JPH02302247A - Magnetic resonance video device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the image display processing time until a tomographic image is displayed after image data is reconstructed or an image processing is performed by providing an image memory device accessed by both a fast arithmetic unit and an image display controller. CONSTITUTION:A magnetic resonance signal received from an object 2 is transferred to the fast arithmetic unit 13 as fundamental data for tomographic image reconstruction, and the fast arithmetic unit 13 A/D-converts the magnetic resonance signal, and reconstructs it to the tomographic image, and stores it in the image memory device 17, and transfers it to a CPU 11. Meanwhile, the image display controller 15 takes out the image data in the image memory device 17 by making access in sequence of the data whose reconstruction is completed, and displays it on a display device 20 as the tomographic image. Also, when the image processing for the tomographic image on the display device 20 is started up, the CPH 11 generates a processing start command at the fast arithmetic unit 13, and the fast arithmetic unit 13, after performing a designated image processing on the image data in the image memory device 17, transmits a processing completion command to the image display controller 15. The image display controller 15 displays the image data on the display device 20 as the tomographic image.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for capturing arbitrary tomographic images of a subject using magnetic resonance phenomena, and in particular, to a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus that speeds up image display processing. The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging device.

[Prior art] Conventionally, it has been well known that hydrogen atoms in a living body enter a resonance state at a unique frequency in a static magnetic field to reconstruct an arbitrary tomographic image of a subject and use it for medical diagnosis. Are known.

Figure 2 shows, for example, Mitsubishi Electric Technical Report (Vol. 60. No.
5.1986, pages 37 to 42) is a block diagram showing a conventional magnetic resonance imaging apparatus described in "Mitsubishi Superconducting Magnetic Resonance Imaging System" by Tsuji et al.

In the figure, (1) is a cylindrical magnet made of a superconducting magnet that generates a stable static magnetic field in the Z-axis direction, and a gradient magnet that generates gradient magnetic field pulses in three orthogonal axes (X, Y, Z) directions. It is equipped with a magnetic field coil and an RF coil (not shown) that generates a high-frequency magnetic field pulse (RF pulse).

(2) is a subject (for example, a human body) placed inside the magnet (1), (3) is an examination table for moving and inserting the subject (2) into the magnet (1), and (4) is a gradient magnetic field power source that drives the gradient magnetic field coil in a predetermined sequence, (5) is a transceiver that drives the RF coil and receives the magnetic resonance signal from the subject (2), and (6) is a gradient magnetic field power source (4). ) and a transceiver (5).

(10) is a transceiver (5) and a sequence control device (6).
) is a computer connected to the CPU (11) that generates control commands for the entire computer, and a hard disk (11) that stores processing program data for the CPU (11), control data for the sequence control device (6), etc. 12), a high-speed calculation device (13) that reconstructs image data corresponding to a tomographic image based on the magnetic resonance signals from the transceiver (5), and a high-speed calculation device (13) that is connected to the high-speed calculation device (13) to reconstruct digital image data. an image display control device (15) that performs display processing of image data; and a main memory device (14) connected to the image display control device (15) that stores image data for display. 16), and a bus B that connects a cpU (11), a high-speed arithmetic unit (13), an image display control device (15), and a sequence control device (6).

The sequence control device (6) has a built-in interface for transmitting and receiving control data with the computer (10), and the high-speed calculation device (13) has an AD that converts magnetic resonance signals into digital signals. Built-in converter.

(20) is an image display control device (15) in the computer (1O).
) for displaying tomographic images.

Next, the operation of the conventional magnetic resonance imaging apparatus shown in FIG. 2 will be explained.

First, place the subject (2) on the examination table (3) using a magnet (
1) and inputs control data for obtaining a predetermined tomographic image from the CP IJ (11) to the sequence control device (6) via bus B.

A sequence control device (6) drives a gradient magnetic field power supply (4) and a transceiver (5) based on the control data, and applies gradient magnetic field pulses and RF pulses to the subject (2) in a predetermined sequence. .

As a result, the gradient magnetic field pulse specifies the position and direction of the tomographic plane (2a), and the RF pulse excites atomic nuclei (for example, hydrogen atoms) within the predetermined tomographic plane (2a).

Then, a magnetic resonance signal is received from the subject (2) via, for example, a receiving coil that also serves as an RF coil, and a transceiver (
5) is input to the high-speed arithmetic unit (13).

The above sequence is repeatedly executed while changing the amount of phase encoding of the gradient magnetic field pulse in a predetermined direction.

The high-speed arithmetic unit (13) samples each of the plurality of magnetic resonance signals under the control of the CPU (11), transforms them into digital signals (image data), and calculates a predetermined image of the subject (2) based on this digital signal. reconstruct the tomographic image. The image data thus obtained is stored in the main storage device (14).

