Patent ID: 6984981
Filing Date: 2006-01-10
Classification: A61B,G01R

Abstract:
1. A method of forming an isotropic, high-resolution, three-dimensional diagnostic image of a subject from two-dimensional image data, the method comprising: (a) scanning the subject with an imaging scanner device, in a first direction relative to the subject, in order to take image data of a first plurality of slices, the image data of the first plurality of slices being two-dimensional image data and having a low resolution in the first direction and a high resolution in directions orthogonal to the first direction; (b) scanning the subject with said imaging scanner device in a second direction relative to the subject, which is different from the first direction in order to take image data of a second plurality of slices, the image data of the second plurality of slices being two-dimensional image data having at least one dimension substantially in common with the image data of the first plurality of slices and having a low resolution in the second direction and a high resolution in directions orthogonal to the second direction; (c) registering the first plurality of slices with the second plurality of slices to define a matrix of isotropic, high-resolution voxels in image space, wherein the matrix has unknown high-resolution voxel values; and (d) solving for the unknown high-resolution voxel values in the matrix defined in step (c) in accordance with the image data taken in steps (a) and (b) in order to form the isotropic high-resolution three-dimensional diagnostic image in the image space, wherein steps (a) and (b) are performed with magnetic resonance imaging.