Patents by Inventor Xiaohong Joe Zhou
Xiaohong Joe Zhou 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).
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Patent number: 12000917Abstract: A system and method for producing a series of time-resolved magnetic resonance (MR) images is set forth. The system can perform method steps of encoding spatial information into an MRI signal by manipulating a phase of the MRI signal within an MRI system, generating and outputting a phase-encoded MRI signal over time by digitizing a plurality of time points in the MRI signal, repeating the generating and outputting step for a plurality of phase-encoded signals, each phase-encoded signal in synchrony with a trigger, producing a plurality of digitized time points, and reconstructing a series of time resolved MR images, each image of the series of MR images at one specific time point selected from the plurality of digitized time points for each phase-encoded step. Each image in the series of time-resolved MR images corresponding to a specific time point in a cyclic event.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2020Date of Patent: June 4, 2024Assignee: THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOISInventors: Xiaohong Joe Zhou, Zheng Zhong, Meryem Muge Karaman
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Publication number: 20240077563Abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging systems and methods are provided for time-efficiently producing a plurality of image contrasts, the plurality of image contrasts including a first contrast being coupled with a second contrast and acquired over a plurality of key parameters that govern the second contrast to which the first contrast is coupled. In addition, the plurality of image contrasts is used to simultaneously map the first contrast, the second contrast, and additional contrasts.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2023Publication date: March 7, 2024Applicant: THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOISInventors: Xiaohong Joe ZHOU, Guangyu DAN, Kaibao SUN
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Publication number: 20220065962Abstract: A system and method for producing a series of time-resolved magnetic resonance (MR) images is set forth. The system can perform method steps of encoding spatial information into an MRI signal by manipulating a phase of the MRI signal within an MRI system, generating and outputting a phase-encoded MRI signal over time by digitizing a plurality of time points in the MRI signal, repeating the generating and outputting step for a plurality of phase-encoded signals, each phase-encoded signal in synchrony with a trigger, producing a plurality of digitized time points, and reconstructing a series of time resolved MR images, each image of the series of MR images at one specific time point selected from the plurality of digitized time points for each phase-encoded step. Each image in the series of time-resolved MR images corresponding to a specific time point in a cyclic event.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2020Publication date: March 3, 2022Inventors: Xiaohong Joe ZHOU, Zheng ZHONG, Meryem Muge KARAMAN
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Patent number: 9797970Abstract: Representative methods and systems are disclosed for reducing image distortion or increasing spatial resolution in echo planar magnetic resonance imaging. In representative embodiments, a targeted field of view (FOV) image is divided into segments, with each segment having a predetermined overlap region with an adjacent segment, such as in a phase-encoding direction. Image data is acquired for each segment, sequentially or simultaneously, using a reduced phase-encoding FOV with a 2D radiofrequency (RF) excitation pulse, and rotated and scaled magnetic field gradients. The 2D RF excitation pulse may also be modulated, such as onto a plurality of different carrier frequencies, for simultaneous acquisition of multiple segments in the same imaging plane. Using the spatial response of the 2D RF excitation pulse, the acquired image data for each segment of the plurality of segments is combined to generate a combined magnetic resonance image having the targeted field of view.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2016Date of Patent: October 24, 2017Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of IllinoisInventors: Xiaohong Joe Zhou, Yi Sui
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Patent number: 9645211Abstract: A GRASE-type PROPELLER sequence called Steer-PROP is disclosed. This sequence exploits a serious of steer blips together with rewinding gradient pulse to traverse k-space. Steer-PROP improves the scan time by a factor of 3 or higher compared to FSE-PROPELLER, provides improved robustness to off-resonance effects compared to EPI-PROPELLER, and addresses a long-standing phase correction problem inherent to GRASE based sequences. Steer-PROP also enables intra-blade, inter-blade, and inter-shot phase errors to be separately determined and independently corrected.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2011Date of Patent: May 9, 2017Assignee: THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOISInventor: Xiaohong Joe Zhou
