Patents by Inventor Joseph Edward Piel, Jr.

Joseph Edward Piel, Jr. has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10527694
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system is disclosed. The magnetic resonance imaging system includes a magnet core that generates a magnetic field including a plurality of magnetic field lines. The magnetic resonance imaging system also includes a plurality of gradient coils disposed along the magnet core and a plurality of gradient amplifiers. Further, the magnetic resonance imaging system includes a plurality of bus-bar conductors coupling a corresponding gradient coil of the plurality of gradient coils and a corresponding gradient amplifier of the plurality of gradient amplifiers. The plurality of bus-bar conductors is disposed along at least one of a first path extending along the plurality of magnetic field lines and a second path extending along a substantially linear direction from the corresponding gradient coil to a fringe region of the magnetic field to reduce an effect of Lorentz force on the plurality of bus-bar conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Seung-Kyun Lee, Eric William Fiveland, Joseph Edward Piel, Jr., Bruce D Collick
  • Publication number: 20170139022
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system is disclosed. The magnetic resonance imaging system includes a magnet core that generates a magnetic field including a plurality of magnetic field lines. The magnetic resonance imaging system also includes a plurality of gradient coils disposed along the magnet core and a plurality of gradient amplifiers. Further, the magnetic resonance imaging system includes a plurality of bus-bar conductors coupling a corresponding gradient coil of the plurality of gradient coils and a corresponding gradient amplifier of the plurality of gradient amplifiers. The plurality of bus-bar conductors is disposed along at least one of a first path extending along the plurality of magnetic field lines and a second path extending along a substantially linear direction from the corresponding gradient coil to a fringe region of the magnetic field to reduce an effect of Lorentz force on the plurality of bus-bar conductors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Inventors: Seung-Kyun Lee, Eric William Fiveland, Joseph Edward Piel, JR., Bruce D. Collick
  • Patent number: 7046005
    Abstract: A control system comprising a driver circuit for magnetic systems is provided. The driver circuit is coupled to a magnetic system and is configured for isolating control signals from electromagnetic interference. The control signals are configured for controlling a plurality of switching elements in the magnetic system. The driver circuit and the magnetic system are located in shielded environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Dean Watkins, Douglas Arthur Kelley, Joseph Edward Piel, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6611702
    Abstract: An incubator arrangement and radiofrequency (RF) coil are provided for use in a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system. The incubator arrangement comprises an enclosure adapted to support a subject in a magnet of the MRI system during imaging and a radiofrequency coil disposed within the enclosure. The RF coil is adapted to provide visual and physical access to the subject, and further adapted to obtain a selected signal to noise ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kenneth William Rohling, Ronald Dean Watkins, Charles Lucian Dumoulin, Joseph Edward Piel, Jr., Charles John Rossi, Jr., Randy Otto John Giaquinto
  • Patent number: 6541896
    Abstract: A combined acoustic backing and interconnect module for connecting an array of ultrasonic transducer elements to a multiplicity of conductors of a cable utilizes the backing layer volume to extend a high density of interconnections perpendicular to the transducer array surface. The module is made by injecting flowable backfill material into a mold made up of a plurality of spacer plates having aligned channels, with interleaved flexible circuit boards. The backfill material is cured to form a backing layer which supports the flexible circuit boards in mutually parallel relationship. Excess flexible circuit material on one side of the backing layer is cut flush with the front face of the backing layer, leaving exposed ends of the conductive traces on the flexible circuit boards. The module is then laminated to a piezoelectric ceramic layer, and diced. The flexible circuit board conductive traces are aligned with, and electrically connected to, signal electrodes of the transducer elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joseph Edward Piel, Jr., Robert Stephen Lewandowski, Brady Andrew Jones
  • Patent number: 6306092
    Abstract: The axis of rotational transducer array scans, because of imperfect transducer array assembly, may have two orthogonal offsets relative to the geometric center of the transducer array. Without knowledge of these offsets, it is not possible to convert rotational transducer scan data into a rectilinear (Euclidean) coordinate system, as is necessary for three-dimensional processing. Using spatial coherency between appropriate scan lines in different rotational transducer scans, the horizontal and vertical rotational offsets are calculated. These offsets are then utilized in converting the data to a rectilinear coordinate system for three-dimensional processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Boris Yamrom, William Thomas Hatfield, Joseph Edward Piel, Jr., Ricardo Scott Avila