Abstract:
The invention provides various methods for imaging a subject's cardiovascular system. The imaging method may be used to provide a diagnosis or prognosis of various cardiovascular diseases in the subject, without contrast agents or radioactive tracers, and further generating a Gaussian Mixture Model to obtain a reference value of a normal myocardium.
Abstract:
The application discloses a method for estimating a pseudo CT Hounsfield Unit value for a volume element within a subject from a plurality of magnetic resonance images having different contrasts. The method comprising the steps of: determination of a relative prevalence of a first tissue class and second tissue class within the volume element from a first magnetic resonance image and second magnetic resonance image respectively. Then a a relative prevalence of a third tissue class is determined within the volume element based on substraction of a relative prevalence of the first and/or second tissue class from a total tissue prevalence. A reference Hounsfield Unit value is provided for the first, second and third tissue class. Finally, a pseudo Housfield value is estimated for the volume element by determining a weighted sum of the first, second and third reference Hounsfield unit value, with weight factors which are based on the determined relative prevalences of the first, second and third tissue class.
Abstract:
A combined PET/MR system includes an MR subsystem including a main field magnet (14) which generates a stationary magnetic field through an examination region (16), a gradient magnetic field system (18, 20, 22, 24) which applies magnetic field gradients across the examination region, and an RF system (26, 28, 32, 34, 36, 38) that applies RF excitation pulses to excite resonance in a subject in the examination region and receive magnetic resonance signals from the subject. A PET detector module (70) which is permanently or removably fixed in the examination region (16) to detect radiation from radiopharmaceuticals injected into the subject causes distortions in the magnetic field gradients. A plurality of probes (90) which are mounted in a fixed relationship to the PET detector module (70) measure magnetic field strength. A gradient magnetic field distortion correction system (110) determines distortions caused in the gradient magnetic fields and corrects the magnetic resonance signals accordingly. The PET detector module includes a plurality of RF shielded detector units (132) which are mounted in a circumferentially spaced relationship with a gap (136) therebetween through which RF excitation pulses and magnetic resonance signals pass.
Abstract:
Nuclear Imaging System The invention relates to a nuclear imaging system (1) for imaging an object (3) in an examination region. Multiple x-rays sources (2) generatefirst radiation being x-ray radiation (5), wherein the x-raysourcesarearrangedsuch that the x-rayradiation is indicativeofa propertyofthe object. Adetection unit (6) detectssecond radiation (7) from a nuclear element (8),after the second radiation has the traversed the object, and the first radiation generated by the multiple x-raysources, thereby inherently registering the detection ofthe first radiation and the second radiation.Areconstruction unit (9) reconstructsa corrected nuclear image of the object based on the detected first radiation and the detected second radiation, wherein the nuclear image is corrected with respect to the propertyofthe object and, because of the inherent registration, does not compriseimage artifacts caused by registration errors.
Abstract:
Active resistive shim coil assemblies (208) may be used in magnet- ic resonance imaging (MRI) systems to reduce in-homogeneity of the magnetic field in the imaging volume. Disclosed embodiments may be used with continuous systems, gapped cylindrical systems, or verti- cally gapped systems. Disclosed embodiments may also be used with an open MRI system and can be used with an instrument (104) placed in the gap (102) of the MRI system. An exemplary embodiment of the active resistive shim coil assembly of the present disclosure includes active resistive shim coils each operable to be energized by separate currents through a plurality of power channels. In some embodiments, the disclosed active resistive shim coil assemblies allow for various degrees of freedom to shim out field in-homogeneity.
Abstract:
An imaging work station (20) includes one or more processors programmed to receive (170)an image depicting a distribution of a radiotracer in a brain or other region of interest. The radiotracer includes at least one of [18F]-Flutemetamol, [18F]-Florbetaben, and [18F]-Florbetapir which highlights amyloid deposits. The image and a template or an MRI image of the region of interest which includes a segmented anatomical feature, such as gray matter, are registered (180)to a common space. A volume representation of the image which depicts the distribution of the radiotracer in the segmented gray matter and suppresses the radiotracer outside of the segmented anatomical feature in white matter is extracted (210).
Abstract:
A medical apparatus includes a magnetic resonance imaging system for acquiring magnetic resonance data from an imaging volume, a processor for controlling the medical apparatus, and a memory containing machine executable instructions and a pulse sequence. The magnetic resonance data acquired using the pulse sequence comprises free induction decay data and multiple gradient echo data. Execution of the instructions causes the processor to acquire the magnetic resonance data using the magnetic resonance imaging system in accordance with the pulse sequence, and reconstruct an in-phase image, a fat- saturated image, a water-saturated image, and an ultra-short echo time image from the magnetic resonance data, wherein the ultra-short echo time image comprises bone image data.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a positron emission tomography (PET) device, and more particularly to, a PET device that involves changing the diameter of a detection means according to the size of a test subject. The PET device includes a body having an opening therein to receive a subject and a detection means surrounding the received subject in the circumferential direction of the opening. The detection means may detect radiation emitted by the subject. Additionally, the PET device includes a driving means driving the detection means. The detection means includes detection heads arranged in a first group in the circumferential direction of the opening, and detection heads disposed in a second group between the detection heads in the first group. The detection heads in the first group are moveable in a radial direction of the detection means by means of the driving means.