Patent ID: 6505063
Filing Date: 2003-01-07
Classification: A61B,G01R,Y10S

Abstract:
A diagnostic imaging system, notably a magnetic resonance imaging system comprising:a receiver antenna for picking-up magnetic resonance signals; an ultrasound probe for receiving ultrasound echoes; and a reconstruction unit for reconstructing a diagnostic image from the magnetic resonance signals and the ultrasound echoes, the reconstruction unit combining the magnetic resonance signals and the ultrasound echoes to form a combined image corresponding to the diagnostic image, wherein the reconstruction unit is further configured to reconstruct a magnetic resonance image from the magnetic resonance signals, reconstruct a preliminary ultrasound image from the ultrasound echoes, and derive the diagnostic image from the preliminary ultrasound image and the magnetic resonance image, wherein the reconstruction unit is still further configured to register the magnetic resonance image and the preliminary ultrasound image with respect to one another in a common coordinate system, and derive the diagnostic image from the registered resonance image and the registered ultrasound image, and wherein the reconstruction unit is still further configured to correct the preliminary ultrasound image on the basis of the magnetic resonance image so as to form a corrected ultrasound image as the diagnostic image.