US 11,747,424 B2
Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, image processing apparatus, and image processing method
Kenzo Isogawa, Yokohama (JP); Toshiyuki Ono, Kawasaki (JP); Kenichi Shimoyama, Ota (JP); Nobuyuki Matsumoto, Inagi (JP); Shuhei Nitta, Ota (JP); Satoshi Kawata, Yokohama (JP); Toshimitsu Kaneko, Kawasaki (JP); and Mai Murashima, Kawasaki (JP)
Assigned to CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION, Tochigi (JP)
Filed by CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION, Tochigi (JP)
Filed on Mar. 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/684,601.
Application 17/684,601 is a continuation of application No. 14/935,951, filed on Nov. 9, 2015, granted, now 11,300,646.
Claims priority of application No. 2014-228483 (JP), filed on Nov. 10, 2014; and application No. 2015-217590 (JP), filed on Nov. 5, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2022/0187402 A1, Jun. 16, 2022
Int. Cl. G01R 33/565 (2006.01); G01R 33/56 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 33/565 (2013.01) [G01R 33/5608 (2013.01); G01R 33/56545 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, comprising:
a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system including a receiving coil to receive magnetic resonance signals; and
processing circuitry configured to
generate a plurality of images imaged at different times, based on the magnetic resonance signals, each of the plurality of images including a plurality of pixels;
calculate feature values of respective pixels included in one image of the plurality of images, based on signal values of the plurality of pixels included in the plurality of images, each of the feature values including a temporal fluctuation quantity of the signal values of pixels in a same position as the respective pixels in the plurality of images;
correct the temporal fluctuation quantity included in each of the feature values of the respective pixels, based on a sensitivity of the receiving coil; and
reduce noise in the one image, based on a distribution of the corrected temporal fluctuation quantity included in each of the feature values of the respective pixels, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to
estimate noise quantities of the respective pixels included in the one image, based on the distribution of the corrected temporal fluctuation quantity included in each of the feature values of the respective pixels;
compare the temporal fluctuation quantity with a threshold set based on the estimated noise quantity for each of the respective pixels; and
change a method for reducing the noise in the one image according to a result of comparing the temporal fluctuation quantity with the threshold.