Abstract: Multiple electrode contacts make electrical connections to the anterior and/or posterior chest for multivariate characterization of the electrical activation of the heart. A central processing unit derives synthetic composite electrographic signals as well as flag signals for specific purposes. A preferred embodiment uses this system to trigger or gate magnetic resonance imaging, eliminating or reducing problems from small or inverted R-waves, lead detachment, noise, flow signal, gradient changes, and rhythm changes, more reliably flagging the onset of electrical activation of the ventricles. Additional derived data are ST-segment shifts, filling times, and respiratory cycle. Filling times may be used for greatly improved imaging in the presence of rhythm disturbances, such as atrial fibrillation. Respiratory cycle may be used as a respiratory trigger to control for the effects of breathing on the heart position and image quality.

Abstract: Multiple electrode contacts make electrical connections to the anterior and/or posterior chest for multivariate characterization of the electrical activation of the heart. A central processing unit derives synthetic composite electrographic signals as well as flag signals for specific purposes. A preferred embodiment uses this system to trigger or gate magnetic resonance imaging, eliminating or reducing problems from small or inverted R-waves, lead detachment, noise, flow signal, gradient changes, and rhythm changes, more reliably flagging the onset of electrical activation of the ventricles. Additional derived data are ST-segment shifts, filling times, and respiratory cycle. Filling times may be used for greatly improved imaging in the presence of rhythm disturbances, such as atrial fibrillation. Respiratory cycle may be used as a respiratory trigger to control for the effects of breathing on the heart position and image quality.

Abstract: Multiple electrode contacts make electrical connections to the anterior and/or posterior chest for multivariate characterization of the electrical activation of the heart. A central processing unit derives synthetic composite electrographic signals as well as flag signals for specific purposes. A preferred embodiment uses this system to trigger or gate magnetic resonance imaging, eliminating or reducing problems from small or inverted R-waves, lead detachment, noise, flow signal, gradient changes, and rhythm changes, more reliably flagging the onset of electrical activation of the ventricles. Additional derived data are ST-segment shifts, filling times, and respiratory cycle. Filling times may be used for greatly improved imaging in the presence of rhythm disturbances, such as atrial fibrillation. Respiratory cycle may be used as a respiratory trigger to control for the effects of breathing on the heart position and image quality.

Abstract: Multiple electrode contacts make electrical connections to the anterior and/or posterior chest for multi-variate characterization of the electrical activation of the heart. A central processing unit derives synthetic composite electrographic signals as well as flag signals for specific purposes. A preferred embodiment uses this system to trigger or gate magnetic resonance imaging, eliminating or reducing problems from small or inverted R-waves, lead detachment, noise, flow signal, gradient changes, and rhythm changes, more reliably flagging the onset of electrical activation of the ventricles. Additional derived data are ST-segment shifts, filling times, and respiratory cycle. Filling times may be used for greatly improved imaging in the presence of rhythm disturbances, such as atrial fibrillation. Respiratory cycle may be used as a respiratory trigger to control for the effects of breathing on the heart position and image quality.

Abstract: A method of magnetic resonance imaging for enhanced imaging, especially of small features or interfering tissue structures, and applicable to collateral vessels, such as neovascularization in a tumor or collateralization of the cardiac wall, as well as to tissue with impaired perfusion. The method creates a spatial hybrid image by arranging two or more magnetization conditions that evolve differently in various tissues of the region, and coordinating the gradient preparation/signal collection with a signal evolution in particular tissues. Transformation of the collected magnetic response data then forms a single image, and the hybrid contrast mechanisms suppress interfering effects or provide enhanced image data for particular structures in the field of view. A preferred practice of the method applied to a beating heart establishes a magnetization state of circulating blood and applies a pulse sequence to image the heart with T.sub.2 * contrast followed by T.sub.1 contrast.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating a data set representation of an object or tissue are described. Two image representation data sets for the object or tissue are generated by a CT or MRI scan or other known imaging process. The second data set is preferably generated with enhanced contrast between background tissue and the target tissue of interest, e.g., blood vessels, such as by the injection of a vascular contrast enhancing agent. The first data set is viewed as the union of plural data value neighborhoods, with each neighborhood preferably surrounding a central data value. Each data value of the second data set is compared to a neighborhood in the first data set. If a data value in the second data set is incompatible with the neighborhood, then it is concluded that the data value in the second data set is representative of contrast-enhanced target tissue and is therefore used to generate the final image data set of the target tissue.