Patent ID: 9207299
Filing Date: 2015-12-08
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus configured for use with a separate heating device which heats a specific region of an object to be examined in addition to any heat that may be inherently generated therein by an MR imaging process, said MRI apparatus comprising: MRI system components including at least one radio frequency (RF) coil coupled to an imaging volume within a static field magnet and gradient field coils, and an MRI computer system coupled to control said components, said MRI computer system programmed to: execute a plurality of successive MRI data acquisition scan operations wherein gradient fields and RF fields are applied to the object placed in the imaging volume and receive magnetic resonance RF signals generated in a specific region of the object; control the plurality of MRI data acquisition scan operations in synchronism with each of successive heating cycles by the separate heating device; and generate measurement temperature data based on phase differences between magnetic resonance RF signals obtained by the plurality of MRI data acquisition scan operations; wherein the plurality of MRI data acquisition scan operations are executed at least twice in a single heating cycle period and said magnetic resonance RF signals are received at different timings in synchronization with heating cycles by the separate heating device, and (a) a reference temperature change pattern is generated based upon phase differences between said received magnetic resonance RF signals at the different timings, said reference temperature change pattern corresponding to a temperature change of the specific region with respect to a heating cycle by the separate heating device, and (b) a temperature change relating to the specific region is subsequently estimated based upon (i) the reference temperature change pattern and (ii) the measurement temperature data.