On the other hand, the cpu (11) stores the reconstructed image data in the main storage device (14) via the high-speed arithmetic unit (13).
), stores it in the hard disk (12), and transfers it to the image display control device (15).The image display control device (15) stores the transferred image data in the main storage device (16). , display bag! (20) to display the tomographic image.

Next, with respect to the tomographic image displayed on the display device (20),
6. When image processing is activated to explain the case where an operator performs image processing, the CPU (11) first transfers image data corresponding to the image processing to the high-speed arithmetic unit (13). As a result, the high-speed calculation device (13)
The image data is processed on the main storage device (14), and the processed image data is sent back to the CPU (11). Hereinafter, similarly to the above, the CPU (11) displays the sent back image data as an image. The image data is transferred to the control device (15), and the image display control device (15) displays the image data after image processing on the display device (20).

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, the conventional magnetic resonance imaging apparatus has a main memory device (14) belonging to the high-speed arithmetic unit (13) and a main memory device (16) belonging to the image display control device (15). ) are provided individually, so in order to display the image data reconstructed or image-processed by the high-speed arithmetic unit (13) as a tomographic image on the display device (20), the main storage device (14) must be The image data is once sent to the CPU (
11), further transferred from the CPU (11) to the image display control device (15), stored in the main storage device (16), and then transferred to the display device (20).
There is a problem in that image display processing takes a long time.

This invention was made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is a magnetic resonance technology that can shorten the image display processing time from image data reconstruction or image processing to displaying a tomographic image. The purpose is to obtain a video device.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to the present invention is provided with an image storage device that is accessed by both a high-speed calculation device and an image display control device.

[Operation] In this invention, image data processed by a high-speed calculation device is stored in an image storage device, and is accessed to an image display control device in order from the processed image data, and is displayed on a display device through parallel processing. Displayed as a tomographic image.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1st
The figure is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, and (I
OA) is compatible with the calculator (10), and (1) to (6
), (11) to (13), (15), (20) and B are the same as described above.

(1)) is an image storage device connected to bus B in the computer (IOA), and is accessed by both the high-speed calculation device (13) and the image display control device (15) so that it functions as a shared memory. It has become.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 will be explained.

First, as described above, the magnetic resonance signal received from the subject (20) is transferred to the high-speed calculation device F (13) as basic data for tomographic image refining. High-speed computing equipment! (1
3) After AD converting the magnetic resonance signal, predetermined processing is applied to reconstruct it into a tomographic image, and the image is stored in an image storage device! (17) and transfer it to the CPU (11).

On the other hand, the image display control device (15) accesses and retrieves the image data on the image storage device (17) in the order in which the reconstruction is completed, and displays the image data on the display device (20) as a tomographic image.

Further, when image processing is started for the tomographic image on the display device (20), the CPU (11) executes a high-speed calculation device (13).
) generates a processing start command and uses high-speed arithmetic equipment! (13
) is for the image data on the image storage device (17),
After performing the specified image processing, the image display control device (
The image display control device (15) transmits a processing end command to the image storage device (15), and causes the display device (20) to display the processed image data on the image storage device (17) as a tomographic image.

In this way, the CPU (11) is stored in the image storage device (17).
), and stores this image data in a high-speed calculation device (13) and an image display control device (15).
By accessing from both, the number of image data transfers can be reduced and image analysis processing can be speeded up.

That is, by performing the reconstruction processing of image data and the display processing of the reconstructed image data in parallel, the operator starts imaging (image analysis processing) and then reconstructs the collected magnetic resonance signals ( The processing time required to initially display a tomographic image that has undergone image processing is shortened.

In the above embodiment, the image storage device (17) is provided as a shared memory on the bus B, but a dedicated main storage device that serves as local memory for the high-speed calculation device (13) and the image display control device (15) is also provided. This may be provided as an image storage device (17).

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, an image storage device that is accessed by both a high-speed calculation device and an image display control device is provided, and image processing and display processing can be executed in parallel with a small number of transfers. As a result, it is possible to obtain a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus that can perform image display processing at high speed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a conventional magnetic resonance imaging apparatus. (2)... Subject (4)... Gradient magnetic field power supply (5)... Transmitter/receiver (6)... Sequence control device (13)... High speed calculation device (15)... Image Display control device (17)...Image storage device t (20>...For display device, in the figures, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. Figure 1, 24&*

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A sequence control device for applying gradient magnetic field pulses and RF pulses to a subject in a predetermined sequence; and a tomographic image of the subject based on magnetic resonance signals obtained from the subject. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising: a high-speed calculation device for reconstruction; an image display control device for display processing of image data of the tomographic image; and a display device for displaying the tomographic image. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, comprising: an image storage device accessed by both the apparatus and the image display control apparatus.