Abstract: When acquiring detailed utilization information from imaging equipment in a cross-vendor approach, one or more sensors (16, 18, 22, 24) are positioned within a data security zone (14) in which an imaging procedure is performed. Sensor data is pre-processed on an isolated processing unit (20) to remove any sensitive information and keep a selection of features only. The resultant feature pattern is transmitted outside of the data security zone to a processing unit (28) where pattern recognition is performed on feature pattern to identify the type of imaging modality, scan, etc. being performed as well as to determine whether the scan is being performed according to schedule.

Abstract: A system for controlling operation of an imaging or therapy apparatus. The system comprises an interface (IN) for receiving a pain measurement signal as measured by one or more sensors (S) in relation to an anatomic part (BR) of the patient (PAT) i) being imaged in an imaging procedure by the imaging apparatus or ii) being under therapy in a therapy procedure delivered by the therapy device, whilst the part (BR) is held in an adjustable fixation device (FD). A control unit (CU) of the system is configured to process the pain measurement signal to compute at least one control signal. A control interface (CIF) of the system is configured to interact during the imaging or therapy procedure with the imaging apparatus (IA) and/or the fixation device (FD) based on the control signal to a) influence the imaging or therapy procedure and/or b) to adjust the fixation device so as to change the manner in which the part (BR) is being held.

Abstract: The invention may improve image quality of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The invention is directed to a coil arrangement (200) for magnetic resonance imaging. It comprises a base structure having a variable shape, an RF coil arranged on or in the base structure, an actuator means at least partially extending along the base structure such that the base structure is deformable along and/or about at least one axis, a position detecting means adapted to detect a current position of at least a portion of the subject to be examined relative to the RF coil, and control means coupled to the position detecting means and the actuator means, wherein the control means is adapted to adjust the shape of the base structure to maintain a contact of an outer surface of the base structure (210) and/or the RF coil (220) with the at least portion of the subject by driving the actuator means in response to a detected change of the current position relative to a previous position.

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to a container builder (110) for building a container image for providing an individualized network service based on sensitive data (122) in a database (121). The container builder (110) retrieves the sensitive data (122) from the database (121), builds the container image (140), and provides it for deployment to a cloud service provider (111). The container image (140) comprises the sensitive data (122) and instructions that, when deployed as a container, cause the container to provide the individualized network service based on the sensitive data (122) comprised in the container image (140).

Abstract: The invention provides for a medical imaging system (100, 300) comprising: a memory (110) for storing machine executable instructions (120); and a processor (104) for controlling the medical imaging system. Execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor to: receive (200) a resting group of B1 phase maps (122) of a region (309) of interest of a subject (318); receive (202) an active group of B1 phase maps (124) of the region of interest of the subject, calculate (204) a resting group of conductivity maps (126) for the region of interest using the resting group of B1 phase maps according to an electrical properties tomography algorithm; calculate (206) an active group of conductivity maps (128) for the region of interest using the active group of B1 phase maps according to the electrical properties tomography algorithm, and calculate (208) a conductivity change mapping (130) for the region of interest using the resting group of conductivity maps and the active group of conductivity maps.

Abstract: A system (100) for reconstruction of medical images over a network comprises a scheduler (302) that schedules a reconstruction request (108) and the reconstruction request includes a medical image reconstruction of a subject according to an imaging protocol The scheduling includes scheduling of a plurality of events, each event with a corresponding time, and the plurality of events include at least one event with the corresponding time selected from a group consisting of a first time (520) to transmit raw image data (114) over a first network from a source node (116) to a reconstruction node (106), a second time (522) to reconstruct the medical image (118) by the reconstruction node, and a third time (524) to transmit the reconstructed medical image over a second network from the reconstruction node to a destination node (120).

Abstract: To obtain feedback on image quality from qualified reviewers, an optically machine readable code (124) (e.g., a QR code or the like) is generated for each acquired medical image and embedded into the image. The embedded code includes information to the identity of the image, the imaging device, authorized reviewers, and authorized recipients of the feedback, as well as a link to a feedback form that can be retrieved by a communication device (38) used by an authorized user. When the embedded code is scanned by the communication device, the code is decoded and the feedback form is retrieved from a server, completed by the reviewer, and transmitted back to the authorized recipients of the feedback.

Abstract: The invention provides for a magnetic resonance imaging system (100, 300). The execution of machine executable instructions causes a processor (130) controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system to control (200) the magnetic resonance imaging system to acquire the magnetic resonance imaging data (144) using pulse sequence commands (142) and reconstruct (202) a magnetic resonance image (148). Execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor to receive (204) a list of suggested pulse sequence command changes (152) by inputting the magnetic resonance image and image metadata (150) into an MRI artifact detection module (146, 146?, 146?).

