Abstract: The invention provides for a medical instrument (100, 300, 400, 500, 600) comprising a camera system (102, 102?, 102?) for imaging a portion (418) of a subject (108) reposing on a subject support (106). The medical instrument further comprises a display system (104) for rendering a position feedback indicator (130, 900). The display system is configured such that the position feedback indicator is visible to the subject when the subject is reposing on the subject support.

Abstract: The invention provides for a medical apparatus (100, 200, 300, 500) comprising an optical imaging system (106) configured for acquiring a series of optical images (544) descriptive of cardiac motion of a subject (102). The medical apparatus further comprises a memory (534) for storing machine executable instructions (540). The medical apparatus further comprises a processor (530) for controlling the medical apparatus. Execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor to repeatedly: acquire (400) a series of images using the optical imaging system, wherein the series of images are acquired at a rate of at least 10 frames per second; and derive (402) a cardiac motion signal (546) from the series of images, wherein the cardiac motion signal is derived by tracking motion of at least a group of pixels within the series of images.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a medical system (100, 300, 700) comprising a magnetic resonance imaging system (102) configured to acquire lines of k-space (144) data from a thoracic region (122) of a subject (118). Execution of machine executable instructions (140) causes a computational system (132) to: repeatedly (200) acquire the lines of k-space data by controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system with the pulse sequence commands; repeatedly (202) assemble motion resolved k-space data (146) from the lines of k-space data using at least one cardiac phase and one respiratory phase of the subject as the k-space data is acquired; retrieve (204) at least a portion (148) of the motion resolved k-space data during acquisition of the k-space data; and construct (206) a preliminary three-dimensional cardiac image (150) using at least a portion of the motion resolved k-space data before acquisition of the lines of k-space data is finished.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of Dixon-type MR imaging. It is an object of the invention to provide a method that enables efficient and reliable Dixon water/fat separation, in particular using a bipolar acquisition strategy, while avoiding flow-induced leakage and swapping artifacts. According to the invention, an imaging sequence is executed which comprises at least one excitation RF pulse and switched magnetic field gradients, wherein pairs of echo signals are generated at two different echo times (TE1, TE2) and during two or more different cardiac phases (AW1, AW2). The echo signals are acquired and phase images are reconstructed therefrom. A final diagnostic image is reconstructed from the echo signal data using water/fat separation, wherein regions of flow and/or or estimates of flow-induced phase errors are derived from the phase images to suppress or compensate for flow-induced leakage and/or swapping artifacts in the final diagnostic image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of Dixon-type MR imaging. It is an object of the invention to provide a method that enables efficient and reliable Dixon water/fat separation, in particular using a bipolar acquisition strategy, while avoiding flow-induced leakage and swapping artifacts. According to the invention, an imaging sequence is executed which comprises at least one excitation RF pulse and switched magnetic field gradients, wherein pairs of echo signals are generated at two different echo times (TE1, TE2) and during two or more different cardiac phases (AW1, AW2). The echo signals are acquired and phase images are reconstructed therefrom. A final diagnostic image is reconstructed from the echo signal data using water/fat separation, wherein regions of flow and/or estimates of flow- induced phase errors are derived from the phase images to suppress or compensate for flow- induced leakage and/or swapping artifacts in the final diagnostic image.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system that includes machine executable instructions to control the system with pulse sequence commands to acquire a series of magnetic resonance data and noise magnetic resonance data. The pulse sequence commands are configured to control the system to acquire a series of magnetic resonance data from a subject according to a quantitative magnetic resonance imaging protocol for quantitatively determining a relaxation time. The quantitative magnetic resonance imaging protocol includes pulse sequence repetition having a magnetic gradient portion, a radio frequency portion, and an acquisition portion. The quantitative magnetic resonance imaging protocol includes a pause cycle between at least two of the multiple pulse sequence repetitions, wherein the pulse sequence commands are configured for acquiring noise magnetic resonance data during the pause cycle using the magnetic gradient portion and the acquisition portion.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to improve tissue classification in MRI images. In particular it is an object of the invention to improve the classification of bone and air in MRI images. This object is achieved by a method for tissue classification in a region of interest in a magnetic resonance (MR) image comprising a first region and a second region, wherein the first region represents air and the second region represents bone.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system includes a gradient system and a processor for controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system.

Abstract: A medical apparatus (300, 400, 500) includes a magnetic resonance imaging system (302) for acquiring magnetic resonance data (342) from an imaging zone (308); a processor (330) for controlling the medical apparatus; a memory (336) storing machine executable instructions (350, 352, 354, 356). Execution of the instructions causes the processor to: acquire (100, 200) the magnetic resonance data using a pulse sequence (340) which specifies an echo time greater than 400 ?s; reconstruct (102, 202) a magnetic resonance image using the magnetic resonance data; generate (104, 204) a thresholded image (346) by thresholding the magnetic resonance image to emphasize bone structures and suppressing tissue structures in the magnetic resonance image; and generate (106, 206) a bone-enhanced image by applying a background removal algorithm to the thresholded image.

Abstract: A medical imaging system (10) includes a nuclear imaging system (62), a timing optimization unit (40), a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner (12), an MR reconstruction unit (38), and an attenuation map unit (50). The nuclear imaging system (62) receives nuclear decay data and generates at least one nuclear image (64) of a first resolution based on the received nuclear decay data of an imaged subject (16) and an attenuation map (52). The timing optimization unit (40) which selects a first and a second echo time for a modified Dixon (mDixon) pulse sequence and a sufficient number of repetition times (TRs) to generate an image of the subject (16) of at least a first resolution, with the phase angle difference between water and fat at the first and the second echo time being unequal to 0° and 180°. The MR scanner (12) applies the sequence to the subject (16) and receives MR data (32) from the subject. The MR reconstruction unit (38) reconstructs at least one MR image (44) based on the MR data (32).

