Patent ID: 7561910
Filing Date: 2009-07-14
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A method for automatically determining a supported position of a patient in a magnetic resonance apparatus, comprising the steps of: prior to obtaining a medically diagnostic magnetic resonance image of a patient with the entirety of the patient in a predetermined diagnostic image overall orientation relative to a magnetic resonance apparatus, at a time selected from the group consisting of during insertion of a patient into the magnetic resonance apparatus and after insertion of a patient into the magnetic resonance apparatus, acquiring three non-medically-diagnostic magnetic resonance orthogonal localizer exposures of the patient; automatically electronically analyzing said three orthogonal localizer exposures to identify at least one anatomical marker that has a location in at least one of said three orthogonal localizer exposures that is determinative of an overall orientation of the entirety the patient in the magnetic resonance apparatus; and from said at least one anatomical marker, automatically identifying said overall orientation of the entirety of the patient relative to the magnetic resonance apparatus to insure conformity with said predetermined diagnostic image overall orientation of the subject.