Abstract: Accelerated 3D multispectral imaging (MSI) on a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system uses phase-encoding in two dimensions and frequency-encoding in the third.

Abstract: A method for performing wave-encoded magnetic resonance imaging of an object is provided. The method includes applying one or more wave-encoded magnetic gradients to the object, and acquiring MR signals from the object. The method further includes calibrating a wave point-spread function, and reconstructing an image from the MR signals based at least in part on the calibrated wave point-spread function. Calibration of the wave point-spread function is based at least in part on one or more intermediate images generated from the MR signals.

Abstract: A method of real-time 3D flexible needle tracking for image-guided surgery is provided that includes uploading, using a controller, a virtual model of a flexible needle to a calibrated 3D mixed reality headset, where the virtual model, establishing an initial position of a base of a flexible needle relative to a target under test, using the controller and the flexible needle, where the flexible needle includes sensors spanning from the base to along a length of the flexible needle, where the sensors communicate a position, a shape, and an orientation of the flexible needle to the controller, where the controller communicates the sensor positions to the calibrated 3D mixed-reality headset, and using the calibrated 3D mixed-reality headset to display in real-time a position and shape of the flexible needle relative to the target under test.

Abstract: A method for generating a magnetic resonance image of an object in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, wherein the object contains at least one metallic implant is provided. The MRI system provides multiple excitations of at least part of the object. The MRI system reads out image signals from the object. The MRI system saves the readout image signals as image data. A field-map is generated from the image data using a goodness-of-fit process which uses a goodness-of-fit metric, matched-filter, and/or similar fitting techniques to fit expected signals from each excitation to the image data.

Abstract: A method for providing an estimated 3D T2 map for magnetic resonance imaging using a Double-Echo Steady-State (DESS) sequence for a volume of an object in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system is provided. A DESS scan of the volume is provided by the MRI system. Signals S1 and S2 are acquired by the MRI system. Signals S1 and S2 are used to provide a T2 map for a plurality of slices of the volume, comprising determining repetition time (TR), echo time (TE), flip angle ?, and an estimate of the longitudinal relaxation time (T1), and wherein the DESS scan has a spoiler gradient with an amplitude G and a duration ? and ignoring echo pathways having spent more than two repetition times in the transverse plane.

Abstract: Improved motion correction for magnetic resonance imaging is provided. An MR imaging method provides a first sequence of MR images and a second sequence of MR images where: 1) the two sequences are inherently spatially co-registered and synchronous with each other; 2) the first sequence includes signal variation due to one or more causes other than motion or deformation; and 3) the second sequence does not include the signal variation of the first sequence. In this situation, the second sequence can be used to perform motion correction for the first sequence. One example of this approach is Dixon MR imaging, where the water images are the first sequence and the fat images are the second sequence.

Abstract: A method for providing at least one measurement by a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system of a tissue property or underlying tissue property in a region sufficiently close to a metal object, so that the metal object induces artifacts is provided. At least one magnetic resonance imaging signal from the region is acquired through the MRI system. The acquired at least one MRI signal is processed to correct for artifacts induced by the metal object. At least one tissue property or underlying tissue property measurement is extracted from the processed at least one MRI signal.

Abstract: A method for magnetic resonance imaging is provided that includes using a magnetic resonance imaging system to excite a field of view (FOV) for a target being imaged, using an excitation plan to limit the excited FOV to a relatively narrow band of magnetization, exciting multiple bands of magnetization simultaneously, applying phase encoding along a shortest FOV dimension, acquiring a signal from said simultaneously excited bands of magnetization, and reconstructing and outputting a target image from the acquired signal.

Abstract: A method for 3D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with slice-direction distortion correction is provided. One or more selective cross-sections with a thickness along a first axis are excited using a RF pulse with a bandwidth, wherein a selective cross-section is either a selective slice or selective slab. A refocusing pulse is applied to form a spin echo. One or more 2D encoded image signals are acquired with readout along a second axis and phase encoding along a third axis, wherein the data long the phase encoded first and third axes is acquired with an under sampling scheme. Slice-direction distortion is corrected by resolving the position by using phase encoding.

Abstract: A method for 3D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with slice-direction distortion correction is provided. One or more selective cross-sections with a thickness along a first axis are excited using a RF pulse with a bandwidth, wherein a selective cross-section is either a selective slice or selective slab. A refocusing pulse is applied to form a spin echo. One or more 2D encoded image signals are acquired with readout along a second axis and phase encoding along a third axis, wherein the data long the phase encoded first and third axes is acquired with an under sampling scheme. Slice-direction distortion is corrected by resolving the position by using phase encoding.

Abstract: A method of ordering slices for interleaved MRI is provided that includes selecting a number of interleaved slice locations (NS) each having a plurality of excitations (NE,S), where S is the slice number between 1 and NS and NE,S may differ for different slice numbers, selecting an excitation duration (TS) of each the excitation in each the slice, selecting a repetition time (TR) between successive excitations of the same slice, TR has a duration of Ni×TS, Ni is the number of interleaved slices per TR period, and arranging the order for the slices such that the total scan time (T) is minimized such that TR is the product of Ni and Ts, where Ni can be arbitrarily chosen between 1 and NT/NE,max where NT is the total number of excitations for all the slices and where NE,max is the maximum number of the excitations for one slice.

