Abstract: A magnetic resonance (MR) coil unit,comprising:—an MR coil body which houses at least one MR coil, the MR coil body having a front surface for facing a patient, a reverse surface opposite to the front surface, and at least one opening through the MR coil body which connects the front and reverse surfaces;—at least one MR marker located at least partly in said at least one opening in the MR coil body; and—at least one optical marker located above the reverse surface of the MR coil body.

Abstract: A patient support apparatus for a medical imaging apparatus includes a base unit and a table, wherein the table is designed so as to be movable relative to the base unit. A position detection apparatus detects a position of the table relative to the base unit, wherein the position detection apparatus has an optical sensor unit which includes a fiber optic element and a punched tape mask. The punched tape mask is movable relative to the optical sensor unit. Optical signals are transmitted via the fiber optic element.

Abstract: Disclosed is a patient support apparatus having a patient support couch, a moveable support plate for supporting a patient, a surgical head fastening unit for fastening a head of the patient in an examination position and/or in an operation position. The patient support apparatus includes a marker unit for marking a maximum occupancy area for the surgical head fastening unit.

Abstract: A patient positioning apparatus is provided. The patient positioning apparatus includes a positioning table, a transfer plate, which is arranged on the positioning table so as to be moveable relative to the positioning table, and a positioning unit for a positioning of a surgical head securing unit on the transfer plate, wherein the positioning unit exhibits a joint unit with at least one first rotational joint unit, wherein the at least one first rotational joint unit exhibits a predetermined stop position for a rotational movement.

Abstract: Scan timing of contrast agent study is provided. Ultrasound is used to determine timing of contrast agent inflow and/or outflow. The timing based on the ultrasound scanning controls scanning for MR or CT imaging. The MR or CT contrast agent imaging for MR or CT contrast agents may be synchronized using the ultrasound contrast agent flow.

Abstract: A radiotherapy treatment device comprising an image acquisition device, in particular a magnetic resonance device, an irradiation device comprising in particular a linear accelerator, and a patient positioning device having a patient positioning platform, wherein a movement device is provided for jointly moving the image acquisition device and the irradiation device between an irradiation position, in which a radiotherapeutic treatment of a patient located on the patient positioning platform is possible by means of the irradiation device, and an image acquisition position, in which an image acquisition of the patient located on the patient positioning platform is possible by means of the image acquisition device is provided. A radiotherapy method for treating an irradiation target in a patient by means of such a radiotherapy treatment device is also disclosed.

Abstract: In order to position and simultaneously operate both a magnetic resonance (MR) coil and an ultrasound transducer adjacent to a target volume while minimizing interference between the MR coil and the ultrasound transducer, hybrid ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices are provided. One of the hybrid ultrasound and MRI devices includes a transducer array, a communications interface connected with the transducer array, and a housing that electromagnetically shields and encloses the transducer array and the communications interface. An electrically conducting side of the housing receives a radio frequency (RF) signal from an MRI system and transmits the RF signal to an electrically conducting side of a housing of another of the hybrid ultrasound and MRI devices.

Abstract: Magnetic resonance and ultrasound parametric image is fused or combined. MRI and ultrasound imaging are used to acquire the same type of parametric images. Fused data is created by combining ultrasound and MRI parametric data at times for which both types of data are available. Rather than sacrificing rate, fused data is created for times for which MRI data is not acquired. A curve representing the values of the parameter over time is fit to the available MRI and ultrasound data of each location, resulting in fused data at times for which MRI data is not available.

Abstract: In a method and medical imaging system to prepare an interventional and/or diagnostic imaging procedure to be conducted with at least two different medical imaging modalities of the system, a patient is positioned on a patient support device and the patient support device, together with the patient, are moved into a patient acquisition region of a first medical imaging modality of the system. A first image data set of the patient to be examined is acquired with the first medical imaging modality. The first image data set is automatically evaluated in a data evaluation unit. At least patient parameter is automatically calculated from the evaluated first image data set. At least one compatibility value is automatically calculated depending on the at least one patient parameter and depending on at least one apparatus parameter of at least one additional medical imaging modality in the system.

Abstract: A method and a device for establishing excitation parameters, in particular for establishing an excitation profile, for MR imaging, are proposed. Elements of a k-space covariance matrix are determined for signal noise in k-space data which is captured using a plurality of receive channels in the context of data captured at an examination object. Elements of at least one image space covariance matrix are mathematically determined for a plurality of voxels of the examination object as a function of the k-space covariance matrix. The excitation parameters are established as a function of the determined elements of the at least one image space covariance matrix.

Abstract: A patient support apparatus having a support table, a transfer plate, which is disposed movably in relation to the support table in a direction and on which a patient is supported for a surgical intervention and/or a medical imaging examination, and a surgical head restraint unit, which is disposed on the transfer plate is provided. The patient support apparatus includes a position monitoring apparatus for monitoring and/or checking a position of the surgical head restraint unit.

