Using A Nuclear Resonance Spectrometer System Patents (Class 324/307)
  • Patent number: 11085988
    Abstract: A method for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) includes steps of acquiring by an MRI scanner undersampled magnetic-field-gradient-encoded k-space data; performing a self-calibration of a magnetic-field-gradient-encoding point-spread function using a first neural network to estimate systematic waveform errors from the k-space data, and computing the magnetic-field-gradient-encoding point-spread function from the systematic waveform errors; reconstructing an image using a second neural network from the magnetic-field-gradient-encoding point-spread function and the k-space data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Feiyu Chen, Christopher Michael Sandino, Joseph Yitan Cheng, John M. Pauly, Shreyas S. Vasanawala
  • Patent number: 11079449
    Abstract: A method for medical imaging may include determining a posture of an object and obtaining a first parameter of a pulse sequence to be applied to the object. The method may also include determining, based on the posture and the first parameter, a SAR distribution model and estimating, based on the SAR distribution model and a second parameter of the pulse sequence to be applied, a SAR distribution associated with the object under the pulse sequence to be applied. The second parameter is associated with calibration of the pulse sequence to be applied. The method may further include determining whether the estimated SAR distribution meets a condition and causing, in response to a result of the determination that the estimated SAR distribution associated with the object meets the condition, a scanner to perform an MR scan on the object according to the pulse sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: SHANGHAI UNITED IMAGING HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zhenhua Shen, Qiang He
  • Patent number: 11079455
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to combined angiography and perfusion using radial imaging and arterial spin labeling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: OXFORD UNIVERSITY INNOVATION LIMITED
    Inventor: Thomas Okell
  • Patent number: 11079224
    Abstract: In this azimuth angle sensor, original magnetic detection data is sequentially acquired as data points in a triaxial coordinate system by detecting magnetism on three axes. An offset derivation device provided to the azimuth angle sensor derives offset values for correcting the original magnetic detection data and generating corrected magnetic detection data. The offset derivation device uses a plurality of data points in the original magnetic detection data or in the corrected magnetic detection data to derive provisional offset values, then derives the magnitude of magnetism on such an occasion on the basis of the original magnetic detection data and the provisional offset values. When the magnitude of magnetism thus derived is within a predetermined correction success range, the offset values are updated using the provisional offset values. When the magnitude of magnetism thus derived is not within the predetermined correction success range, the offset values are not updated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Kobayashi, Masafumi Seike, Hideki Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 11073586
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging method according to an embodiment includes performing a balanced SSFP sequence, repeatedly applies an excitation RF pulse to a subject at intervals of a repetition time and applies gradient magnetic field pulses balanced such that a time integral becomes zero within each interval of the repetition time, while further applying a spin labeling gradient magnetic field for generating one or more continuous spin labels within each interval of the repetition time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignees: Keio University, CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koichi Oshio, Shinya Yamada, Masao Yui, Seiko Sakuraba
  • Patent number: 11067656
    Abstract: In a method for operating an MRI device, image data is acquired using a spin echo sequence with an additional readout per pulse train for acquiring correction data. By comparing subsequent correction data of later pulse trains to reference data acquired during a first pulse train of the sequence a difference indicating a parameter shift is determined. A corresponding compensation is then automatically determined in dependence on the difference and is applied to a set of predetermined parameters for at least a respective next pulse train and/or to the image data acquired in at least a respective next pulse train of the sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Dominik Paul, Mario Zeller
  • Patent number: 11067518
    Abstract: A whole measurement process includes a plurality of step combinations. Each of the step combinations is composed of a solution-state measurement step and a solid-state measurement step. In the solution-state measurement step, solution-state NMR measurement is performed such that magnetization that is to be used in the solid-state measurement step remains. In the solid-state measurement step, solid-state NMR measurement is performed by using the magnetization that remains. No waiting time for recovering magnetization is provided between the solution-state measurement step and the solid-state measurement step. The solid-state measurement step may be performed earlier, and the solution-state measurement step may be performed later. Alternatively, the two steps may be performed simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignees: RIKEN, JEOL Ltd.
