Method and apparatus to acquire magnetic resonance images in a session, with acquisition of a consistently valid reference scan

摘要

In a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging method and apparatus, multiple diagnostic scans are obtained of an examination subject during an imaging session. An initial reference scan of the subject is obtained at the beginning of the session and, as the session proceeds, an automatic determination is made before each diagnostic scan is obtained as to whether the immediately preceding reference scan is still valid, primarily be checking whether an amount of patient movement has occurred that renders the immediately preceding reference scan invalid. Either a new reference scan is obtained before the next diagnostic scan, or, if still valid, the immediately preceding reference scan is used for the next diagnostic scan.

主权项

1. A method for operating a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, comprising:
from a control computer, operating a magnetic resonance data acquisition unit in a scan session, in which multiple image scans of an examination subject situated in the magnetic resonance data acquisition unit will be successively obtained; before obtaining a first image scan of said subject in said scan session, operating said magnetic resonance data acquisition unit from said control computer to obtain an initial reference image scan of the examination subject; using said initial reference image scan to ensure that predetermined conditions for conducting said first image scan in said session are satisfied and, if so, operating said magnetic resonance data acquisition unit from said control computer to conduct and complete said first image scan in said session; before conducting each subsequent image scan in said scan session after said first scan, automatically ascertaining, in said control computer, whether a reference image scan of said subject is still a currently valid scan for conducting the respective subsequent image scan and, if so, conducting the respective subsequent image scan and, only if not, operating said magnetic resonance data acquisition unit to obtain a currently valid reference scan for the respective subsequent image scan; for each of said subsequent scans in said scan session, using the currently valid reference image scan for the respective subsequent image scan to ascertain, in said control computer, that predetermined respective conditions for conducting the respective subsequent image scan in said session are satisfied; and when said predetermined conditions for the respective subsequent image scan is ascertained in said control computer to be satisfied by using said currently valid reference image scan for the respective subsequent image scan, operating said magnetic resonance data acquisition unit from said control computer to conduct and complete the respective subsequent image scan, until all subsequent image scans in said scan session are completed.