Patent ID: 7521930

Claim:
A method for accelerating magnetic resonance (MR) temperature imaging for monitoring high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy, comprising the steps of: conducting a HIFU therapy procedure on a subject situated in an MR imaging apparatus, by emitting high intensity focused ultrasound into the subject from a focus; operating said MR imaging apparatus in an MR temperature imaging sequence to determine temperature changes at said focus during said HIFU therapy procedure, said MR temperature imaging sequence including acquiring MR temperature imaging data and entering said data into k-space by sampling k-space with a variable density; automatically electronically determining an ideal acceleration rate for said sampling of k-space dependent on said temperature changes at said focus; adjusting said variable density sampling of k-space according to the determined ideal acceleration rate; and reconstructing a temperature image of the subject from the MR temperature imaging data entered into k-space.