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 (MRI) system (100, 600) that generates information indicative of a fluid flow in accordance with a pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) method. The MRI system may include at least one controller (104, 610) configured to generate a pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) pulse sequence (200) including at least a first gradient (GR) pulse sequence (207) having a sinusoidal waveform including a plurality of cycles, and a second radio frequency (RF) pulse sequence (205) including a half-wave rectified sinusoidal waveform having a plurality of cycles and which is synchronous with the first GR pulse sequence; label at least part of the fluid flow in a labeling region during a labeling mode using the pCASL pulse sequence; acquire label and control image information of the fluid flow at an imaging region proximal to downstream of the labeling region; and/or generate image information in accordance with a difference of the acquired label and control image information.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of MR imaging of at least a portion of a body (10) placed in a main magnetic field within the examination volume of a MR device (1). It is an object of the invention to facilitate the planning of an arterial spin labeling (ASL) MR imaging session and to improve the image quality in perfusion weighted MR imaging. The method of the invention comprises the following steps: acquiring angiographic MR signal data by subjecting the portion of the examined body (10) to one or more MR angiography scans; deriving quantitative blood flow parameters from the angiographic MR signal data; —computing a labeling efficiency of an ASL sequence from the sequence parameters of the ASL sequence and from the quantitative blood flow parameters; optimizing the sequence parameters by maximizing the labeling efficiency; acquiring perfusion weighted MR signal data by subjecting the portion of the body to the ASL sequence; and—reconstructing a MR image from the perfusion weighted MR signal data.

Abstract: The invention provides for a medical imaging system (100, 300) comprising a processor (106) for controlling the medical imaging system. Execution of machine executable instructions (112) causes the processor to receive (200) a static angiographic image (114) of a region of interest (322), receive (202) a time series of angiographic images (116, 116?) of the region of interest, construct (204) an image mask (118) using the static angiographic image, determine (206) a time dependent signal (120) for each voxel within the image mask using the time series of angiographic images, construct (208) a composite angiographic image by: assigning (210) a fill time (126) to each voxel within the image mask using an extremum (124) of the time dependent signal if the extremum deviates from an average of the time dependent signal more than a predetermined threshold, and identifying (212) voxels within the image mask as being unfilled voxels.

Abstract: A method of magnetic resonance imaging (100, 200) includes acquiring (300) tagged magnetic resonance data (144) by controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system with tagging pulse sequence commands (140). The tagging pulse sequence commands include a tagging inversion pulse portion (404) for spin labeling a tagging location (122, 122?) within a subject (118). The tagging pulse sequence commands comprise a phase-contrast readout portion (406) which phase-contrast encodes in at least one direction. The control pulse sequence commands include a control inversion pulse portion (500) and the phase-contrast readout portion. A tagged magnitude image (148) is reconstructed (304) using the tagged magnetic resonance data. A control magnitude image (150) is reconstructed (306) using the control magnetic resonance data. An arterial image (152) is reconstructed (308) by subtracting the control magnitude image and the tagged magnitude image.

Abstract: A medical imaging system (100, 1200) includes a memory (136) for storing machine executable instructions (170), and a processor (130) for controlling the medical imaging system.

Abstract: The invention provides for a method of operating a magnetic resonance imaging system for imaging a subject. The method comprises acquiring (700) tagged magnetic resonance data (642) and a first portion (644) of fingerprinting magnetic resonance data by controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system with tagging pulse sequence commands (100). The tagging pulse sequence commands comprise a tagging inversion pulse portion (102) for spin labeling a tagging location within the subject. The tagging pulse sequence commands comprise a background suppression portion (104). The background suppression portion comprises MRF pulse sequence commands for acquiring fingerprinting magnetic resonance data according to a magnetic resonance fingerprinting protocol. The tagging pulse sequence commands comprise an image acquisition portion (106).

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: The present disclosure relates to a method for configuring a medical device. The method comprises: providing a set of one or more parameters for configuring the medical device. Each parameter of the set has predefined values. A set of values of the set of parameters may be selected from the predefined values. Using the selected values the set of parameters may be set, which results in an operational configuration of the medical device. The medical device may be controlled to operate in accordance with the operational configuration, thereby an operating status of the medical device may be determined. Based on at least the operating status the operational configuration may be maintained or the selecting, setting and controlling may be repeatedly performed until a desired operating status of the medical device can be determined based on the operating statuses resulting from the controlling.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of MR imaging of at least a portion of a body (10) placed in a main magnetic field within the examination volume of a MR device (1). It is an object of the invention to facilitate the planning of an arterial spin labeling (ASL) MR imaging session and to improve the image quality in perfusion weighted MR imaging. The method of the invention comprises the following steps: acquiring angiographic MR signal data by subjecting the portion of the examined body (10) to one or more MR angiography scans; deriving quantitative blood flow parameters from the angiographic MR signal data;—computing a labeling efficiency of an ASL sequence from the sequence parameters of the ASL sequence and from the quantitative blood flow parameters; optimizing the sequence parameters by maximizing the labeling efficiency; acquiring perfusion weighted MR signal data by subjecting the portion of the body to the ASL sequence; and—reconstructing a MR image from the perfusion weighted MR signal data.

Abstract: The invention provides for a medical imaging system (100, 1200). The medical imaging system comprises: a memory (136) for storing machine executable instructions (170), and a processor (130) for controlling the medical imaging system.

Abstract: The invention provides for a method of operating a magnetic resonance imaging system (100, 200) for imaging a subject (118). The method comprises acquiring (300) tagged magnetic resonance data (144) by controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system with tagging pulse sequence commands (140). The tagging pulse sequence commands comprise a tagging inversion pulse portion (404) for spin labeling a tagging location (122, 122?) within the subject. The tagging pulse sequence commands comprise a phase-contrast readout portion (406). The phase-contrast readout portion comprises phase-contrast encoding in at least one direction. The method further comprises acquiring (302) control magnetic resonance data by controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system with the control pulse sequence commands, wherein the control pulse sequence commands comprise a control inversion pulse portion (500), wherein the control pulse sequence commands comprises the phase-contrast readout portion.