US 12,429,545 B2
MRI display output reflecting contrast agent concentration as a function of time
Jiachao Liang, Palo Alto, CA (US); and Jimmy R. Roehrig, Aptos, CA (US)
Assigned to Hologic, Inc., Marlborough, MA (US)
Filed by Hologic, Inc., Marlborough, MA (US)
Filed on Dec. 5, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/530,136.
Application 18/530,136 is a continuation of application No. 17/734,505, filed on May 2, 2022, granted, now 11,874,356.
Application 17/734,505 is a continuation of application No. 16/534,545, filed on Aug. 7, 2019, granted, now 11,346,910, issued on May 31, 2022.
Application 16/534,545 is a continuation of application No. 14/384,636, abandoned, previously published as PCT/US2013/032681, filed on Mar. 15, 2013.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/611,877, filed on Mar. 16, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2024/0175955 A1, May 30, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01R 33/56 (2006.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/055 (2006.01); G01R 33/50 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 33/5601 (2013.01) [A61B 5/055 (2013.01); A61B 5/742 (2013.01); G01R 33/50 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image review workstation comprising:
a display;
at least one controller operatively coupled to the display; and
a memory coupled to the at least one controller, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one controller, performs a set of operations comprising:
receiving respective electronic magnetic resonant imaging (MRI) data of an imaged tissue volume acquired by different MRI scanners over respective periods of time after a respective contrast agent is introduced into a patient while at least a portion of the patient is positioned within respective different MRI scanners;
converting a plurality of signal enhancement ratio curves associated with the respective electronic MRI data from the different MRI scanners into an absorption rate curve, the absorption rate curve describing absorption rates of the respective contrast agent in the imaged tissue volume and compensating for a non-linear relationship between an MRI signal generated by an MRI scanner during imaging of the imaged tissue volume and a concentration of the respective contrast agent over time;
wherein the absorption rate curve is determined by deriving a signal intensity ratio for the imaged tissue volume based on an actual absorption rate of the respective contrast agent in the imaged tissue volume for all of the different MRI scanners;
normalizing the derived signal intensity ratio for the imaged tissue volume so that a signal enhancement ratio is independent of the different MRI scanners used to generate the electronic MRI data; and
displaying, on the display, the absorption rate curve of the respective contrast agent in the imaged tissue volume.