Patent ID: 6275035
Filing Date: 2001-08-14
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
A method for producing an imaging plane of a structure of interest positioned in a MRI system, the steps comprising:(a) interactively moving in real-time through planar sections of the structure of interest;(b) selecting in real time a first point in a planar section of said structure;(c) selecting in real time a second point in a planar section of the structure of interest;(d) selecting in real time a third point in a planar section of the structure of interest;(e) determining in real time a new imaging plane containing the three selected points;(f) determining in real time the center of the new imaging plane by finding the centroid of a triangle defined by the three points;(g) sending the imaging plane geometry directly and immediately to the MRI system to generate a new imaging plane of the structure of interest;(h) sending the new imaging plane in-plane offsets directly and immediately to the MRI system to optimally position the new imaging plane on the structure of interest relative to the selected points;(i) determining in real time the in-plane orientation of the new imaging plane and aligning such new imaging plane for display while the MRI system is scanning; and(j) displaying said new imaging plane.