Magnetic resonance data acquisition method and apparatus saturation with spin dependent on the anatomical structures to be imaged

1. A method for determining a control sequence for operating a magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner of a magnetic resonance imaging system in order to acquire magnetic resonance raw data from a region to be imaged of an examination subject, comprising:

using a computer to determine information describing an anatomical structure in said region to be imaged;

in said computer, specifying a surrounding area and a central area in said region to be imaged, dependent on the determined anatomical structure;

in said computer, determining a one-dimensional saturation pulse sequence designed to one-dimensionally saturate nuclear spins only in said surrounding area;

in said computer, determining a multi-dimensional saturation pulse sequence designed to multi-dimensionally saturate nuclear spins only in the central area; and

making the one-dimensional saturation pulse sequence and the multi-dimensional saturation pulse sequence available from the computer in electronic form in a control sequence configured to operate the magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner to acquire said magnetic resonance raw data from said region to be imaged.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising using said computer to determine said anatomical structure by executing an automated segmentation algorithm in said computer that segments said anatomical structure from said region to be imaged.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising using said computer to obtain said anatomical structure information by executing an auto-align method.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising, in said computer, executing an automated algorithm that parameterizes acquired anatomical coordinates followed by spatial adaptation of multiple one-dimensional radio-frequency (RF) saturation pulses of said one-dimensional saturation pulse sequence, and spatial adaption of multi-dimensional RF saturation pulses in said multi-dimensional saturation pulse sequence, to fit said parameterized anatomical structure.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 comprising, in said computer, automatically aligning said one-dimensional Rf saturation pulses along the tangent of a geometric curve in a maximum of six directions, and using the multi-dimensional RF saturation pulses to change any remaining fine structures in said central area.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein said magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner comprises a basic field magnet that generates a basic magnetic field B 0 in said magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner, and an RF radiator that radiates at least said one-dimensional RF saturation pulses to produce a B 1 field in said magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner, said RF radiator having a B 1 sensitivity, and wherein said method comprises providing said computer with at least one map selected from the group consisting of a B 0 map that represents a spatial distribution of B 0 field, and a B 1 map that represents a spatial distribution of said B 1 sensitivity, and configuring said one-dimensional RF saturation pulses to saturate any sub-areas of said region to be imaged that are insufficiently covered by said at least one map.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising determining said surrounding areas to satisfy a criterion of said surrounding areas having a smallest possible overlap with each other and a smallest possible overall surface area.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner comprises a basic field magnet that generates a basic magnetic field B 0 in said magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner, and an RF radiator that radiates at least said one-dimensional RF saturation pulses to produce a B 1 field in said magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner, said RF radiator having a B 1 sensitivity, and wherein said method comprises:

in said computer, generating adjustment data from at least one B 0 map that represents a spatial distribution of said B 0 field and from at least one B 1 map that represents a spatial distribution of said B 1 sensitivity, and using said adjustment data to simulate a one-dimensional saturation in said surrounding area;

in said computer, determining a map of a residual signal that is complementary to the simulated 1D saturation in the surrounding area;

in said computer, integrating said map of said residual signal into a multi-dimensional saturation target map for a multi-dimensional saturation signal to be generated by said multi-dimensional saturation pulse sequence; and

determining said multi-dimensional saturation pulse sequence dependent on said multi-dimensional saturation target map.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising determining radio-frequency (RF) saturation pulses in at least one of said one-dimensional saturation pulse sequence and said multi-dimensional saturation pulse sequence by executing an optimization algorithm that optimizes said RF saturation pulses with regard to a minimum duration of said RF saturation pulses.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising presenting said one-dimensional saturation pulse sequence and said multi-dimensional saturation pulse sequence at an interface in communication with said computer, and allowing, via said interface, a user selection dependent on the presented saturation pulse sequences.

11. A method for acquiring magnetic resonance raw data from a region to be imaged of an examination subject situated in a magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner of a magnetic resonance imaging system, said method comprising:

using a computer to determine information describing an anatomical structure in said region to be imaged;

in said computer, specifying a surrounding area and a central area in said region to be imaged, dependent on the determined anatomical structure;

in said computer, determining a one-dimensional saturation pulse sequence designed to one-dimensionally saturate nuclear spins only in said surrounding area;

in said computer, determining a multi-dimensional saturation pulse sequence designed to multi-dimensionally saturate nuclear spins only in the central area;

from the computer, operating the magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner to acquire said magnetic resonance raw data from said region to be imaged by executing the one-dimensional saturation pulse sequence and the multi-dimensional saturation pulse sequence; and

making the acquired magnetic resonance raw data available from the computer in electronic form as a data file.

12. A radio-frequency (RF) saturation pulse sequence determination device for determining a control sequence for controlling a magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner of a magnetic resonance imaging system in order to acquire magnetic resonance raw data from a region to be imaged of an examination subject, said device comprising:

a computer configured to determine information describing an anatomical structure in said region to be imaged;

said computer being configured to specify a surrounding area and a central area in said region to be imaged, dependent on the determined anatomical structure;

said computer being configured to determine a one-dimensional saturation pulse sequence designed to one-dimensionally saturate nuclear spins only in said surrounding area;

said computer being configured to determine a multi-dimensional saturation pulse sequence designed to multi-dimensionally saturate nuclear spins only in the central area; and

said computer being configured to make the one-dimensional saturation pulse sequence and the multi-dimensional saturation pulse sequence available from the computer in electronic form in a control sequence configured to operate the magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner to acquire said magnetic resonance raw data from said region to be imaged.

13. A magnetic resonance system comprising:

a magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner;

a control computer configured to operate the magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner in order to acquire magnetic resonance raw data from a region to be imaged of an examination subject while the examination subject is situated in the magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner;

said computer configured to determine information describing an anatomical structure in said region to be imaged;

said computer being configured to specify a surrounding area and a central area in said region to be imaged, dependent on the determined anatomical structure;

said computer being configured to determine a one-dimensional saturation pulse sequence designed to one-dimensionally saturate nuclear spins only in said surrounding area;

said computer being configured to determine a multi-dimensional saturation pulse sequence designed to multi-dimensionally saturate nuclear spins only in the central area; and

said computer being configured to make the one-dimensional saturation pulse sequence and the multi-dimensional saturation pulse sequence available from the computer in electronic form in a control sequence configured to operate the magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner to acquire said magnetic resonance raw data from said region to be imaged.

14. 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 imaging system that comprises a magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner, said programming instructions causing said control computer to:

operate the magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner to acquire magnetic resonance raw data from a region to be imaged of an examination subject while the examination subject is situated in the magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner;

determine information describing an anatomical structure in said region to be imaged;

specify a surrounding area and a central area in said region to be imaged, dependent on the determined anatomical structure;

determine a one-dimensional saturation pulse sequence designed to one-dimensionally saturate nuclear spins only in said surrounding area;

determine a multi-dimensional saturation pulse sequence designed to multi-dimensionally saturate nuclear spins only in the central area; and

make the one-dimensional saturation pulse sequence and the multi-dimensional saturation pulse sequence available from the computer in electronic form in a control sequence configured to operate the magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner to acquire said magnetic resonance raw data from said region to be imaged.