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Patent number: 9612307Abstract: In PROPELLER utilizing EPI k-space sampling, phase errors arising primarily from eddy currents can considerably degrade image quality. The phase errors include spatially constant phase errors, spatially linear phase errors, and oblique phase errors. Methods to measure and correct for these phase errors are disclosed. Two or three reference scans are acquired, each reference scan being mutually orthogonal along the orthogonal physical gradient axes in a MRI system. A spatially constant phase error and a spatially linear phase error are determined from each of the reference scans for each relevant physical gradient axis. These phase errors can be used to predict the constant, linear, and oblique phase errors in each blade of an EPI PROPELLER k-space data set. With the known phase errors for each blade, constant, linear, and/or oblique phase correction is applied prior to or during PROPELLER image reconstruction, producing an image with substantially reduced artifacts.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2012Date of Patent: April 4, 2017Assignee: THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOISInventor: Xiaohong Joe Zhou
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Publication number: 20160307301Abstract: Representative methods and systems are disclosed for reducing image distortion or increasing spatial resolution in echo planar magnetic resonance imaging. In representative embodiments, a targeted field of view (FOV) image is divided into segments, with each segment having a predetermined overlap region with an adjacent segment, such as in a phase-encoding direction. Image data is acquired for each segment, sequentially or simultaneously, using a reduced phase-encoding FOV with a 2D radiofrequency (RF) excitation pulse, and rotated and scaled magnetic field gradients. The 2D RF excitation pulse may also be modulated, such as onto a plurality of different carrier frequencies, for simultaneous acquisition of multiple segments in the same imaging plane. Using the spatial response of the 2D RF excitation pulse, the acquired image data for each segment of the plurality of segments is combined to generate a combined magnetic resonance image having the targeted field of view.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2016Publication date: October 20, 2016Inventors: Xiaohong Joe Zhou, Yi Sui
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Patent number: 8847594Abstract: Disclosed are methods for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that reduce the appearance of artifacts in a final image. Also provided are a computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by a CPU results in the reduction of artifacts in a magnetic resonance image, and an MRI apparatus comprising the computer readable medium. Also disclosed is a data processing method that provides further reduction of residual artifacts in a magnetic resonance image. The disclosed methods provide a simple and effective approach to ameliorate various artifacts in virtually any type of MRI scanners.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2010Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of IllinoisInventors: Xiaohong Joe Zhou, Novena A. Rangwala
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Publication number: 20140111203Abstract: In PROPELLER utilizing EPI k-space sampling, phase errors arising primarily from eddy currents can considerably degrade image quality. The phase errors include spatially constant phase errors, spatially linear phase errors, and oblique phase errors. Methods to measure and correct for these phase errors are disclosed. Two or three reference scans are acquired, each reference scan being mutually orthogonal along the orthogonal physical gradient axes in a MRI system. A spatially constant phase error and a spatially linear phase error are determined from each of the reference scans for each relevant physical gradient axis. These phase errors can be used to predict the constant, linear, and oblique phase errors in each blade of an EPI PROPELLER k-space data set. With the known phase errors for each blade, constant, linear, and/or oblique phase correction is applied prior to or during PROPELLER image reconstruction, producing an image with substantially reduced artifacts.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2012Publication date: April 24, 2014Applicant: THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOISInventor: Xiaohong Joe Zhou
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Publication number: 20130147478Abstract: A GRASE-type PROPELLER sequence called Steer-PROP is disclosed. This sequence exploits a serious of steer blips together with rewinding gradient pulse to traverse k-space. Steer-PROP improves the scan time by a factor of 3 or higher compared to FSE-PROPELLER, provides improved robustness to off-resonance effects compared to EPI-PROPELLER, and addresses a long-standing phase correction problem inherent to GRASE based sequences. Steer-PROP also enables intra-blade, inter-blade, and inter-shot phase errors to be separately determined and independently corrected.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2011Publication date: June 13, 2013Inventor: Xiaohong Joe Zhou
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Publication number: 20120025826Abstract: Disclosed are methods for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that reduce the appearance of fast spin echo cups artifacts using a slice-titting gradient. In particular, the excited image slice is titted relative to the image slice selected by the refocusing RF pulse.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2010Publication date: February 2, 2012Applicant: The Board of Trustees of the University of IllinoisInventors: Xiaohong Joe Zhou, Novena A. Rangwala