A time-clustered cardio-respiratory encoder and method for clustering cardio-respiratory signals

Claim 1

A system for retrospective time clustering of NMR data with respect to cardiac and respiratory cycles comprising: data collection and processing means to receive and coordinate a data collection process including cardiac R-wave time data from an electrocardiagram (ECG) device; respiratory diaphragm position data; and NMR data acquisition timing data associated with the free running, preferably steady state, image data collection from an NMR imager; computing means to cluster said collected data into a new data set, one image equivalent for each cardio-respiratory phase plane area, the position of an NMR profile in the normalized C-R phase plane being determined by the clustered image cardiac phase-respiratory phase in which it falls; providing data with known heat phasing, unlimited time resolution, and uniform spin saturation; means to fill and filter said collected data to compensate for non-uniform k-space sampling; means to reconstruct said data with 2D or 3D Fourier transform techniques.

Claim 2

A system for retrospective time clustering of NMR data with respect to cardiac and respiratory cycles comprising: data collection and processing means to receive and coordinate a data collection process including cardiac R-wave time data from an electrocardiagram (ECG) device; respiratory diaphragm position data; and NMR data acquisition timing data associated with the free running, preferably steady state, image data collection from an NMR imager; computing means to cluster said collected data into a new data set, one image equivalent for each cardio-respiratory phase plane area, the position of an NMR profile in the normalized C-R phase plane being determined by the clustered image cardiac phase-respiratory phase in which it falls; providing data with known heat phasing, unlimited time resolution, and uniform spin saturation; means to fill and filter said collected data to compensate for non-uniform k-space sampling; means to reconstruct said data with 2D or 3D Fourier transform techniques.

Claim 5

The system of Claims 1, 2 or 3 further including: a graphic workstation connected to said system for displaying images based on said reconstructed data.

Claim 6

A method for retrospectively clustering NMR k-space profiles in the cardiac phase-respiratory phase plan comprising the steps of: collecting NMR profiles from free running preferably steady state, encoded pulse sequences; simultaneously collecting digitized ECG data signals; sorting said signal profiles into normalized heart cycle time bins while compensating for signal to noise factors; forming a new set of images, one for each heart cycle time bin, selected for moving heart tissue, each image of said set possibly covering k-space incompletely and slightly differently; filling and filtering said data; reconstructing said data using a discrete nonuniform Fourier transform to overcome said nonuniform k-space coverage.

Claim 7

A method for retrospectively clustering NMR k-space profiles in the cardiac phase-respiratory phase plan comprising the steps of: collecting NMR profiles from free running preferably steady state, encoded pulse sequences; simultaneously collecting digitized ECG data signals; sorting said signal profiles into normalized heart cycle time bins while compensating for signal to noise factors; forming a new set of images, one for each heart cycle time bin, selected for moving heart tissue, each image of said set possibly covering k-space incompletely and slightly differently; filling and filtering said data; reconstructing said data using a discrete nonuniform Fourier transform to overcome said nonuniform k-space coverage.

Claim 10

The method of Claims 5, 6 or 7 further including: displaying a dynamic three dimensional simulation of a heart based on said reconstructed data and model.