Patents by Inventor William Daniel Barber

William Daniel Barber 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).

  • Thin metal layer vacuum vessels with composite structural support
    Patent number: 7705701
    Abstract: A composite sealed vessel is provided. The vessel includes a non-metallic, generally cylindrical inner containment piece, a non-metallic, generally cylindrical outer containment piece disposed around the inner containment piece. A pair of non-metallic flanges are disposed at ends of the inner and outer containment pieces to form a closed structure defining a cavity therein. The vessel also includes a metallic external lining disposed over the closed structure to form a leak-tight pressure boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Xianrui Huang, William Daniel Barber, Paul St. Mark Shadforth Thompson, Evangelos Trifon Laskaris, Kiruba Sivasubramaniam
  • Cryogenically cooled radiofrequency coil array for magnetic resonance imaging
    Patent number: 7167000
    Abstract: A cryogenically cooled radiofrequency (RF) coil structure for use in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and method for cryogenically cooling RF coils are provided. The cryogenically cooled RF coil structure comprises a sealed structure constructed of non-conducting material and adapted for containing a cooling substance and at least one RF coil disposed integrally in contact with the sealed structure such that sealed structure and integrally disposed RF coil are disposed about an object to be imaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kathleen Melanie Amm, Ronald Dean Watkins, William Daniel Barber, Christopher Judson Hardy, Kenneth William Rohling
  • Methods and systems for fabricating magnetic resonance gradient coils
    Patent number: 6982552
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for fabricating a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) gradient coil for generating magnetic field gradients are provided. The method includes determining a pattern of gradient current paths on a surface using a set of stream functions oriented in at least one of a z-gradient, a y-gradient; and an x-gradient, and arranging conductive material to define a current path that conforms to the determined gradient current paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christopher Judson Hardy, John Frederick Schenck, William Daniel Barber, Cornelius Jan Von Morze
  • Systems and methods for fabricating pole pieces for magnetic resonance imaging systems
    Patent number: 6937018
    Abstract: An imaging system including at least one pole piece is described. The at least one pole piece includes at least two grain-oriented sheets that are stacked together, where a direction of easy magnetization of a first of the at least two grain-oriented sheets is different than a direction of easy magnetization of a second of the at least two grain-oriented sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William Daniel Barber, Bulent Aksel, Peter George Frischmann
  • Method and apparatus for maintaining thermal stability of permanent magnets in MRI systems
    Patent number: 6906517
    Abstract: Briefly in accordance with one aspect, the present technique provides a method for heating a permanent magnet in a magnetic resonance imaging system. The method for heating a permanent magnet includes directly heating a surface of the permanent magnet using a surface heater. The present technique also provides a system for heating a permanent magnet in a magnetic resonance imaging system. The system includes a surface heater configured to directly heat a surface of the permanent magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Xianrui Huang, Paul St. Mark Shadforth Thompson, Kathleen Melanie Amm, William Daniel Barber
  • Methods and systems for fabricating magnetic resonance gradient coils
    Publication number: 20040239325
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for fabricating a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) gradient coil for generating magnetic field gradients are provided. The method includes determining a pattern of gradient current paths on a surface using a set of stream functions oriented in at least one of a z-gradient, a y-gradient; and an x-gradient, and arranging conductive material to define a current path that conforms to the determined gradient current paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2003
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Inventors: Christopher Judson Hardy, John Frederick Schenck, William Daniel Barber, Cornelius Jan Von Morze
  • Pole pieces for magnetic resonance imaging systems
    Publication number: 20040019271
    Abstract: Pole pieces for magnetic resonance imaging systems comprise a plurality of laminated sheets of an alloy comprising iron and aluminum. Such an alloy can comprise up to about 17 weight percent aluminum and can further comprise cobalt, nickel, and/or silicon. A sheet of iron-aluminum alloy for such pole pieces has a resistivity greater than about 60 mico-ohm.cm. A sheet is formed in a process comprising hot forging, hot rolling, and cold rolling. The process can further comprise annealing before and/or after the step of cold rolling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Publication date: January 29, 2004
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Judson Sloan Marte, Mark Gilbert Benz, Peter George Frishmann, William Daniel Barber, Howard Roscoe Hart, Juliana Chiang Shei, Luana Emiliana Lorio, Bulent Aksel
  • Temperature compensated NMR magnet and method of operation therefor
    Patent number: 6252405
    Abstract: An MRI system includes a magnet which produces the main polarizing magnetic field. Variations in strength of this field are corrected by a temperature compensation system that calculates a compensating flux needed to maintain the field at constant strength. The compensating flux is calculated from changes in sensed magnet temperature and a magnet temperature coefficient. One or more correction coils are wound around the magnet and driven with the current necessary to produce the compensating flux.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Dean Watkins, William Daniel Barber, Peter George Frischmann
  • Low eddy current and low hysteresis magnet pole faces in MR imaging
    Patent number: 6150818
    Abstract: Pole faces for an open magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system are constructed from a number of blocks having laminate sheets. The laminate sheets of the blocks are aligned, such that they are parallel to the flux of an applied time-changing magnetic field. Each laminate sheet is constructed of an amorphous material such that there is no predominant magnetic field alignment. This construction reduces eddy currents induced in the pole faces, and reduces residual magnetization, thereby reducing artifacts in an acquired image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: William Daniel Barber