Patent ID: 9095272
Filing Date: 2015-08-04
Classification: A61B,G01R

Abstract:
1. A method to excite a magnetization for generation of time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance (MR) angiography images, said method comprising the steps of: providing a computer with an electronic input that designates a target volume comprising multiple planar slices in an examination subject in which magnetization is to be excited for generation of TOF MR angiography images, said target volume containing a vessel that proceeds in respective vessel directions in the respective planar slices, said vessel directions being unknown in said computer at a time of said electronic input; in said computer executing a programmed algorithm in which a position of the vessel in each of said multiple planar slices is determined, and in which, from the respective positions, the vessel direction in which the vessel proceeds in each of said multiple planar slices is then determined, as a determined vessel direction; and from said computer, emitting control signals to a magnetic resonance system that operate a radio-frequency emitter and a gradient controller of the magnetic resonance system in coordination with each other to acquire MR signals from said target volume by exciting magnetization in said multiple planar slices to give magnetization in said vessel in each planar slice a flip angle gradient along the respective vessel direction of the vessel in the respective planar slice that is set, individually for each planar slice, dependent on the determined vessel direction of the vessel in the respective planar slice, so as to cause said MR signals to be of a substantially uniform signal strength throughout said target volume in said TOF MR angiography images.