US 12,436,216 B2
Image processing apparatus, magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, and signal separation method
Takashi Nishihara, Chiba (JP); Toru Shirai, Chiba (JP); Yoshitaka Bito, Chiba (JP); and Masahiro Takizawa, Chiba (JP)
Assigned to FUJIFILM Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by FUJIFILM Healthcare Corporation, Kashiwa (JP)
Filed on Sep. 22, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/371,936.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-158529 (JP), filed on Sep. 30, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0125878 A1, Apr. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. G01R 33/48 (2006.01); G01R 33/485 (2006.01); G01R 33/50 (2006.01); G01R 33/56 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 33/4828 (2013.01) [G01R 33/485 (2013.01); G01R 33/50 (2013.01); G01R 33/5608 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image processing apparatus comprising:
an image reception unit configured to receive multiple pieces of image data generated from nuclear magnetic resonance signals collected at different echo times, the image data being acquired by a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus; and
a signal separation unit configured to use the multiple pieces of image data and a signal equation to separate signals of multiple metabolites included in a subject, into signals for each metabolite, wherein
the signal separation unit performs a first estimation process of estimating a value of one or more of multiple variables included in the signal equation, and a second estimation process of estimating values of other variables by using the value being estimated, thereby performing signal separation of the multiple metabolites,
the signal separation unit comprises a process selection unit configured to select in the second estimation process, either of an estimation process using a first signal model and an estimation process using a second signal model; the first signal model being the signal model where a phase of a water signal and a phase of another metabolite when the echo time is zero, are set to the same value, and the second signal model being the signal model where the phase of the water signal and the phase of said another metabolite when the echo time is zero, are set to values different from each other, and
the process selection unit selects either of the estimation process using the first signal model and the estimation process using the second signal model depending on the number of images at different echo times, which are used in the signal separation process.