Local multi-scale fourier analysis for MRI

摘要

The present invention relates to a method for processing magnetic resonance signal data. magnetic resonance signal data in dependence upon a magnetic resonance signal time series are received. The magnetic resonance signal data are then transformed into a time-frequency Stockwell domain using a localizing time window having a frequency dependent window width in order to provide multi-resolution in the time-frequency domain. The Stockwell transformed magnetic resonance signal data are then processed in the Stockwell domain, for example, filtered based on time-frequency information of the Stockwell transformed magnetic resonance signal data. The processed Stockwell transformed magnetic resonance signal data are then transformed into Fourier domain by summing the Stockwell transformed magnetic resonance signal data over time indices of the Stockwell domain. In a further step the Fourier transformed magnetic resonance signal data are then transformed into time domain using inverse Fourier transformation. In another embodiment the method for processing magnetic resonance signals is extended for processing two-dimensional magnetic resonance signal image data in a space-frequency Stockwell domain. The method for processing magnetic resonance signals according to the invention using the Stockwell transform overcomes many limitations of the Fourier framework of existing magnetic resonance signal processing tools. It is highly advantageous by providing frequency and time/space information while keeping a close connection with the Fourier formalism, which allows implementation of the method according to the present invention into existing Fourier-based signal processing tools.