Method and apparatus for efficient stenosis identification and assessment using MR imaging
US6741880B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 16, 2000 |
| Grant date | May 25, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 22, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R33/56
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and apparatus is disclosed in which a two-tiered approach is taken to first grade a patient to identify the presence of any suspected stenosis, and then a second step is used to acquire more detailed information to grade the stenosis. The invention includes performing a screening study by acquiring a first MR image having a low resolution to scan a suspected stenosis region. After analyzing the first MR image to identify a suspected stenosis within the suspected stenosis region, a more detailed study is performed by acquiring a second MR image having a higher resolution than the first MR image to scan the identified suspected stenosis. If no lesions, or stenotic vessels, are identified after the first MR image, the second MR image need not be obtained. Since the first MR image is designed to be more sensitive to the detection of such stenosis, by increasing the conspicuity of the lesions, and using a fast acquisition sequence, this two-tiered approach increases the efficiency for accurate coronary artery stenosis detection and assessment.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.