at least one resonant frequency in said multiple resonant frequencies being defined dependent on at least one characteristic of at least one frequency spectrum in said multiple frequency spectra;

formulating said control information with said multiple resonant frequencies being weighted with said respective weighting factors; and

emitting an electronic signal, in which said control information is represented, in a signal format for operating said MR scanner.

8. A method for controlling a magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus comprising an MR scanner comprising at least one radio-frequency (RF) coil comprising a plurality of coil elements, said method comprising:

operating the MR scanner to detect multiple frequency spectra of a material of an examination subject situated in the MR scanner, using said at least one radio-frequency coil, by detecting at least two frequency spectra of said multiple frequency spectra individually with respective, different coil elements of said plurality of coil elements;

providing the detected frequency spectra to a computer and, in said computer, determining, in said multiple frequency spectra, multiple resonant frequencies of at least one molecule of said material;

in said computer, using said multiple resonant frequencies to formulate control information designed to operate said MR scanner;

in said computer, weighting respective resonant frequencies in said multiple resonant frequencies with respective weighting factors, and determining a weighting factor of at least one resonant frequency in said multiple resonant frequencies dependent on a deviation of said at least one resonant frequency from other resonant frequencies in said multiple resonant frequencies;

formulating said control information with said multiple resonant frequencies being respectively weighted with said respective weighting factors; and

emitting an electronic signal, in which said control information is represented, in a signal format for operating said MR scanner.

9. A method for controlling a magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus comprising an MR scanner comprising at least one radio-frequency (RF) coil comprising a plurality of coil elements, said method comprising:

operating the MR scanner to detect multiple frequency spectra of a material of an examination subject situated in the MR scanner, using said at least one radio-frequency coil, by detecting at least two frequency spectra of said multiple frequency spectra individually with respective, different coil elements of said plurality of coil elements;

providing the detected frequency spectra to a computer and, in said computer, determining, in said multiple frequency spectra, multiple resonant frequencies of at least one molecule of said material;

in said computer, using said multiple resonant frequencies to formulate control information designed to operate said MR scanner;

detecting said multiple frequency spectra by detecting a first number of frequency spectra;

formulating said control information using a second number of said multiple resonant frequencies, wherein said first number is larger than said second number; and

emitting an electronic signal, in which said control information is represented, in a signal format for operating said MR scanner.

10. A magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus comprising:

an MR scanner comprising a basic field magnet that produces a basic magnetic field in said MR scanner, and at least one radio-frequency (RF) coil comprised of a plurality of coil elements;

a control computer configured to operate the MR scanner to detect multiple frequency spectra of a material of an examination subject situated in the MR scanner, using said at least one radio-frequency coil, by detecting at least two frequency spectra of said multiple frequency spectra individually with respective, different coil elements of said plurality of coil elements;

said control computer being configured to determine, in said multiple frequency spectra, multiple resonant frequencies of at least one molecule of said material;

said computer being configured to calculate a spatial distribution of a strength of said basic magnetic field that includes information designating a spatial arrangement of said plurality of coil elements, said information comprising an allocation of local magnetic field strengths calculated from said multiple resonant frequencies, to a plurality of spatial support points that are respectively assigned to said plurality of coil elements;

said control computer being configured to use said multiple resonant frequencies to formulate control information using said calculated spatial distribution of the strength of the basic magnetic field designed to operate said MR scanner; and

said control computer being configured to emit an electronic signal, in which said control information is represented, to said MR scanner, and to operate said MR scanner according to said control information.

11. 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 that comprises an MR scanner comprising at least one radio-frequency (RF) coil comprising a plurality of coil elements, said programming instructions causing said control computer to:

operate the MR scanner to detect multiple frequency spectra of a material of an examination subject situated in the MR scanner, using said at least one radio-frequency coil, by detecting at least two frequency spectra of said multiple frequency spectra individually with respective, different coil elements of said plurality of coil elements;

determine, in said multiple frequency spectra, multiple resonant frequencies of at least one molecule of said material;

use said multiple resonant frequencies to formulate control information designed to operate said MR scanner;

weight the respective resonant frequencies in said multiple resonant frequencies with respective weighting factors, and determine a weighting factor of at least one resonant frequency in said multiple resonant frequencies dependent on a deviation of said at least one resonant frequency from other resonant frequencies in said multiple resonant frequencies;

formulate said control information with said multiple resonant frequencies being respectively weighted with said respective weighting factors; and

emit an electronic signal, in which said control information is represented, from said control computer in a signal format for operating said MR scanner.

12. A magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus comprising:

an MR scanner comprising at least one radio-frequency (RF) coil comprised of a plurality of coil elements;

a control computer configured to operate the MR scanner to detect multiple frequency spectra of a material of an examination subject situated in the MR scanner, using said at least one radio-frequency coil, by detecting at least two frequency spectra of said multiple frequency spectra individually with respective, different coil elements of said plurality of coil elements;

said control computer being configured to determine, in said multiple frequency spectra, multiple resonant frequencies of at least one molecule of said material;

said control computer being configured to use said multiple resonant frequencies to formulate control information designed to operate said MR scanner;

said control computer being configured to give respective resonant frequencies in said multiple resonant frequencies respective weighting factors, with at least one weighting factor of at least one resonant frequency in said multiple resonant frequencies being defined dependent on at least one characteristic of at least one frequency spectrum in said multiple frequency spectra;

said control computer being configured to formulate said control information with said multiple resonant frequencies being weighted with said respective weighting factors; and

said control computer being configured to emit an electronic signal, in which said control information is represented, to said MR scanner, and to operate said MR scanner according to said control information.

13. 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 that comprises an MR scanner comprising at least one radio-frequency (RF) coil comprising a plurality of coil elements, said programming instructions causing said control computer to:

operate the MR scanner to detect multiple frequency spectra of a material of an examination subject situated in the MR scanner, using said at least one radio-frequency coil, by detecting at least two frequency spectra of said multiple frequency spectra individually with respective, different coil elements of said plurality of coil elements;

determine, in said multiple frequency spectra, multiple resonant frequencies of at least one molecule of said material;

use said multiple resonant frequencies to formulate control information designed to operate said MR scanner;

detect said multiple frequency spectra by detecting a first number of frequency spectra;

formulate said control information using a second number of said multiple resonant frequencies, wherein said first number is larger than said second number; and

emit an electronic signal, in which said control information is represented, from said control computer in a signal format for operating said MR scanner.