Medical imaging examination apparatus and operating method

1. A method for operating a medical imaging examination device having a plurality of sub-systems, said method comprising:

with a control computer, controlling the sub-systems in a coordinated manner in order to carry out a scan sequence in which at least two subvolumes of an object being scanned are individually defined and their respective magnetization in said at least two subvolumes are simultaneously manipulated by a sub-sequence and used for a scan data acquisition process according to a control protocol assigned to a scan sequence to be carried out that is transmitted to the control computer;

in the control computer, determining sequence control data relevant to the control protocol, said sequence control data defining different functional sub-sequences of a scan sequence associated with the control protocol;

in the control computer, assigning different effective volumes to each functional sub-sequence, taking into account the individually defined sub-volumes manipulated in their magnetization by an associated sub-sequence and used for the scan data acquisition process;

transmitting effective volume position data to the control computer, said volume position data defining the position and extent of the effective volumes assigned to the different functional sub-sequences;

in the control computer, determining current ambient conditions that exist in the medical imaging examination device that are critical for the determined relevant sequence control data and assigned effective volumes; and

in the control computer, generating control signals for the different sub-systems based on the relevant sequence control data and the effective volume position data and the determined physical ambient conditions for carrying out the scan sequence such that the individual functional sub-sequences are locally optimized at least in respect of a sub-region of their assigned effective volume, and making the generated control signals available from the control computer in electronic form.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising the control signals prior to a start of the scan, and locating the generated control signals into the control computer from a memory during the scan.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising generating the control signals while the scan is ongoing, and using the generated control signals directly for the scan.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an effective volume of a functional sub-sequence comprises at least all the subvolumes manipulated in their magnetization using the associated sub-sequence and/or used for the acquisition process.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an effective volume of a functional sub-sequence is defined by the envelope of all the subvolumes manipulated in their magnetization using the associated sub-sequence and/or used for the acquisition process.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an effective volume of a functional sub-sequence is defined by a union of all the subvolumes manipulated in their magnetization using the associated sub-sequence and/or used for the acquisition process.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , comprising generating the control signals using respective weightings of the respective physical ambient conditions according to their position in relation to assigned effective volumes.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 , comprising generating the control signals dependent on an order of the transmitted sequence control data and physical ambient conditions, with the control signals being generated such that higher-order sequence control data equalize lower-order physical ambient conditions.

9. A medical imaging apparatus comprising:

a plurality of apparatus sub-systems;

a control computer configured to operate said plurality of apparatus sub-systems in a coordinated manner in order to carry out a scan sequence in which at least two subvolumes of an object being scanned are individually defined and their respective magnetization in said at least two subvolumes are simultaneously manipulated by a sub-sequence and used for a scan data acquisition process;

said control computer being configured to receive a control protocol assigned to a scan sequence to be carried out;

said control computer being configured to determine sequence control data relevant to the control protocol, said sequence control data defining different functional sub-sequences of a scan sequence associated with the control protocol;

said control computer being configured to assign different effective volumes to each functional sub-sequence, taking into account the individually defined subvolumes manipulated in their magnetization by an associated sub-sequence and used for the scan data acquisition process;

said control computer being configured to receive effective volume position data, said volume position data defining the position and extent of the effective volumes assigned to the different functional sub-sequences;

said control computer being configured to determine current ambient conditions that exist in the medical imaging examination device that are critical for the determined relevant sequence control data and assigned effective volumes; and

said control computer being configured to generate control signals for the different sub-systems based on the relevant sequence control data and the effective volume position data and the determined physical ambient conditions for carrying out the scan sequence such that the individual functional sub-sequences are locally optimized at least in respect of a sub-region of their assigned effective volume and to make the generated control signals available from the control computer in electronic form.

10. A medical imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said plurality of apparatus sub-systems form a magnetic resonance scanner.

11. A non-transitory, computer-readable data storage medium encoded with programming instructions, said data storage medium being loaded into a control computer of a medical imaging examination device having a plurality of sub-systems, said programming instructions causing said control computer to:

control the sub-systems in a coordinated manner in order to carry out a scan sequence in which at least two subvolumes of an object being scanned are individually defined and their respective magnetization in said at least two subvolumes are simultaneously manipulated by means of a sub-sequence and used for a scan data acquisition process;

receive a control protocol assigned to a scan sequence to be carried out;

determine sequence control data relevant to the control protocol, said sequence control data defining different functional sub-sequences of a scan sequence associated with the control protocol;

assign different effective volumes to each functional sub-sequence, taking into account the individually defined subvolumes manipulated in their magnetization by an associated sub-sequence and used for the scan data acquisition process;

receive effective volume position data to the control device, said volume position data defining the position and extent of the effective volumes assigned to the different functional sub-sequences;

determine current ambient conditions that exist in the medical imaging examination device that are critical for the determined relevant sequence control data and assigned effective volumes; and

generate control signals for the different sub-systems based on the relevant sequence control data and the effective volume position data and the determined physical ambient conditions for carrying out the scan sequence such that the individual functional sub-sequences are locally optimized at least in respect of a sub-region of their assigned effective volume and make the generated control signals available from the control computer in electronic form.