IP Library Granted Patent US 10,718,839
Granted Patent B2
US 10,718,839 · App. 15/799,025 · Granted Jul 21, 2020

Method and apparatus for correcting uniformity of a magnetic resonance image

Inventors: Yongchuan Lai (Beijing, CN); Xiaoli Zhao (Waukesha, WI); Weiwei Zhang (Waukesha, WI); Stephen Joseph Garnier (Waukesha, WI); Lisha Nie (Beijing, CN); Pengfei Lu (Beijing, CN); Hongbin Wang (Beijing, CN)
Assignee: GE PRECISION HEALTHCARE LLC
G01R33/56G01R33/36G01R33/5659G01R33/3415G01R33/34046
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,718,839
App. No.
15/799,025
Granted
Jul 21, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for correcting a uniformity of a magnetic resonance image, the method including: acquiring a first uniformity enhancement image by a phased-array uniformity enhancement method; and dividing the first uniformity enhancement image by a receiving sensitivity distribution value of a body coil in a magnetic resonance imaging device, so as to acquire a second uniformity enhancement image. The method further includes: dividing the second uniformity enhancement image by a spatial signal distribution value resulting from a field strength distribution of a transmitting radio-frequency field, so as to acquire a third uniformity enhancement image.

Claims (120)

1. A method for correcting a uniformity of a magnetic resonance image, comprising:

acquiring a first uniformity enhancement image by a phased-array uniformity enhancement method comprising:

receiving a body coil image and a surface coil image;

receiving an original image; and

performing correction of the original image according to the body coil image and the surface coil image to derive the first uniformity enhancement image; and

dividing the first uniformity enhancement image by a receiving sensitivity distribution value of a body coil in a magnetic resonance imaging device, so as to acquire a second uniformity enhancement image.

2. The method for correcting a uniformity of a magnetic resonance image according to claim 1 , further comprising:

dividing the second uniformity enhancement image by a spatial signal distribution value resulting from a field strength distribution of a transmitting radio frequency (RF) field, so as to acquire a third uniformity enhancement image.

3. The method for correcting a uniformity of a magnetic resonance image according to claim 1 , before the step of acquiring the first uniformity enhancement image, further comprising:

utilizing prior knowledge to acquire the receiving sensitivity distribution value of the body coil.

4. The method for correcting a uniformity of a magnetic resonance image according to claim 3 , wherein the prior knowledge comprises a receiving sensitivity distribution value of the body coil acquired by performing simulation on the body coil.

5. The method for correcting a uniformity of a magnetic resonance image according to claim 2 , before the step of acquiring the third uniformity enhancement image, further comprising:

acquiring the spatial signal distribution value resulting from the field strength distribution of the transmitting RF field according to a Bloch equation.

6. The method for correcting a uniformity of a magnetic resonance image according to claim 5 , wherein the Bloch equation is described as:

d

M

dt

=

γ

M

×

B

ext

+

1

T

1

(

M

0

-

M

z

)

z

^

-

1

T

2

M

,

wherein {right arrow over (B)} ext represents the field strength distribution of the transmitting RF field;

{right arrow over (M)} represents a magnetization vector of a proton in a specific sample, which comprises M z and {right arrow over (M)} ⊥ , M 0 represents a magnetization vector when proton spins to a balanced state;

M z represents a vertical magnetization vector;

{right arrow over (M)} ⊥ is a horizontal magnetization vector;

{circumflex over (z)} denotes a vertical direction;

γ denotes a gyromagnetic ratio, which is a constant;

T1 is a vertical relaxation time of the specific sample, and T2 is a horizontal relaxation time of the specific sample, wherein M 0 , {right arrow over (B)} ext , T1 and T2 are predicted values, and {right arrow over (M)} is a measured value; and

a steady-state solution of the magnetization vector {right arrow over (M)} in a rotating coordinate system is obtained by solving the Bloch equation, so as to obtain the spatial signal distribution value resulting from the transmitting RF field.

7. The method for correcting a uniformity of a magnetic resonance image according to claim 6 , before the step of acquiring the spatial signal distribution value resulting from the field strength distribution of the transmitting RF field, further comprising:

utilizing prior knowledge to acquire the field strength distribution of the transmitting RF field of the body coil.

8. The method for correcting a uniformity of a magnetic resonance image according to claim 7 , wherein the prior knowledge comprises: a field strength distribution of the transmitting RF field acquired by performing simulation on the body coil.

9. An apparatus for correcting a uniformity of a magnetic resonance image, comprising:

a first uniformity enhancement module for acquiring a first uniformity enhancement image, wherein to acquire the first uniformity enhancement image, the first uniformity enhancement module is configured to:

receiving a body coil image and a surface coil image;

receiving an original image; and

perform correction of the original image according to the body coil image and the surface coil image to derive the first uniformity enhancement image; and

a second uniformity enhancement module for dividing the first uniformity enhancement image by a receiving sensitivity distribution value of a body coil in a magnetic resonance imaging device, so as to acquire a second uniformity enhancement image.

10. The apparatus for correcting a uniformity of a magnetic resonance image according to claim 9 , further comprising a third uniformity enhancement module for dividing the second uniformity enhancement image by a spatial signal distribution value resulting from a field strength distribution of a transmitting radio-frequency (RF) field, so as to acquire a third uniformity enhancement image.

11. The apparatus for correcting a uniformity of a magnetic resonance image according to claim 9 , further comprising a first simulation module for performing simulation on the body coil to acquire a receiving sensitivity distribution value of the body coil.

12. The apparatus for correcting a uniformity of a magnetic resonance image according to claim 9 , further comprising a spatial signal distribution value acquisition module for acquiring the spatial signal distribution value resulting from the field strength distribution of the transmitting RF field according to a Bloch equation.

13. The apparatus for correcting a uniformity of a magnetic resonance image according to claim 12 , wherein the Bloch equation is described as:

d

M

dt

=

γ

M

×

B

ext

+

1

T

1

(

M

0

-

M

z

)

z

^

-

1

T

2

M

,

wherein {right arrow over (B)} ext represents the field strength distribution of the transmitting RF field; {right arrow over (M)} represents a magnetization vector of a proton in a specific sample, which comprises M z and {right arrow over (M)} ⊥ , M 0 represents a magnetization vector when proton spins to a balanced state;

M z represents a vertical magnetization vector;

{right arrow over (M)} ⊥ is a horizontal magnetization vector; {circumflex over (z)} denotes a vertical direction;

γ denotes a gyromagnetic ratio, which is a constant;

T1 is a vertical relaxation time of the specific sample, and T2 is a horizontal relaxation time of the specific sample, wherein M 0 , {right arrow over (B)} ext , T1 and T2 are predicted values, and {right arrow over (M)} is a measured value; and

a steady-state solution of the magnetization vector {right arrow over (M)} in a rotating coordinate system is obtained by solving the Bloch equation, so as to obtain the spatial signal distribution value resulting from the transmitting RF field.

14. The apparatus for correcting a uniformity of a magnetic resonance image according to claim 13 , further comprising a second simulation module for performing simulation on the body coil to acquire the field strength distribution of the transmitting RF field of the body coil.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 13, 2020
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
To: GE PRECISION HEALTHCARE LLC
Reel/Frame 052381/0908 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 31, 2017
From: LAI, YONGCHUAN; ZHAO, XIAOLI; ZHANG, WEIWEI; GARNIER, STEPHEN JOSEPH; NIE, LISHA; LU, PENGFEI; WANG, HONGBIN
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 043994/0395 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 2016 1 0933968 · Oct 31, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180120399A1 · May 3, 2018