US 12,011,254 B2
System for and method of temperature-sensitive frozen tissue imaging for cryoablation monitoring
Junichi Tokuda, Westwood, MA (US); Qun Wang, Beijing (CN); Kemal Tuncali, Newton, MA (US); Ravi Teja Seethamraju, Malden, MA (US); Clare M. Tempany, Charlestown, MA (US); and Ehud J. Schmidt, Towson, MD (US)
Assigned to The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA (US)
Filed by The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc., Boston, MA (US)
Filed on Nov. 18, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/951,074.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/939,238, filed on Nov. 22, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0153764 A1, May 27, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 5/055 (2006.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/06 (2006.01); A61B 90/00 (2016.01); G01R 33/50 (2006.01); G01R 33/561 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/055 (2013.01) [A61B 5/06 (2013.01); A61B 5/746 (2013.01); A61B 90/37 (2016.02); G01R 33/50 (2013.01); G01R 33/5615 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An MRI system for imaging a patient, the MRI system comprising:
an MRI machine; and
a computer system coupled to the MRI machine, the computer system comprising:
a processor, and
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to:
control the MRI machine to apply an MRI sequence comprising a short tau inversion recovery sequence and an ultrashort echo time, wherein the short tau inversion recovery sequence utilizes a T1 value such that an image signal is attenuated from tissue below a lower temperature and above an upper temperature,
reconstruct an image of the patient in response to the MRI sequence, the image visualizing a region corresponding to the upper temperature and the lower temperature, wherein the region corresponding to the upper temperature and the lower temperature includes a first region and a second region, the first region corresponding to a first temperature range and the second region corresponding to a second temperature range, temperatures of the first temperature range being lower than temperatures of the second temperature range,
compare the region corresponding to the upper temperature and the lower temperature to a target region to determine if the region corresponding to the upper temperature and the lower temperature is coextensive with the target region,
differentiate the first region and the second region relative to the target region,
monitor a rate of change of the region corresponding to the upper temperature and the lower temperature to determine a rate of cell death at a boundary of the region corresponding to the upper temperature and the lower temperature,
provide a recommendation for adjusting a rate of cooling of a cryoprobe based on the rate of change of the region corresponding to the upper temperature and the lower temperature, and
provide a recommendation for modifying the lower temperature based on the rate of change of the region corresponding to the upper temperature and the lower temperature.