A time-clustered cardio-respiratory encoder and method for clustering cardio-respiratory signals

Abstract: The invention pertains to a method and its implementation in an encoder for retrospectively cluste­ ring NMR k-space measurement profiles in the cardiac phase respiratory phase plane, which method and encoder function to: 1) reduce cardio-vascular and respiratory flow motion image artifacts, and 2) to characterized quantita­ tively cardiac structure/function both with and without imaging.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION . Field of the Invention . This invention pertains generally to the field of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tomography and in particular to retrospective clustering and analysis of NMR k-space measurements in the cardiac phase - respiratory phase plane. The processing system and method effect the reduction of cardio-vascular and respiratory flow motion artifacts in images and the quantitative characterization of cardiac structure and function both with and without imaging. Description of the Prior Art . NMR spectroscopy, the process of analyzing a small sample in a uniform magnetic field and obtaining radio frequency data resulting from precisely pulsed radio frequency excitation, were invented by Bloch and Purcell. In the past 16 years, NMR analysis by spectroscopy has shifted from physical chemistry to biological chemistry and biological medical applications; i.e., biopsy samples of normal and diseased tissues. Lauterbur and Damadian and others separately invented the utilization of NMR principles to produce and image. (R. Damadian, Science 171,1151, 1971; P.C. Lauterbur, Nature 242, 190, 1973 and P.C. Lauterbur, Pure and Applied Chemistry, 40, 149, 1974). The resulting devices, NMR imaging systems, produced two deminsional and three dimensional data in which the gray scale represented is a function of a number of parameters, including for example the three parameters nuclide density, T₁ (longitudinal relaxation time) and T₂ (transverse relaxation time) especially in an anatomical image. NMR imaging techniques are disclosed, for example, in "Proton NMR Tomography" P.R. Locher, Philips Technical Review, Vol. 41, 1983/84, No. 3, pages 73-88, the contents of which are referred to herein as a background of NMR imaging technology. In vivo NMR imaging of biological tissue is rendered more difficult by movement of the biological tissue. This is especially true for example, in cardiac NMR imaging, as a result of the heartbeat. In order to prevent blurring and movement artifacts in cardiac NMR imaging, it is known to synchronize the measurements to the patients E.C.G., for example, as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,409,550, Fossel et al and U.S. Patent No. 4,413,233, Fossel et al. The noninvasive character of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging and the absence of obscuration by bone structures makes it a desirable technique for heart imaging. The relatively long scan times needed, however, give rise to motion artifacts. Synchronization of the imaging sequences to the heart cycle can greatly reduce these artifacts. The capability of imaging in any phase of the cardiac cycle makes it possible to use NMR for volumetric measurements from end-systole and end-diastole images. Also, the evaluation of motion is possible by displaying images from consecutive phases in a movie loop. The use and benefits of NMR imaging for displaying the anatomy of the heart and great vessels, both untriggered and electrocardiogram (ECG) triggered is well known. Apart from showing fine anatomical details in the heart, NMR heart imaging holds promise to tissue characterization as well, important for the detection and sizing of infarcts. Using velocity images, heart wall motion and blood flow speeds can also be quantitated with NMR imaging. In the two-dimensional Fourier transform (2DFT) imaging method used, the NMR image is reconstructed from time signals by a complex 2DFT. For a 128 x 128 pixel image matrix, the signals are obtained in 128 consecutive imaging sequences. For heart imaging, each sequence is triggered by a pulse derived from the R-wave of the patient's ECG. The delay of this pulse determines the imaging phase in the cardiac cycle. Each sequence consists of a series of radiofrequency (RF) and magnetic field gradient pulses, respectively, for evoking a signal and providing spatial information in the signal. A gradient magnetic field applied after an RF excitation pulse (90° pulse) makes the spins at different locations in the excited slice precess at different frequencies. The spins start to dephase with respect to the resonant frequency phase. For a given location the associated phase shift is proportional to the gradient amplitude and the time it is active. There is, in addition, a difference in phase shift for stationary spins and moving spins. For spins moving uniformly in the direction of the gradient, an extra term is added that is directly proportional to the velocity in the gradient direction. The present invention pertains to an improved method and system for correlating NMR data with data from cardiac/respiratory monitors commonly used for conventional cardiac triggering and respiratory gating. Many approaches to this problem have been tried in the prior art. NMR data collection has been started at fixed delays after the ECG R-wave, with possible rejection of abnormal R-R intervals. Typically, in the known arrangements, each data collection is started at some fixed time delay after the R-peak. In a multiple slice study, data collection continues close to the next R-peak. If the heart beats regularly, each measurement will take place at the same phase in the cardiac cycle. In the event of arrhythmia, however, deviations of the heart's position will occur for some of the data collection, thereby giveing rise to blurring and movement artifacts. Such arrhythmia will further lead to a variation in the repetition time TR, resulting in an increased noise level and degradation of the precision of the T₁ measurements, as well as degrading its general image quality of the primary images, as noted by C. Galonad, D.J. Drost, S.S. Prato and G. Wisen berg, SMRM, Vol. 2, 1985. It is well known in nuclear medicine