Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus using post contrast-enhanced steady-state free precession in MR imaging

US6493569B2 · kind B2 · utility

36Cited by
7References
32Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateDec 30, 2000
Grant dateDec 10, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 7, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R33/5613
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed that use the steady-state free precessing (SSFP) technique for MR imaging to allow the acquisition of MR angiography images in which the acquisition is not time dependent upon the first passage of a contrast agent. The technique includes applying a pulse sequence with refocusing S− signals from a train of RF pulses to a desired field-of-view (FOV) in a patient in which a contrast bolus has been injected. An SSFP image of the desired FOV is acquired, together with an S− SSFP mask image of the desired FOV. The S− SSFP mask image is subtracted from the SSFP image in order to reconstruct an image with improved visualization of the arterial and venous structures and reduce mis-registration artifacts.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.