    Inventor: Yusuke Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 11067655
    Abstract: In a method for creating a first and a second image dataset of an examination object, a train of RF refocusing pulses are radiated into the examination object after the radiation of an RF excitation pulse to generate a spin echo signal after each radiated RF refocusing pulse, phase encoding gradients are activated for encoding the phases of the spin echo signals generated, and readout gradients are activated in each case in a readout window to read out the generated spin echo signals as measurement data. The readout windows alternately include a first time point at which the phases of the different spin species in the spin echo signal are the same, and a second time point at which the phases of the different spin species in the spin echo signal are not the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventor: Mario Zeller
  • Patent number: 11065819
    Abstract: The present disclosure allows for more controlled modification of the input data to a Rapid Manufacturing Technologies (RMT) machinery to compensate for systematic error of the manufacturing process, such as directional build discrepancies, by performing the opposite effect to the input data. The modification is achieved with minimal unwanted distortions introduced to other portions of the structure to be built by decoupling the global scaling effects on the whole structure from the desired local effects on certain portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventor: Ryan Lloyd Landon
  • Patent number: 11064901
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided to simultaneously provide good image quality and fast image reconstruction from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data by selecting an appropriate value for the regularization parameter used in compressed sensing (CS) image reconstruction. In CS reconstruction a high-resolution image can be reconstructed from randomized undersampled data by imposing sparsity in multi-scale transformation (e.g., wavelet) domain. Further, in the transformation domain, a threshold can be determined between signal and noise levels of the transform coefficients. A regularization parameter based on this threshold scales the regularization term, which imposes sparsity, relative to the data fidelity term in an objective function, thereby balancing the tradeoff between noise and smoothing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Andrew James Wheaton, Antonios Matakos, Samir Dev Sharma
  • Patent number: 11061096
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present inventive concept there is provided a method of performing diffusion weighted magnetic resonance measurements on a sample, the method comprising: performing a plurality of diffusion weighted magnetic resonance measurements on the sample, wherein said plurality of measurements includes: a first measurement with a first diffusion encoding sequence having a tensor representation with three non-zero eigenvalues, a second measurement with a second diffusion encoding sequence, and a third measurement with a third diffusion encoding sequence, wherein the second and the third diffusion encoding sequence have different spectral content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: CR Development AB
    Inventors: Samo Lasic, Daniel Topgaard, Markus Nilsson, Hans Magnus Henrik Lundell
  • Patent number: 11061087
    Abstract: A method includes determining a position of a local coil, a coil position, and a position of a body part of a patient, a body part position. Spacing between the coil position and the body part position is determined. An optimized MR sequence is determined. Based on the determined spacing between the coil position and the body part position, it is checked that in a subsequent MR examination of the patient, a predetermined loading threshold value (e.g., an SAR value) is not exceeded. The optimization of the MR sequence thus takes place under the boundary condition that the loading threshold value is not exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: George William Ferguson, Martin Harder, Daniel Rinck
  • Patent number: 11061095
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for correction of imaging-plane uniform magnetic field—(B0) inhomogeneity-induced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) artifacts. The systems and methods can be implemented to improve the filtering and correction of arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI data by forming a tagging dependent Z-spectrum (TADDZ) of ASL MRI data. In TADDZ, images are acquired via ASL, MRI after tagging blood water at a number of tagging, distances upstream and downstream of die MM system's imaging plane. A tagging distance dependent Z-spectrum is analyzed for each image to map the magnetic field inhomogeneity across the imaging plane. Along with magnetic-field mapping, Z-spectrum analysts and data processing enables TADDZ to remove magnetic field inhomogeneity induced artifacts, resulting in more clear and clinically relevant perfusion imaging via MRI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Frederick C. Damen, Kejia Cai
  • Patent number: 11061094
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method that includes applying at least one radiofrequency saturation pulse at a frequency or a range of frequencies to substantially saturate magnetization corresponding to an exchangeable proton in the ROI to generate magnetic resonance (MR) data. The MR data is then acquired using an echo-planar imaging readout, which is configured to sample a series of gradient echo pulse trains at a series of gradient echo times and a series of spin echo pulse trains at a series of spin echo times. One or more relaxometry measurement is then computed using the MR data sampled at the gradient echo times and the spin echo times. An oxygen-weighted image is then generated using the one or more relaxometry measurement, and a pH-weighted image is generated using MR data sampled at one or more of the spin echo times or gradient echo times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Robert Harris, Kevin Leu, Benjamin Ellingson
  • Patent number: 11061097
    Abstract: The invention provides for an MRI system (100) with an RF system for acquiring magnetic resonance data (142). The RF system comprises a set of antenna elements (126). The MRI system (100) further comprises a processor for controlling the MRI system (100). Magnetic resonance data is acquired. Combined image data (144) is reconstructed. The reconstruction comprises transforming the acquired magnetic resonance data (142) from k-space to image space and combining the resulting image data. For each antenna element (126) magnetic resonance data (146) is simulated using the reconstructed combined image data (144). The simulation comprises transforming the reconstructed combined image data (144) from image space to k-space. A phase correction factor is determined, The determination comprises calculating phase differences between the acquired magnetic resonance data (142) and the simulated magnetic resonance data (146). The acquired magnetic resonance data (142) is corrected using the phase correction factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Jan Jakob Meineke, Tim Nielsen