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system (1) includes at least one processor (28) configured to receive (48) diffusion weighted imaging data based on a diffusion weighted imaging sequence with magnetic gradient fields applied in different directions and with different b-values. The at least one processor (28) is further configured to detect (50) motion corrupted data present in the received imaging data based on a comparison of data redundant in the received data, and substitute (52) alternative data for detected motion corrupted data.

Abstract: A medical imaging system (10) includes a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner (12), and a MR reconstruction unit (34). The MR scanner (12) applies a multi-echo ultra-short TE (UTE) with mDixon pulse sequence to a subject (16) and receives MR data (33) representing at least a portion of the subject. The MR reconstruction unit (34) reconstructs a Free Induction Decay (FID) image (120), and one or more echo magnitude images (122), one or more phase images (39), an in-phase image (39), a water image (39), and a fat image (39) from the received MR data (33).

Abstract: An electric properties tomography method for reconstructing a spatial distribution of electric conductivity (?) from magnetic resonance image data representative of a magnetic resonance image of at least a portion of a subject of interest (20), the spatial distribution covering at least a portion of the area of the magnetic resonance image, and the method comprising following steps:—segmenting the magnetic resonance image,—extrapolating acquired phase values, —replacing acquired phase values by the extrapolated phase values,—transforming into the frequency domain,—multiplying a frequency domain-transformed numerical second derivative by the acquired phase values and the frequency domain-transformed numerical second derivative by the extrapolated phase values, respectively, and—transforming the result of the multiplying into the spatial domain. Also covered are a corresponding MRI system and a software module.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging method includes acquisition of datasets of magnetic resonance data from an object. At least some of the datasets are undersampled in k-space. Each dataset relating to a motion state of the object. Images are reconstructed from each of the datasets by way of a compressed sensing reconstruction. Motion correction is applied to the reconstructed images relative to a selected motion state, so as to generate motion corrected images. A diagnostic image for the selected motion state is derived, e.g. by averaging from the motion corrected images.

Abstract: The invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging method for simultaneous and dynamic determination of a longitudinal relaxation time T1 and a transversal relaxation time T2 of the nuclear spin system of an object, in the context of DCE or DSE MRI. In this respect, the invention makes use of a steady-state gradient echo pulse sequence comprising an EPI readout module.

Abstract: A medical imaging system (5) includes a workstation (20), a coarse segmenter (30), a fine segmenter (32), and an enclosed tissue identification module (34). The workstation (20) includes at least one input device (22) for receiving a selected location as a seed in a first contrasted tissue type and a display device (26) which displays a diagnostic image delineating a first segmented region of a first tissue type and a second segmented region of a second contrasted tissue type and identified regions which include regions fully enclosed by the first segmented region as a third tissue type. The coarse segmenter (30) grows a coarse segmented region of coarse voxels for each contrasted tissue type from the seed location based on a first growing algorithm and a growing fraction for each contrasted tissue type.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance system comprises a magnetic resonance scanner (10) including a main magnet (12) generating a static magnetic field biasing nuclear spins toward aligning along a direction of the static magnetic field, magnetic field gradient coils (14), a radio frequency coil (16), and a controller (20, 22) configured to: (a) drive the radio frequency coil to selectively tip spins predominantly of short T2* out of the direction of the static magnetic field; (b) drive at least one of the magnetic field gradient coils and the radio frequency coil to dephase said spins predominantly of short T2* tipped out of the direction of the static magnetic field; and (c) drive the magnetic field gradient coils and the radio frequency coil to acquire magnetic resonance data that is predominantly T2* weighted due to preceding operations (a) and (b).

Abstract: A system (10) and method generate one or more MR data sets of an imaging volume (16) using an MR scanner (14). The imaging volume (16) includes one or more of a region of interest (ROI), the ROI including a metal element, and a local receive coil (18) of the MR scanner (14). At least one of an attenuation, confidence or density map accounting for the metal element is generated and the location of the local receive coil (18) within the imaging volume (16) is determined. The generating includes identification of the metal element within the ROI based on a phase map of the ROI generated from the MR data sets. The determining includes registering a known sensitivity profile of the local receive coil (18) to a sensitivity map of the local receive coil (18) generated from the MR data sets.

Abstract: A multi nuclei RF antenna arrangement for use in a multi nuclei MRI system or an MR scanner, for transmitting RF excitation signals (B1 field) for exciting nuclear magnetic resonances (NMR), and/or for receiving NMR relaxation signals for multi nuclei MR (magnetic resonance) image reconstruction is disclosed, wherein the RF antenna arrangement is tuned to the Larmor frequencies of at least two different species of nuclei having at least two different gyromagnetic rations like 1H, 14N, 31P, 13C, 23Na, 39K, 17O and hyper polarized gases like 129Xe or other isotopes having a nuclear spin. Further, a method for reconstructing a multi nuclei MR image especially by means of the above RF antenna arrangement is disclosed. The method involves reducing back-folding artifacts of the species having the higher gyromagnetic ration by parallel MRI reconstruction.

Abstract: A medical imaging system (5) includes a workstation (20), a coarse segmenter (30), a fine segmenter (32), and an enclosed tissue identification module (34). The workstation (20) includes at least one input device (22) for receiving a selected location as a seed in a first contrasted tissue type and a display device (26) which displays a diagnostic image delineating a first segmented region of a first tissue type and a second segmented region of a second contrasted tissue type and identified regions which include regions fully enclosed by the first segmented region as a third tissue type. The coarse segmenter (30) grows a coarse segmented region of coarse voxels for each contrasted tissue type from the seed location based on a first growing algorithm and a growing fraction for each contrasted tissue type.