Signal coding and structure modeling for imaging

Abstract

A technology is provided for multi-component and/or multi-configuration imaging with coding, signal composition, signal model, structure model, structure model learning, decoding, reconstruction, performance prediction and performance enhancement. A magnetic resonance imaging example comprises acquiring signal samples in accordance with a coding scheme and a k-space sampling scheme, identifying a structure model in a data assembly formed using an extraction operation, and generating a result consistent with both the acquired signal samples and the identified structure model.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer implemented method of imaging an object, in an imaging system, comprising:
 a. devising a coding means for modifying the probing that a plurality of components of said object experience during imaging,   b. executing a set of procedures which causes said plurality of components to experience diverse probing via said coding means and to create at least one composite signal,   c. acquiring said at least one composite signal,   d. processing said at least one composite signal and reconstructing at least one image, said processing and reconstructing comprising resolving contributions from said plurality of components,   
       whereby said coding, processing and reconstructing enable a substantially integral treatment of said plurality of components and facilitate enhancement of imaging performance. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said coding means comprises marking said components with modulating weights, said modulating weights being selected from the group comprising phase-modulating weights, amplitude-modulating weights, and phase- and amplitude-modulating weights. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said set of procedures causes to create said at least one composite signal by effecting combination of experiments and superposition of signals thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said imaging system is a magnetic resonance imaging system, said reconstructing is in a space of at least one of spatial, spectral and other characteristic dimensions, and said reconstructing comprises an image reconstruction scheme taking into account said coding. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said coding means causes said plurality of components to experience varying effects due to at least one from the group consisting radio-frequency field, gradient field, B0 field and imaging sequence timing. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said plurality of components comprises slices distributed in spatial dimensions and said reconstructing comprises spatial mapping. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said coding means comprises marking said components with modulating weights via field manipulation means, said field manipulation means including at least one from the group comprising radio-frequency excitation, gradient pulsing and B0 field shimming. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said field manipulation means effects reduced sampling requirement and acceleration of imaging. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said field manipulation means effects field-of-view packing. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further including at least one of predicting noise level of said at least one image and performing optimization of the setup for said imaging. 
     
     
         11 . A computer implemented imaging method, in an imaging system, comprising:
 a. identifying a signal model, said signal model relating signal samples detected during imaging to at least one underlying image,   b. conducting imaging and acquiring a data set comprising said signal samples,   c. forming a data assembly by applying an extraction operation to said data set or a functionally equivalent data set or both,   d. determining a structure model by learning from said data assembly, said structure model capturing a resemblance amongst or redundancy within elements selected from the group comprising said at least one underlying image and images obtained from additional imaging configurations,   e. generating a result consistent with said signal samples and said structure model, said result being selected from the group comprising a spectrum, a set of spectra, an image, a set of images, a map, a set of maps, a score, a set of scores, and a physical quantity distribution,   
       whereby said method facilitates improvements in imaging speed and image utility. 
     
     
         12 . The computer implemented imaging method of  claim 11  wherein said identifying a structure model is finding a mathematical representation selected from the group comprising a vector space, a basis, a matrix, a set of maps, a set of weights, a set of networks, a set of operators and a set of functions. 
     
     
         13 . The computer implemented method of  claim 11  wherein said finding a result comprises solving an optimization problem, said optimization problem having cost terms selected from the group comprising deviation from said structure model, deviation from said signal model, and deviation from models that capture additional knowledge. 
     
     
         14 . The computer implemented method of  claim 11  wherein said finding a result comprises solving a set of equations, said set of equations being selected from the group comprising expressions of constraints due to said structure model, expressions of constraints due to said signal model, and expressions of constraints derived from physics, statistics and other knowledge. 
     
     
         15 . The computer implemented imaging method of  claim 11  wherein said signal model comprises a mathematical representation of coding, said coding modifying the probing that a plurality of components experience during their imaging. 
     
     
         16 . The computer implemented imaging method of  claim 11  wherein said imaging system is a magnetic resonance imaging system and said structure model captures a resemblance in the form of relative image shading. 
     
     
         17 . The computer implemented imaging method of  claim 16  wherein said acquiring a data set is at least one operation from the group comprising detecting magnetic resonance signals with parallel radio-frequency receive channels, detecting magnetic resonance signals in a sequence of experiments each using a predetermined subset of parallel radio-frequency transmit channels, detecting magnetic resonance signals in separate experiments characterized by varying image contrast or echo timing or both. 
     
     
         18 . The computer implemented method of  claim 11  wherein said generating a result uses a strategy comprising at least one of reducing whole problem into a set of smaller problems and performing a substantial amount of computation before completion of said acquiring a data set, whereby said strategy facilitates minimization of delay in generating said result. 
     
     
         19 . A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, comprising:
 a. a hardware system for performing magnetic resonance signal excitation and detection,   b. a computer system electrically connected to said hardware system, comprising:
 at least one display; 
 at least one processor; and 
 computer readable media, comprising:
 computer readable code for applying said magnetic resonance signal excitation and detection, 
 computer readable code, comprising a k-space sampling scheme or a coding scheme or both, for methodically acquiring a data set comprising magnetic resonance signal samples, 
 computer readable code for forming a data assembly by applying an extraction operation to said data set or a functionally equivalent data set or both, computer readable code for determining a structure model in said data assembly, 
 computer readable code for generating a result consistent with said signal samples and said structure model, and 
 computer readable code for displaying said result on said at least one display.