that rejection of data collection taken during and immediately after an arrhythmia improves image quality and consistency. In the past, however, it has been difficult to effect such data in a simple and efficacious manner. Respiratory cycle timed NMR k-space sampling has also been utilized. In US-A-4,545,384 a method for sampling of k-space with respect to the respiratory cycle is disclosed. In this method NMR data are sampled synchronously with a selected position of the slice in the respiratory cycle, wherein the position of the slice in the respiratory cycle is derived from the amplitude of the NMR-signal. Subsequently an image of the slice in the selected position of the respiratory cycle can be reconstructed from the sampled data. However, discarding abnormal physiological cycles, or physiological cycle correlated sampling of k-space may actually cause abnormalities to be missed, which would defeat the diagnostic purpose of an NMR scan. Because of R-R variation, cardiac triggering is less effective at the end of a heart cycle when coronaries fill and the pre-R-wave shape of the heart may give clues to contraction abnormalities. The prior art approaches tend to be complicated combinations of slices, phases, triggers, delays, windows and data rejection and reordering imposed on the NMR data collection, causing problems with uncertain heart phasing, limited time resolution, and nonuniform spin saturation. The present invention is designed to overcome these problems. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION. The time-clustered cardio-respiratory encoder of the present invention is a microcomputer based system which collects cardiac (C) R-wave time, respiratory (R) diaphragm position, and NMR data acquisition (A) timing data in parallel with free running image collection on a standard magnetic resonance imager. After the raw data equivalent of multiple images has been collected, the C-A-R phase timing data are uploaded from a microcomputer to the minicomputer of the scanner for use in clustering the raw data into a new data set, one image equivalent for each cardio-respiratory (C-R) phase combination desired. The position of an NMR profile in the normalized C-R phase plane determines the clustered image in which it will fall, i.e. which cardiac phase-respiratory phase combination. The clustered raw data are then filled and filtered to compensate for the nonuniform k-space sampling, and, finally, reconstructed with ordinary 2D or 3D Fourier Transform Techniques. A method of processing image data with respect to a cardiac-respiratory cycle is known per se in a publication Dual Gated Nuclear Cardiac Images of I.G. Zubal et al, published in IEEE Transactions in Nuclear Science, Vol NS-31, No 1, February 1984. In this method, related to nuclear medicine, data at full expiration are selected and separated in 8 bins distributed of the heart cycle, each bin corresponding to a different heart phase. Data at corresponding phases in different cycles is then summed for better resolution. Accordingly, the combination of data is applied to improve resolution. The method according to the present invention relates to NMR, which is a completely different technique. In the method sufficient NMR-data is sampled, independent of the Cardiac-Respiratory (C-R) phase to fill the k-space several times. Simultaneously with each profile the C-R phase is recorded. Subsequently, MR data are combined belonging to the same C-R phase. The resulting k-space is filled in a non-uniform way. Filling and filtering of the raw data is then applied to compensate, whereafter an image can be reconstructed. To obtain two multiple profile images, intended to show the heart at two different phases in its cycle, using the present invention one can obtain a time clustered image showing, for example, the first fifth of the cardiac cycle from all the profiles taken during the first fifth of their respective R-R interval and a time clustered image showing the fourth fifth of the cardiac cycle from the profiles taken during the fourth fifth of their respective R-R interval. The system is easily implemented with any NMR system and can be used with any pulse sequence. It requires only readily available output signals from the standard cardiac/respiratory monitors commonly used for conventional cardiac triggering and respiratory gating, and software parameter modifications to accommodate different pulse sequences, along with a timing signal from the scanner. The object of the invention is a simple, flexible system for retrospectively clustering and analyzing NMR k-space measurement profiles in the cardiac phase-respiratory phase plane to: 1) reduce cardio-vascular and respiratory flow/motion image artifacts, and 2) to quantitatively characterize cardiac structure/function both with and without imaging. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS. Figure 1 is a functional block diagram showing the time clustered cardio-respiratory encoder of the present invention within a cardiac diagnostic system; Figure 2 is a hardware block diagram of the time clustered cardio-respiratory encoder of the invention within an NMR cardiac diagnostic system; Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of the method steps used in the time clustered cardio-respiratory encoder of the present invention; Figure 4A is a plot showing the relationship of time clustered images to cardiac triggered images; Figure 4B is a two dimensional clustering array in the normal cardiac and respiratory cycle plane. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT. The invention pertains to a method and its implementation in an encoder for retrospectively clustering NMR k-space measurement profiles in the cardiac phase respiratory phase plane, which method and encoder function to: 1) reduce cardio-vascular and respiratory flow motion, image artifacts, and 2) to characterize quantitatively cardiac structure/function both with and without imaging. Figure 1 presents an overview of the time clustered cardio-respiratory encoder (TCCRE) of the present invention, while Figure 2 illustrates the hardware used and Figure 3 emphasizes the functional use of the encoder and the method. Referring to the figures, cardiac (C) time, respiratory (R) time of diaphragm position, and NMR data acquisition (A) cycle marker data are collected by a microcomputer (1) in parallel with free running, preferably steady state, image collection on a standard magnetic resonance imager (2). After collecting the raw data equivalent of multiple images, the C-A-R phase marker data are uploaded from the microcomputer to the minicomputer (3) of the NMR scanner for use in C-R plane clustering of the image raw data. The position of the NMR profile in the normalized C-R phase plane is determined and then clustered into a new set of data, one image equivalent for each desired C-R phase combination. These raw data are then filled and filtered to compensate for the nonuniform k-space sampling, and finally reconstructed. The method of the present invention as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 is as follows: 1. Collect NMR profiles from a free running, possibly velocity encoded pulse sequence, simultaneously collecting digitized ECG signal: P (k_x, k_y, k_z, t) and ECG ( t )→ECG_j (t); j_th heart cycle. 2. Use a technique, similar to that used for serial nuclear medicine data, to sort the signal profiles into normalized heart cycle time bins appropriate to the available signals to noise, i.e. using time of the profile minus the time of the previous R-wave, all divided by the time of the following R-wave minus the time of the previous R-wave to determine the time bin in which the profile should be put. The profile position in the respiratory cycle is determined the same way P_i ( k_x, k_y, k_z, t ) ; i_th phase of heart cycle t_i-1 < t < t_i. These data form a set of (velocity) images, one for each heart cycle phase time bin, selected for moving heart tissure, but each image of the set possibly covering k-space incompletely, and a little differently. 3. Fit the data to a parameterized dynamic heart model, while still in frequency space. 4. Fill, filter and transform this data using a discrete, nonuniform, Fourier Tranform to overcome the nonuniform k-space coverage. 5. Display if desired a dynamic simulation (D) of the heart, along with its parameters, on an integrated graphics workstation (W). 6. Update, if desired, the dynamic heart model using the newly reconstructed data. TCCRE images show less flow/motion artifact and better heart visualization than comparably phased triggered images, especially towards the critical latter part of the cardiac cycle where coronary artery filling occurs. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the TCCRE receives digital cardiac R-wave signals, analog or digital respiratory input and NMR data acquisition timing data in parallel. As shown in Figure 3, the time clustered cardiorespiratory encoder integrates all NMR and physiological (PD) data, (e.g. cardiac ECG and respiratory signals) that can be collected during a scan or observation period with mathematical cardiac structure/function models (M) and any data from previous time clustered cardio-respiratory encoder "scans" of the patient's heart. The result is as complete a characterization of the heart as possible, both with and without imaging. All the data is collected as quickly and as uniformly as possible, setting up an equilibrium of spin saturation and eddy currents that would make corrections for them along with magnetic field inhomogeneity easier. The integrated data is available for improving image quality or computing desired structure/ function parameters. The output of the system is either a dynamic three dimensional simulation of the heart (D) and/or maximum likelihood fitted cardiac structure-function (CF) characterization parameters ( P ) or images (IM) improved by the reduction of flow-motion artifacts. Referring to Figures 1 and 3, the NMR and physiological timing signals (PD) used are an NMR pulse programmer timing signal (A), the cardiac ECG R-wave (C) and analog diaphragm position respiratory signals (R). These signals are collected throughout the measurement with the microprocessor (1). These data are passed to a minicomputer (3) in which software clusters the NMR k-space profile data in the reference frame of the normalized cardiac and respiratory cycles, the C-R plane. A mathematical model (M) can be applied to the data before and during reconstruction and if desired, the model (M) can be modified with preexisting data. The data processed can be reconstructed into images (IM), which may be displayed, and/or structure/ function parameters ( P ) can be computed. The structure/ function parameters ( P ) can be used to drive a simulation of its beating heart. This is schematically illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. The system is used for retrospectively clustering continuously collected NMR data with the ECG R-wave signal and digitized respiratory signal in the normalized C-R plane for the purpose of improving image quality. The diagram shown in Fig. 4A illustrates the collection of two 64 profile images, intended to show the heart at two different phases in its cycle, with no respiratory clustering. Referring to this diagram, TCCRE clustered image A corresponding to the first 5th of the cycle, would then be formed from profiles: a2,a7,..., and e58. TCCRE clustered image B, corresponding to the fourth 5th of the cycle, would be formed from profiles a5, a9, e63, and e64. The short R2-R3 interval and long R64-R65 interval illustrate the problem with a fixed triggering delay in a variable heart cycle, profile B2 coming from the end of its R-R interval and B64 coming from the middle. If respiratory clustering is desired, each cardaic cluster would be similarly broken down into clusters along the normalized respiratory cycle axis, say a 4 x 3 cardio-respiratory clustering, as shown in Fig. 4B. A system to implement the method of the invention is shown in Figure 2. It includes a M68020 Single Board Computer in VME bus/power supply rack-mount chassis; a 4-8 channel ADC card (ADC); an 8 channel optically isolated digital I/O card (I/O); a digital input LATCH BOX with adjustable latching; a Digital Equipment Corp: VAX/11/750 (3) with array processor (4) based software; Philips' Flexible Reconstruction Package (FLEXIREC) for image reconstruction; and a M68020 based graphics workstation (W) with 3-D analysis and display software.