  • Patent number: 11055883
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium for producing images is described. The system comprises an input image providing unit for providing input images in which structures that are in fact spatially separated are represented in a spatially superimposed manner in at least one spatial direction. The system further comprises a neural network providing unit for providing a neural network which is adapted to produce, on the basis of input images in which structures that are in fact spatially separated are represented in a spatially superimposed manner in at least one spatial direction, output images in which the structures that are in fact spatially separated are represented in a spatially separated manner in the at least one spatial direction. Finally, an image producing unit produces images on the basis of the input images provided and the neural network provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Markus Wenzel, Klaus Eickel
  • Patent number: 11047937
    Abstract: A radio frequency power supply according to an embodiment is a radio frequency power supply that amplifies an input signal including application timing of a radio frequency magnetic field and waveform information and that supplies the amplified input signal to a radio frequency coil. The radio frequency power supply includes an amplifier and a controlling unit. The amplifier amplifies the input signal and to output an amplified signal. The controlling circuity varies power supply voltage used by the amplifier for the amplification of the input signal, in accordance with the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirofumi Yamaki, Susumu Kawaguchi, Mitsuyuki Murakami, Hisanori Suzuki, Hajime Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11047945
    Abstract: Generation of a preview image using magnetic resonance signals is provided. A method for the generation of a preview image using magnetic resonance signals includes acquiring a first part and a second part of magnetic resonance signals. During the acquisition of the first part of the magnetic resonance signals, a first k-space is regularly sampled, while, during the acquisition of the second part of the magnetic resonance signals, a second k-space is sampled in a pseudorandomized manner. The first part of the magnetic resonance signals is used to generate a preview image. The second part or the second part and a subset of the first part of the magnetic resonance signals are stored for the generation of a second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Mathias Nittka
  • Patent number: 11047943
    Abstract: A protocol to determine chemical shift-specific Ti constants in inhomogeneous magnetic fields is provided. Based on intermolecular double-quantum coherences and spatial encoding techniques, the method can resolve overlapped NMR spectral peaks in inhomogeneous magnetic fields acquired using conventional methods. With inversion recovery involved, the amplitude of spectral peak will be modulated by inversion recovery time. After fitting the spectral peak amplitude variation curve, the corresponding longitudinal relaxation time can be achieved. With the measured T1 values in inhomogeneous magnetic fields, insights into chemical exchange rates, signal optimization, and data quantitation can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: XIAMEN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Shuhui Cai, Hao Chen, Zhong Chen
  • Patent number: 11047941
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging method comprises performing imaging where more than one polarizing magnetic field strength is used during scanning and processing at least one image resulting from the scanning to yield an enhanced contrast image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO
    Inventors: Jamu Alford, Blaine Chronik, Brian Rutt
  • Patent number: 11041923
    Abstract: A directly coolable multifilament conductor or a magnetic coil, having at least two electric conductors and at least one cooling tube disposed between the conductors adapted to carry a fluid coolant, wherein the cooling tube is a metal conductor having a lower conductivity than the conductors surrounding the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Stocker, Peter Dietz
  • Patent number: 11041930
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, the MRI apparatus includes an RF coil apparatus having a coil element, a coil port to which the RF coil apparatus is connectible, receive circuitry receiving a signal detected by the RF coil apparatus via the coil port when neither an RF pulse nor a gradient magnetic field is being applied, and performing A/D conversion with an A/D converter, and processing circuitry detecting an abnormality based on the signal. With the RF coil apparatus being connected to the coil port, the receive circuitry switches at least one switch provided in a section between the coil element and the A/D converter between on and off, and receives the signal. The processing circuitry compares a signal of a path where the coil element and A/D converter are connected with a signal of a path where the coil element and A/D converter are not connected, and detects the abnormality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji Mitsui, Keiji Tahira
  • Patent number: 11041927
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of detecting a characteristic in an image is performed by obtaining, from an image capturing apparatus, raw signal data formed from a plurality of data samples and including a signal of interest captured by the image capturing apparatus and classifying, using a neural network, samples other than the signal of interest using a classifier having been determined using a first parameter based on information about the sample and a second parameter based on information identifying a position of the sample within the raw image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Andrew James Wheaton, Anuj Sharma
  • Patent number: 11041921
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an MRI apparatus includes: a scanner that is provided with at least an RF coil and a gradient coil and is configured to acquire a magnetic resonance (MR) signal emitted from an object in response to applications of an RF pulse outputted from the RF coil and a gradient magnetic field generated by the gradient coli; and processing circuitry configured to reconstruct a diagnostic image of the object based on the MR signal, generate distortion correction data for correcting a non-linear characteristic of the gradient magnetic field to a linear characteristic that is defined by gradient magnetic field strength at a correction position away from a magnetic field center of the gradient coil and distance from the magnetic field center to the correction position, and correct the diagnostic image by using the distortion correction data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshitomo Sakakura, Hidekazu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11033199
