Method and system for performing upright magnetic resonance imaging of various anatomical and physiological conditions

Abstract

Vasculature or parenchyma is imaged using upright MRI techniques, on patients who may have conditions such as congestive heart failure, or otherwise be healthy. When an individual is horizontal, venous drainage is minimized, causing the vessels to remain engorged, also referred to herein as vascular congestion. Vascular congestion results in an enlarging of the vessels and surrounding tissue causing the vessels to be more visible on MRIs. The decrease in vascular visibility in upright subjects is in part, due to an increase in venous drainage. Patients suffering from coronary and/or pulmonary deficiencies (e.g. CHF) experience decreased rates and degrees of venous drainage. In one embodiment, the present invention uses upright imaging to visualize these enlarged vessels.

1 . A method for evaluating vasculature using magnetic resonance imaging, comprising the steps of:
 placing a patient into a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus with the patient in an upright position;   capturing magnetic resonance images of the patient's vasculature; and   evaluating the patient's vasculature based on or more magnetic resonance, signal characteristics of the captured images.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vasculature is lung vasculature. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vasculature is kidney vasculature. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vasculature is liver vasculature. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the evaluation of the patient's vasculature is used to diagnose congestive heart failure. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the signal characteristic is signal intensity. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the signal characteristic is signal frequency. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the signal characteristic is signal amplitude. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the signal characteristic is signal phase. 
     
     
         11 . A method for evaluating parenchyma from magnetic resonance images, comprising the steps of:
 placing a patient into a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus with the patient in an upright position;   capturing magnetic resonance images of the parenchyma of a selected organ or organs; and   using one or more magnetic resonance signal characteristics to evaluate the imaged parenchyma.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the parenchyma is lung parenchyma. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the parenchyma is kidney parenchyma. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the vasculature is liver parenchyma. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the evaluation of the imaged parenchyma is used to diagnose congestive heart failure. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the evaluation of the imaged parenchyma is used to evaluate gravitational effects on the human lungs. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the signal characteristic is signal intensity. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the signal characteristic is signal frequency. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the signal characteristic is signal amplitude. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the signal characteristic is signal phase. 
     
     
         21 . A method for evaluating vasculature and parenchyma from magnetic resonance images, comprising the steps of:
 placing a patient into a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus with the patient in an upright position;   capturing magnetic resonance images of the patient's vasculature and parenchyma of selected a selected organ or organs; and   using one or more magnetic resonance signal characteristics to evaluate the patient's vasculature and parenchyma.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said evaluation of vasculature and parenchyma is used to diagnose congestive heart failure. 
     
     
         23 . A magnetic resonance imaging magnet comprising:
 a magnet frame having a pair of pole faces spaced apart from one another along a horizontal pole axis and defining a patient-receiving space therebetween;   supports holding said frame so that said pole axis is above a floor of a structure so that a patient may enter said patient-receiving space by moving across said floor of said structure;   a magnetic flux generator operable to provide magnetic flux in said patient-receiving space; and   a rotatable patient support rotatable between horizontal position and an upright position, and wherein said patient is supported in an upright position and magnetic resonance images of a patient are obtained in the upright position, the images displaying information useful in determining vasculature or parenchyma.   
     
     
         24 . The magnetic resonance imaging magnet of  claim 23 , wherein said magnetic upright imaging of vasculature and parenchyma is used for imaging the lungs. 
     
     
         25 . The magnetic resonance imaging magnet of  claim 23 , wherein said magnetic upright imaging of said vasculature and said parenchyma is used for diagnosing congestive heart failure.