Abstract: The present embodiments relate to a local coil for a magnetic resonance tomography system, the local coil including an antenna element that includes a releasable connection to form an opening.

Abstract: A magnetic field generation device for a magnetic resonance tomography apparatus has a vacuum container that encloses a magnetic coil made of superconducting material, and a conduit of a pipe system is connected with the magnetic coil so as to conduct heat. The pipe system and the conduit are filled with a coolant that places the magnetic coil in a superconducting state during normal operation of the tomography system. A valve connects the pipe system to the interior of a capture container. In the event of non-normal operation, such as a quench, evaporated coolant passes through the valve into the capture container.

Abstract: In a method to acquire magnetic resonance (MR) signals as gradient echoes, a first RF pulse is radiated and multiple bipolar magnetic field gradients are switched to generate multiple first gradient echoes at different echo times after radiation of the first RF pulse, and the multiple first gradient echoes are acquired in multiple raw data sets, in each of which a first line is filled with MR signals, and chronologically adjacent gradient echoes that occur after radiation of the first RF pulse are acquired with magnetic field gradients with opposite polarity. A second RF pulse is radiated and multiple bipolar magnetic fields are switched to generate multiple second gradient echoes after radiation of the second RF pulse.

Abstract: An MR image is produced from data acquired by radiating an RF pulse and switching multiple bipolar magnetic field gradients to generate multiple gradient echoes that are acquired in a raw data set with multiple raw data lines by a reception coil, the multiple gradient echoes being acquired with bipolar magnetic field gradients of different polarity. Due to the bipolar magnetic field gradients of different polarity, in the raw data set first raw data lines are filled with MR signals in one direction in raw data space, and second raw data lines are filled with MR signals in the opposite direction.

Abstract: In a method to determine a B0 field map describing the local deviation of a nominal Larmor frequency of a magnetic resonance apparatus, wherein magnetic resonance data are acquired in measurements implemented at two different echo times whose difference forms a dephasing time after an excitation at at least two different dephasing times, and a phase change to be used to determine the B0 field map is determined from a difference of phases measured at different echo times, the phase changes of different dephasing times are evaluated to at least partially reduce an ambiguity due to a Nyquist phase wrapping, by using dephasing times that result as a quotient or, given the use of only two dephasing times, as a product, of a base time and a respective prime number from a group including at least two different prime numbers that are greater than one, and wherein the group is selected depending on a desired dynamic range of the B0 field map and/or a maximum tolerated measurement error for the measurements.

Abstract: In a method to determine a B1 phase map for at least two excitation modes of a radio-frequency coil arrangement of a magnetic resonance apparatus, the radio-frequency coil arrangement having multiple independently controllable transmission channels, and the B1 phase map describing, with spatial resolution, the phase of radio-frequency field this is generated in a respective excitation mode relative to a common reference phase map, first magnetic resonance data describing the phase change of a basic magnetic field of the magnetic resonance apparatus between a first echo time and a second echo time are acquired, and are evaluated to determine a spatially resolved Larmor frequency value that describes the deviation from a nominal Larmor frequency of the magnetic resonance apparatus.

Abstract: Complex magnetic resonance (MR) image data, acquired from an examination subject that has at least two different spin species, are processed in a method and a device. At least one MR parameter that influences data acquired in an MR data acquisition is determined with spatial resolution. Complex image data are respectively acquired with each of multiple acquisition units in an MR data acquisition at multiple echo times, such that a phase difference between the first spin species and the second spin species is different at least two of the echo times. For multiple image points, a value of the at least one MR parameter is determined so that a function that depends on the at least one MR parameter and the corresponding image point in the complex image data satisfies an extreme condition.

Abstract: In a computerized method and magnetic resonance (MR) system for the supplementation of acquired MR data, at least one supplemented MR data set is determined from multiple acquired, reduced MR data sets that can be acquired with an accelerated acquisition method (such as partially parallel acquisition method, ppa) in which k-space is undersampled. The acquisition can thereby take place in parallel with multiple acquisition coils. In the method and system, a reconstruction kernel is applied to the multiple acquired, reduced MR data sets in order to determine a reconstructed MR data set for an acquisition coil. The reduced MR data set acquired with the acquisition coil is reused in this reconstructed MR data set. The reuse takes place by a combination with weighting with the respective variances.

Abstract: In an imaging procedure, sound pressure is generated by applying ultrasound to the region to be imaged in order to cause a deformation of tissue therein from at least one acquired ultrasound image data set, first data are determined that represent, with spatial resolution, the deformation of the tissue as a reaction to the sound pressure. At least one magnetic resonance image data set is acquired, from which second data are determined that represent, with spatial resolution, the deformation of the tissue as a reaction to the sound pressure. The at least one ultrasound image data set and the at least one magnetic resonance image data set are brought into registration with each other by a comparison of the first data and the second data.