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#14 - A motion correction method to reduce MRI artifacts during brain inspection
LongTitle: Movement correction in MRI Using a Camera
NIH Reference No.: E-144-2008
Executive Summary
General Description
A ballpark of 100 billion dollars a year is spent on medical imaging in the US alone. Imaging techniques, such as MRI, are essential to correctly diagnose a range of diseases by producing cross-sectional views of the body without damaging the living tissue. The availability of MRI units has rapidly increased worldwide over the past decade. In 2009, 91.2 MRI scans per 1,000 populations in the US were reported.
Progress in science and medical technologies continues to transform health care delivery and to improve quality of life. The invention relates to a device and method that may provide great improvements in the area of interventional MRI and increase its sensitivity. Motion artifacts continue to be a significant problem in MRI of human brain. Prospective motion correction based on external tracking systems has been proposed to ameliorate this issue. However, the calibration of these systems is very complicated and time consuming, as it requires a camera system calibration as well as a calibration between camera and MRI system using dedicated phantoms. An alternative motion correction method for MRI that does not require calibration and can work with just a single video camera has been developed. This technology can be broadly applied in MRI to account for motion artifacts in order to improve acquisition time and provide enhanced resolution. This technique will provide a needed method to obtain reliable MRI scans for children without the need and expense of multiple scans.
Scientific Progress
There is a need for improved MRI images of the brain. This technique may help to eliminate failed MRI scans and the need for rescanning patients. The increased quality of the MRI with head movement will make it easier to acquire brain images of children. This technology is an improvement over the current clinical technique which utilizes a mouth piece to track and correct for head movements. This new technique adds a few minutes for the training procedure, otherwise does not lengthen the time needed to collect the images. This method has been tested and proven successful in human subjects.
Future Direction
Strengths
Weakness
Patent Status
PCT Application PCT/US09/40948 filed April 17, 2009 with US (#12/937,852) and EU (#09731954.5) applications filed October 14, 2010.
Publication
JH Duyn, P van Gelderen, TQ Li, JA de Zwart, AP Koretsky, M Fukunaga. High-field MRI of brain cortical substructure based on signal phase. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2007 Jul 10;104(28):11796-17801. PubMed abs
TQ Li, P van Gelderen, H Merkle, L Talagala, AP Koretsky, J Duyn. Extensive heterogeneity in white matter intensity in high-resolution T2*-weighted MRI of the human brain at 7.0 T. Neuroimage. 2006 Sep;32(3):1032-1040. PubMed abs
Inventor Bio
Jozef Duyn (NINDS)
Dr. Duyn received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in physics at the University of Delft, Holland where he was involved with the development of X-ray diffraction techniques, as well as the early development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). During his postdoctoral assignments at the University of California, San Francisco, and at NIH, his research focused on the study of human brain physiology, as measured by spectroscopic and functional MRI techniques. Dr. Duyn moved to NINDS in 2000.
NIH Reference No.: E-144-2008
Executive Summary
- Invention Type: Class II Device
- Patent Status: US Application No. 61/045,782, PCT Application No. PCT/US09/40948, US Application No. 12/937,852 - US and EU applications filed October 14, 2010
- LINK: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19526503; http://www.ott.nih.gov/technology/e-144-20080
- NIH Reference Number: E-144-2008
- NIH Institute or Center: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
- Disease focus: Imaging/MRI
- Basis of Invention: Hardware
- How it works: Device and method that provides an alternative motion correction method for MRI that does not require calibration and can work with just a single camera
- Lead Inventors: Lei Qin (NINDS) and Jeff Duyn (NINDS)
- Development Stage: Proof of principle has been demonstrated on a prototype device
- Novelty: New system and method for motion correction
General Description
A ballpark of 100 billion dollars a year is spent on medical imaging in the US alone. Imaging techniques, such as MRI, are essential to correctly diagnose a range of diseases by producing cross-sectional views of the body without damaging the living tissue. The availability of MRI units has rapidly increased worldwide over the past decade. In 2009, 91.2 MRI scans per 1,000 populations in the US were reported.
Progress in science and medical technologies continues to transform health care delivery and to improve quality of life. The invention relates to a device and method that may provide great improvements in the area of interventional MRI and increase its sensitivity. Motion artifacts continue to be a significant problem in MRI of human brain. Prospective motion correction based on external tracking systems has been proposed to ameliorate this issue. However, the calibration of these systems is very complicated and time consuming, as it requires a camera system calibration as well as a calibration between camera and MRI system using dedicated phantoms. An alternative motion correction method for MRI that does not require calibration and can work with just a single video camera has been developed. This technology can be broadly applied in MRI to account for motion artifacts in order to improve acquisition time and provide enhanced resolution. This technique will provide a needed method to obtain reliable MRI scans for children without the need and expense of multiple scans.
Scientific Progress
There is a need for improved MRI images of the brain. This technique may help to eliminate failed MRI scans and the need for rescanning patients. The increased quality of the MRI with head movement will make it easier to acquire brain images of children. This technology is an improvement over the current clinical technique which utilizes a mouth piece to track and correct for head movements. This new technique adds a few minutes for the training procedure, otherwise does not lengthen the time needed to collect the images. This method has been tested and proven successful in human subjects.
Future Direction
- Besides MRI, this technique may also be applied to PET and SPECT scan
Strengths
- The invention has potential diagnostic capabilities
- The technology can reduce the time of scans
- The technology can result in more reliable scans, eliminating the need to rescan patients
- The system is compatible with interventional MRI devices
Weakness
- Competitive methodologies also in research stages
Patent Status
PCT Application PCT/US09/40948 filed April 17, 2009 with US (#12/937,852) and EU (#09731954.5) applications filed October 14, 2010.
Publication
JH Duyn, P van Gelderen, TQ Li, JA de Zwart, AP Koretsky, M Fukunaga. High-field MRI of brain cortical substructure based on signal phase. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2007 Jul 10;104(28):11796-17801. PubMed abs
TQ Li, P van Gelderen, H Merkle, L Talagala, AP Koretsky, J Duyn. Extensive heterogeneity in white matter intensity in high-resolution T2*-weighted MRI of the human brain at 7.0 T. Neuroimage. 2006 Sep;32(3):1032-1040. PubMed abs
Inventor Bio
Jozef Duyn (NINDS)
Dr. Duyn received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in physics at the University of Delft, Holland where he was involved with the development of X-ray diffraction techniques, as well as the early development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). During his postdoctoral assignments at the University of California, San Francisco, and at NIH, his research focused on the study of human brain physiology, as measured by spectroscopic and functional MRI techniques. Dr. Duyn moved to NINDS in 2000.