Mri display output reflecting contrast agent concentration as a function of time

Abstract

A magnetic resonant imaging (MRI) review workstation includes a control processor, and a display integrated or otherwise operatively coupled with the control processor, wherein the control processor is configured to receive and analyze magnetic resonant imaging information pertaining to an imaged volume of tissue, and to cause to be displayed on the display output information that reflects or is otherwise indicative of an absorption rate of a contrast agent in the volume of tissue.

1 . A magnetic resonant imaging (MRI) review workstation, comprising:
 a control processor; and   a display integrated or otherwise operatively coupled with the control processor,   wherein the control processor is configured to receive and analyze magnetic resonant imaging information pertaining to an imaged volume of tissue, and to cause to be displayed on the display output information that reflects or is otherwise indicative of an absorption rate of a contrast agent in the volume of tissue, wherein the displayed output information is derived from a signal enhancement ratio for the tissue volume that has been normalized to take into account an actual absorption rate of the contrast agent in the tissue volume.   
     
     
         2 . The MRI review workstation of  claim 1 , wherein the control processor is configured to cause the output information to be displayed during acquisition of the imaging information. 
     
     
         3 . The MRI review workstation of  claim 1 , wherein the control processor computes the normalized signal enhancement ratio for the tissue volume as a function of time based, at least in part, upon a pre-contrast relaxation value of the tissue volume. 
     
     
         4 . The MRI review workstation of  claim 3 , wherein the pre-contrast relaxation value of the tissue volume is a value obtained using a reference tissue method, wherein the reference tissue is pectoral muscle tissue or local fatty tissue, and the tissue volume is breast tissue. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The MRI review workstation of  claim 3 , wherein the pre-contrast relaxation value of the patient tissue volume is a value obtained by direct measurement prior to introduction of the contrast agent into the tissue volume. 
     
     
         7 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The MRI review workstation of  claim 1 , wherein the control processor computes the normalized signal enhancement ratio based, at least in part, upon a pre-contrast relaxation value of the tissue volume. 
     
     
         10 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The MRI review workstation of  claim 1 , wherein the control processor is configured to cause to be displayed an absolute value of absorption of the contrast agent in the tissue volume. 
     
     
         15 . The MRI review workstation of  claim 1 , wherein the output information provides an indication of whether or not a wash out of the contrast agent occurred in the tissue volume during acquisition of the imaging information, regardless of a particular imaging system or imaging protocol employed to acquire the imaging information. 
     
     
         16 . A system to facilitate a review and analysis of magnetic resonant imaging information, comprising:
 at least one machine, the at least one machine respectively including a processor communicatively coupled to a storage device storing computer-executable instructions, which instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate as:   a record module configured to acquire magnetic resonant imaging information pertaining to a volume of tissue; and   a processing module configured to analyze magnetic resonant imaging information pertaining to a volume of tissue received by the record module, and to cause to be displayed on a display that is integrated or otherwise operatively coupled with the control processor output information that reflects or is otherwise indicative of an absorption rate of a contrast agent in the volume of tissue, wherein the displayed output information is derived from a signal enhancement ratio for the tissue volume that has been normalized to take into account an actual absorption rate of the contrast agent in the tissue volume.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the processing module is configured to cause the output information to be displayed during acquisition of the imaging information. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the processing module is configured to compute the signal enhancement ratio for the tissue volume as a function of time based, at least in part, upon a pre-contrast relaxation value of the tissue volume. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The MRI review workstation of  claim 16 , wherein the output information provides an indication of whether or not a wash out of the contrast agent occurred in the tissue volume during acquisition of the imaging information, regardless of a particular imaging system or imaging protocol employed to acquire the imaging information. 
     
     
         21 . A method for acquiring and evaluating magnetic resonant imaging (MRI) information, comprising:
 acquiring MRI information of a volume of tissue over a period of time;   using a processor to analyze the acquired MRI information; and   displaying, on a display integrated or otherwise operatively coupled with the processor, output information that reflects or is otherwise indicative of an absorption rate of a contrast agent in the volume of tissue during the period of time, wherein the displayed output information is derived from a signal enhancement ratio for the tissue volume that has been normalized to take into account an actual absorption rate of the contrast agent in the tissue volume.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , comprising displaying the output information on the display during acquisition of the imaging information. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the processor computes the normalized signal enhancement ratio as a function of time based, at least in part, upon a pre-contrast relaxation value of the tissue volume. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the pre-contrast relaxation value of the tissue volume is a value obtained using a reference tissue method, wherein the reference tissue is pectoral muscle tissue or local fatty tissue, and the tissue volume is breast tissue. 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the pre-contrast relaxation value of the patient tissue volume is a value obtained by direct measurement prior to introduction of the contrast agent into the tissue volume. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the pre-contrast relaxation value of the tissue volume is based on a predetermined approximation. 
     
     
         28 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 21 , comprising displaying on the display an absolute value of absorption of the contrast agent in the tissue volume. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the output information provides an indication of whether or not a wash out of the contrast agent occurred in the tissue volume during acquisition of the imaging information, regardless of a particular imaging system or imaging protocol employed to acquire the imaging information. 
     
     
         36 . (canceled)