Abstract: A method for musculoskeletal tissue segmentation used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is provided. MRI image data is collected using at least two different contrast mechanisms. Voxel values from data from each contrast mechanism are used as elements of a feature vector. The feature vector is compared with classification boundaries to classify musculoskeletal tissue type of the voxel. The previous two steps are repeated for a plurality of voxels. An image is generated from the classified musculoskeletal tissue types for the plurality of voxels to provide a musculoskeletal segmentation image.

Abstract: A system and method for breast imaging is disclosed. The system is constructed as a modular RF coil system for an MR imaging apparatus and includes a fitted coil former constructed to have a shape and size so as to substantially conform to a breast of a patient to be imaged and a receiver coil array positioned on the fitted coil former and having a plurality of receiver coils arranged to form a coil array. At least one of a size of each of the plurality of receiver coils and a number of the plurality of receiver coils is based on a size of the fitted coil former. Based on its coil arrangement and its proximity to the breasts of the patient to be imaged, the receiver coil array of the modular RF coil system is capable of receiving MR data for parallel imaging.

Abstract: A method of acquiring T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted images is provided. The method includes acquiring a first image and a second image in a single magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, where the first image and the second image have different echo times (TE). The single MRI scan includes a series of repeated RF excitation pulses, where the echo signal for the first image and the echo signal for the second image are acquired between a pair of RF excitation pulses. A spoiler gradient is disposed to provide a first diffusion weighting to the first image and a second diffusion weighting to the second image, where the first image and the second image have different T2 weightings and different diffusion weightings.

Abstract: A method of ordering slices for interleaved MRI is provided that includes selecting a number of interleaved slice locations (NS) each having a plurality of excitations (NE,S), where S is the slice number between 1 and NS and NE,S may differ for different slice numbers, selecting an excitation duration (TS) of each the excitation in each the slice, selecting a repetition time (TR) between successive excitations of the same slice, TR has a duration of Ni×TS, Ni is the number of interleaved slices per TR period, and arranging the order for the slices such that the total scan time (T) is minimized such that TR is the product of Ni and Ts, where Ni can be arbitrarily chosen between 1 and NT/NE,max where NT is the total number of excitations for all the slices and where NE,max is the maximum number of the excitations for one slice.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system or method is provided including a balanced steady-state free-precession transient imaging (transient bSSFP) device capable of increasing the overall signal during transient bSSFP acquisition by fully or better utilization of the magnetization through variable RF flip angles. The transient bSSFP device is capable of generating a series of echoes with a desired transverse magnetization profile MT. It is further capable of generating RF pulses each having a distinct RF flip angle for each of the echoes in the series of echoes. The transient bSSFP device is coupled to a computer capable of calculating the distinct RF flip angle for the nth echo in the series of echoes. The computer calculation utilizes a program encoding an analytical inversion of the Bloch equation. Once the RF flip angle is calculated, it is used by the transient bSSFP device in the generation of the nth echo.

Abstract: A system and method for multi-spectral MR imaging near metal include a computer programmed to calculate an MR pulse sequence comprising a plurality of RF pulses configured to excite spins in an imaging object and comprising a plurality of volume selection gradients and determine a plurality of distinct offset frequency values. For each respective determined offset frequency value, the computer is programmed to execute the MR pulse sequence having a central transmit frequency and a central receive frequency of the MR pulse sequence set to the respective determined offset frequency value. The computer is also programmed to acquire a three-dimensional (3D) MR data set for each MR pulse sequence execution and generate a composite image based on data from each of the acquired 3D MR data sets.

Abstract: A method of acquiring T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted images is provided. The method includes acquiring a first image and a second image in a single magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, where the first image and the second image have different echo times (TE). The single MRI scan includes a series of repeated RF excitation pulses, where the echo signal for the first image and the echo signal for the second image are acquired between a pair of RF excitation pulses. A spoiler gradient is disposed to provide a first diffusion weighting to the first image and a second diffusion weighting to the second image, where the first image and the second image have different T2 weightings and different diffusion weightings.

Abstract: A system and method for breast imaging is disclosed. The system is constructed as a modular RF coil system for an MR imaging apparatus and includes a fitted coil former constructed to have a shape and size so as to substantially conform to a breast of a patient to be imaged and a receiver coil array positioned on the fitted coil former and having a plurality of receiver coils arranged to form a coil array. At least one of a size of each of the plurality of receiver coils and a number of the plurality of receiver coils is based on a size of the fitted coil former. Based on its coil arrangement and its proximity to the breasts of the patient to be imaged, the receiver coil array of the modular RF coil system is capable of receiving MR data for parallel imaging.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system or method is provided including a balanced steady-state free-precession transient imaging (transient bSSFP) device capable of increasing the overall signal during transient bSSFP acquisition by fully or better utilization of the magnetization through variable RF flip angles. The transient bSSFP device is capable of generating a series of echoes with a desired transverse magnetization profile MT. It is further capable of generating RF pulses each having a distinct RF flip angle for each of the echoes in the series of echoes. The transient bSSFP device is coupled to a computer capable of calculating the distinct RF flip angle for the nth echo in the series of echoes. The computer calculation utilizes a program encoding an analytical inversion of the Bloch equation. Once the RF flip angle is calculated, it is used by the transient bSSFP device in the generation of the nth echo.