Patent ID: 8352013

Claim:
A method for MR imaging, comprising: acquiring first low-resolution MR image data using an MR scanner during a first heart beat cycle in a pre-scan mode; measuring real-time motion of a coronary artery based on the acquired first low-resolution MR image data using an image processing device; building a model of coronary artery motion based on the measured real-time motion of the coronary artery from the acquired first low-resolution MR image data; tracking a position and predicting a trajectory of the coronary artery within the first particular heart beat cycle that the first low-resolution MR image data was acquired within based on the model of coronary artery motion using a computer system; predicting a first acquisition window based on the tracked position and predicted trajectory of the coronary artery; obtaining first high-resolution MR image data of the coronary artery at the predicted first acquisition window within the first particular heart beat cycle; acquiring second low-resolution MR image data using the MR scanner during a second heart beat cycle; measuring real-time motion of the coronary artery based on the acquired second low-resolution MR image data using the image processing device; updating the model of coronary artery motion based on the measured real-time motion of the coronary artery from the acquired second low-resolution MR image data; tracking a position and predicting a trajectory of the coronary artery within the second particular heart beat cycle based on the updated model of coronary artery motion using a computer system; predicting a second acquisition window based on the tracked position and predicted trajectory of the coronary artery; and obtaining second high-resolution MR image data of the coronary artery at the predicted second acquisition window within the second particular heart beat cycle.