Patent ID: 6301497
Filing Date: 2001-10-09
Classification: A61B,G01R,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for viewing a structure of interest positioned in a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system, comprising:(a) generating a main MR image having a main scan plane through a main slice of the structure of interest;(b) configuring a main MR imaging pulse sequence of the main MR image to cause a main tip angle in the main slice;(c) displaying the main MR image;(d) generating a first intersecting MR image having a first intersecting scan plane through a first intersecting slice of the structure of interest, wherein the first intersecting scan plane intersects with the main scan plane;(e) configuring a first intersecting MR imaging pulse sequence of the first intersecting MR image to cause a first intersecting tip angle in the first intersecting slice;(f) displaying the first intersecting MR image;(g) generating a second intersecting MR image having a second intersecting scan plane through a second intersecting slice of the structure of interest, wherein the second intersecting scan plane intersects with the main and first intersecting scan planes;(h) configuring a second intersecting MR imaging pulse sequence of the second intersecting MR image to cause a second intersecting tip angle in the second intersecting slice; and(i) displaying the second intersecting MR image,wherein at least one of the first and second intersecting tip angle is smaller than the main tip angle in response to relative values of a time of repetition (TR) of at least one of the main, first intersecting, and second intersecting MR imaging pulse sequence and a T1 relaxation constant of the structure of interest, to minimize an undesirable artifact.