Claims: A system for retrospective clustering of NMR image data of a part of a body with respect to the phases of substantially periodic cardiac and respiratory cycles comprising: an NMR imager (2) for collecting NMR profiles from the part of the body in a free running image data collection process, each NMR profile corresponding to a line in k-space; collecting means (1) for receiving cardiac R-wave time data (C) from an electrocardiogram device, respiratory diaphragm position data (R) from a respiratory position sensor, and NMR data collection timing data (A) associated with the data collection process of the NMR imager (2); computing means (3) suitably programmed for dividing each successive cardiac and respiratory cycle into time bins indicative of normalized phase intervals of the cardiac and respiratory cycle by using the received cardiac R-wave time data and the received diaphragm position data, and for sorting the collected NMR profiles into said time bins to generate a new data set of image data, comprising image data for each area of the cardio-respiratory (C-R) phase plane, the position of an NMR profile in the normalized C-R phase plane being determined by the normalized cardiac phase interval and respiratory phase interval in which it falls; means to fill and filter the generated data set of image data to compensate for non-uniform k-space sampling; and means to reconstruct a set of images (IM) from the filtered data set of image data, each image associated with one area of the normalized C-R phase plane and formed by deriving a two-dimensional or three-dimensional Fouriertransform of the image data. The system of claim 1 further including: means to store a mathematical structure/function model (M) ;and means to process said data set of image data together with said mathematical model (M) while still in k-space to compute parameters (P) for driving a dynamic simulation of heart functions with said computed parameters and/or to improve the reconstructed images (IM). The system of claim 2 further including means for updating the mathematical model (M) based on the reconstructed data (IM). The system of claims 1,2 or 3 further including a graphic workstation (W) connected to said system, which graphic workstation (W) is suitably programmed for displaying images based on the reconstructed images (IM). A method of retrospectively clustering NMR image data with respect to the phase of a substantially periodic cardiac cycle enabling in-vivo NMR imaging of a part of a body arranged in a substantially uniform, steady magnetic field, comprising the steps of : generating NMR profiles in the body by application of pulse sequences comprising radio frequency pulses and temporary magnetic gradient fields in a free running data collection process, each NMR profile corresponding to a line in k-space; collecting said NMR profiles and at the same time collecting digitized electrocardiogram (ECG) data of successive cardiac cycles and NMR data collection timing data; dividing each successive cardiac cycle into time bins indicative of normalized phase intervals of the cardiac cycle, utilizing said ECG data; sorting said NMR profiles into a one-dimensional array defined by the time bins of the normalized cardiac cycle, while compensating for signal to noise factors, each NMR profile in a time bin corresponding to the normalized phase interval of the cardiac cycle, during which it was collected, and selecting bins which correspond to images of moving heart tissue; the NMR profiles in a bin covering k-space incompletely and slightly differently for each bin; filling and filtering the sorted NMR profiles in the selected bins; reconstructing a set of images of the heart from the filtered NMR profiles, one image for each selected bin, each image formed by deriving a discrete, non-uniform Fouriertransform of the NMR profiles of the corresponding bin, to compensate for non-uniform k-space sampling.

Inventors: BOHNING DARYL EUGENE, BOHNING, DARYL EUGENE
Applicants: PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NA, PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Application year: 1987
Main classification: G01R33
IPC codes: G01R33, G06T11, A61B5, A61B10, G06F17