Abstract: An apparatus for incremental motion correction in medical imaging. The apparatus for motion correction in magnetic resonance imaging includes processing circuitry configured to estimate an intermediate image from a first section of k-space, the first section of the k-space corresponding to acquisition time points within a magnetic resonance scan of a subject, the corresponding acquisition time points within the magnetic resonance scan being associated with shots of the k-space determined to have minimal motion, estimate motion parameters of a second section of the k-space using the estimated intermediate image, combine data from the first section of the k-space with data from the second section of the k-space according to the estimated motion parameters, and reconstruct the combined data of the k-space to generate a final image.

Abstract: An apparatus for incremental motion correction in medical imaging. The apparatus for motion correction in magnetic resonance imaging includes processing circuitry configured to estimate an intermediate image from a first section of k-space, the first section of the k-space corresponding to acquisition time points within a magnetic resonance scan of a subject, the corresponding acquisition time points within the magnetic resonance scan being associated with shots of the k-space determined to have minimal motion, estimate motion parameters of a second section of the k-space using the estimated intermediate image, combine data from the first section of the k-space with data from the second section of the k-space according to the estimated motion parameters, and reconstruct the combined data of the k-space to generate a final image.

Abstract: An apparatus for incremental motion correction in medical imaging. The apparatus for motion correction in magnetic resonance imaging includes processing circuitry configured to estimate an intermediate image from a first section of k-space, the first section of the k-space corresponding to acquisition time points within a magnetic resonance scan of a subject, the corresponding acquisition time points within the magnetic resonance scan being associated with shots of the k-space determined to have minimal motion, estimate motion parameters of a second section of the k-space using the estimated intermediate image, combine data from the first section of the k-space with data from the second section of the k-space according to the estimated motion parameters, and reconstruct the combined data of the k-space to generate a final image.

Abstract: An apparatus for incremental motion correction in medical imaging. The apparatus for motion correction in magnetic resonance imaging includes processing circuitry configured to estimate an intermediate image from a first section of k-space, the first section of the k-space corresponding to acquisition time points within a magnetic resonance scan of a subject, the corresponding acquisition time points within the magnetic resonance scan being associated with shots of the k-space determined to have minimal motion, estimate motion parameters of a second section of the k-space using the estimated intermediate image, combine data from the first section of the k-space with data from the second section of the k-space according to the estimated motion parameters, and reconstruct the combined data of the k-space to generate a final image.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system includes an array radiofrequency coil and processing circuitry operatively linked to the array radiofrequency coil and configured to receive output signals from the array radiofrequency coil commensurate with a simultaneous multi-slice magnetic imaging characterized by simultaneous multi-slice parameters, estimate distorted regions of the image volume using either data obtained via a pre-scan or a pre-computed model, minimize overlap of the distorted regions with image voxels representing tissue to obtain optimized values of the simultaneous multi-slice parameters, configuring and executing the simultaneous multi-slice imaging sequence based on the optimized values of the simultaneous multi-slice parameters, and reconstruct simultaneous multi-slice images with minimized artifacts.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided to correct motion artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data by finding and removing motion-corrupted encodes. The MRI data non-uniformly sample k-space using a series of shots, each including one or more encodes. The motion-corrupted encodes/shots are identified by omitting respective encodes/shots from the MRI data when reconstructing respective images using a compressed-sensing (CS) method. The image quality is improved for those reconstructed images in which the motion-corrupted encodes are omitted, whereas all other images include the motion-corrupted encodes and exhibit the motion artifact. Assuming a minority of encodes/shots are corrupted by motion, the images improved by omitting the motion-corrupted encodes can be identified as outliers. Once, the motion-corrupted encodes are identified and excluded from the final MRI dataset, a final, high-resolution image is reconstructed using the final MRI dataset.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided to correct motion artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data by obtaining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, the MRI data including imaging segments and corresponding navigator segments, each imaging segment sampled over a respective regions of two or more regions of a k-space grid, one of the navigator segments being selected as a reference navigator segment; generating, for each imaging segment of the imaging segments, a respective phase map based on the reference navigator segment and a corresponding navigator segment of the each imaging segment; applying the respective phase maps to the corresponding imaging segments to generate corrected imaging segments; averaging the corrected imaging segments in k-space to generate averaged imaging segments; and reconstructing an MRI image based on the averaged imaging segments.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided to correct motion artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data by obtaining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, the MRI data including imaging segments and corresponding navigator segments, each imaging segment sampled over a respective regions of two or more regions of a k-space grid, one of the navigator segments being selected as a reference navigator segment; generating, for each imaging segment of the imaging segments, a respective phase map based on the reference navigator segment and a corresponding navigator segment of the each imaging segment; applying the respective phase maps to the corresponding imaging segments to generate corrected imaging segments; averaging the corrected imaging segments in k-space to generate averaged imaging segments; and reconstructing an MRI image based on the averaged imaging segments.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided to correct motion artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data by finding and removing motion-corrupted encodes. The MRI data non-uniformly sample k-space using a series of shots, each including one or more encodes. The motion-corrupted encodes/shots are identified by omitting respective encodes/shots from the MRI data when reconstructing respective images using a compressed-sensing (CS) method. The image quality is improved for those reconstructed images in which the motion-corrupted encodes are omitted, whereas all other images include the motion-corrupted encodes and exhibit the motion artifact. Assuming a minority of encodes/shots are corrupted by motion, the images improved by omitting the motion-corrupted encodes can be identified as outliers. Once, the motion-corrupted encodes are identified and excluded from the final MRI dataset, a final, high-resolution image is reconstructed using the final MRI dataset.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for generating a medical image receive scan data, wherein the scan data is defined in an acquisition space; perform a first reconstruction process to generate a lower-resolution image based on the scan data, wherein the first reconstruction process uses a subset of the scan data; and perform a second reconstruction process to generate a higher-resolution image based on the scan data, wherein the second reconstruction process uses more of the scan data than the subset of the scan data.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for generating a medical image receive scan data, wherein the scan data is defined in an acquisition space; perform a first reconstruction process to generate a lower-resolution image based on the scan data, wherein the first reconstruction process uses a subset of the scan data; and perform a second reconstruction process to generate a higher-resolution image based on the scan data, wherein the second reconstruction process uses more of the scan data than the subset of the scan data.

Abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems and methods to effect MRI data acquisition with reduced noise in fast spin echo (FSE) and spin echo (SE) implementations are described. The improved MRI data acquisition is performed by acquiring k-space data while maintaining a constant or near constant slice select gradient amplitude throughout a sequence kernel. The acquired k-space data can then be used to generate an MR image.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system includes an array radiofrequency coil and processing circuitry operatively linked to the array radiofrequency coil and configured to receive output signals from the array radiofrequency coil commensurate with a simultaneous multi-slice magnetic imaging characterized by simultaneous multi-slice parameters, estimate distorted regions of the image volume using either data obtained via a pre-scan or a pre-computed model, minimize overlap of the distorted regions with image voxels representing tissue to obtain optimized values of the simultaneous multi-slice parameters, configuring and executing the simultaneous multi-slice imaging sequence based on the optimized values of the simultaneous multi-slice parameters, and reconstruct simultaneous multi-slice images with minimized artifacts.

Abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems and methods to effect MRI data acquisition with reduced noise are described. A readout gradient, having a first polarity used to acquire and store MRI data in k-space memory during analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) of MR RF signals during one TR interval, is continued at substantially a same amplitude and vector direction and used as an image volume selection gradient during a transmitted RF excitation pulse that begins a next TR interval before the readout gradient transitions to an opposite polarity. The acquired k-space data is then used to generate an MR image.

Abstract: In one embodiment a magnetic resonance imaging method is disclosed. The method includes the steps of selecting a first RF pulse, selecting a second RF pulse, selecting one of the first RF pulse and the second RF pulse to be spatially selective, with the other being non-spatially selective, selecting a frequency of the first RF pulse to be the same or different than a frequency of the second RF pulse, applying the first RF pulse to excite a first portion of an object, applying the second RF pulse, forming at least one echo in the first portion of the object, obtaining signal data from the first portion of the object in response to the first RF pulse and the second RF pulse and reconstructing the obtained signal data from the first portion to form an image.

Abstract: Magnetic field temporal variations in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) volume are determined based on the slope of a phase difference ?? between spin responses in plural slices at a given temporal sampling time. Representations of the determined temporal magnetic field variations are stored for subsequent use, e.g., to achieve more accurate re-gridding of acquired k-space date before reconstruction of images in the spatial domain.

Abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems and methods to effect MRI data acquisition with reduced noise in fast spin echo (FSE) and spin echo (SE) implementations are described. The improved MRI data acquisition is performed by acquiring k-space data while maintaining a constant or near constant slice select gradient amplitude throughout a sequence kernel. The acquired k-space data can then be used to generate an MR image.

Abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems and methods to effect MRI data acquisition with reduced noise are described. A readout gradient, having a first polarity used to acquire and store MRI data in k-space memory during analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) of MR RF signals during one TR interval, is continued at substantially a same amplitude and vector direction and used as an image volume selection gradient during a transmitted RF excitation pulse that begins a next TR interval before the readout gradient transitions to an opposite polarity. The acquired k-space data is then used to generate an MR image.

Abstract: In one embodiment a magnetic resonance imaging method includes the steps of comparing a first image and a second image to determine whether there is a distorted region present in the first image or the second image, each of the first image and second image having a total field of view that is the distance of the image along an axis, assigning an affected field of view to a width of the distorted region, determining an acceleration factor by dividing the total field of view of one or both of the first image and the second image by the affected field of view, acquiring sampled image data according to the acceleration factor of one or both of the first image and the second image and applying a mask to a third image in the affected field of view.

Abstract: Eddy current fields in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system are mapped by acquiring MRI data from an object located in an imaging volume of the MRI system. An MRI data acquisition sequence is preceded by a pre-sequence including (a) a gradient magnetic field transition that stimulates eddy current fields in the MRI system, and (b) a spatial modulation grid tag module that sensitizes a spatially resolved MR image of the acquired MRI data to the stimulated eddy current fields that existed during the spatial modulation grid tag module. The eddy-sensitized MR image is processed to calculate a spatially resolved map of fields produced by the eddy currents.