    Abstract: Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is an imaging technique for estimating the stiffness of tissues non-invasively. Shear waves are generated via external mechanical actuation and the tissue imaged with a specially designed MR pulse sequence. The resulting images are used to calculate the underlying properties. The application provides methods for acquiring MRE data using a single shot, echo planar imaging readout. The purpose of the developed sequence is to acquire MRE data using a single-shot, echo-planar imaging readout, avoiding to need for off-line image processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
    Inventors: Curtis L. Johnson, Bradley Sutton
  • Patent number: 11035918
    Abstract: In a method and magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus for reducing artifacts in an image dataset reconstructed from MR raw data that were acquired by radial sampling using different coil elements, for each of at least some of the coil elements, exclusion information is determined that identify MR data from that coil element that are responsible for at least one artifact, by a comparison of a sensitivity map, which defines a spatial reception capability of that coil element, with at least one comparison dataset obtained from at least a portion of the MR data from that coil element. At least the MR data identified from the exclusion information are excluded from the reconstruction of the image dataset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Kartaeusch, Dominik Paul
  • Patent number: 11035921
    Abstract: In a method for operating a magnetic resonance (MR) facility during recording of MR data by using a MR sequence including a saturation module for a spin type to be saturated, in which a high-frequency saturation pulse is emitted between first and second spoiler gradient pulses, and multiple further gradient pulses apart from the spoiler gradient pulses, eddy current data is determined. The eddy current data describes eddy currents existing during emission of the saturation pulse and resulting from the further gradient pulses. Further, a pulse parameter of the first spoiler gradient pulse is selected based on the eddy current data such that the eddy currents generated by the first spoiler gradient pulse compensate for at least part of the eddy currents described by the eddy current data during emission of the saturation pulse. The facility is controlled to emit the first spoiler gradient pulse with the selected pulse parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Uvo Hoelscher, Michael Koehler, Daniel Niederloehner, Alto Stemmer
  • Patent number: 11029382
    Abstract: Techniques are described for generating an MR image of an object using a multi spin-echo based imaging sequence with a plurality of k space segments using a preparation pulse. The technique included acquiring a first k-space dataset of the object using a first echo time and a first delay after the preparation pulse before the several spin-echoes are acquired. The technique further includes acquiring a second k space dataset of the object using a second echo time and a second delay after the preparation pulse, with at least one of the second echo time and the second delay time being different from the corresponding first echo time and the first delay time, generating a combined k space, and generating the MR image based on the combined k space dataset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Flavio Carinci, Dominik Paul, Mario Zeller
  • Patent number: 11029381
    Abstract: Provided is an MRI image generation method including: acquiring first phase encoding lines obtained by undersampling along a first direction using an MRI device; acquiring second phase encoding lines obtained by undersampling in a second direction different from the first direction using the MRI device; generating a first MRI image based on the first phase encoding lines and the second phase encoding lines; and generating a second MRI image different from the first MRI image based on the first phase encoding lines and the second phase encoding lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Sung-Hong Park, Ki-Hwan Kim
  • Patent number: 11022667
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a system and method for generating or using a synthesizing filter in image reconstruction. The method may include: acquiring a calibration data set including a plurality of data points, determining a first calibration region in the calibration data set, the first calibration region including a matrix having a plurality of data points, the plurality of data points includes a first data point at the center of the first calibration region, constructing a first relationship between the first data point and the data points in the first calibration region, and generating a synthesizing filter based on the first relationship. The first data point is at the center of the first calibration region. The method may be implemented on at least one machine each of which has at least one processor and storage. The generated synthesizing filter may be stored in the storage in electronic form as a data file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: SHANGHAI UNITED IMAGING HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu Ding, Renjie He
  • Patent number: 11024028
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and method for quality assessment of medical image datasets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Buelow, Stewart Young, Tanja Nordhoff, Tim Philipp Harder, Jan-Hendrik Buhk
  • Patent number: 11022666
    Abstract: A method of performing multidimensional magnetic resonance imaging on a subject comprises collecting imaging data for a region of interest of the subject, the imaging data related to one or more spatially-varying parameters of the subject within the region of interest; collecting auxiliary data for the region of interest in the subject, the auxiliary data related to one or more time-varying parameters of the subject within the region of interest; linking the imaging data and the auxiliary data; and constructing an image tensor with one or more temporal dimensions based on at least a portion of the linked imaging data and at least a portion of the linked auxiliary data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
    Inventors: Debiao Li, Anthony Christodoulou, Zhaoyang Fan, Zixin Deng, Nan Wang, Zhengwei Zhou, Sen Ma, Christopher Nguyen, Yibin Xie, Jaime Shaw
  • Patent number: 11020065
    Abstract: In tomosynthesis imaging for obtaining a tomographic image from a plurality of projected images, at least generation or display of a two-dimensional tomographic image along a plane intersecting a detection surface of an X-ray detection unit is controlled in accordance with information on X-ray irradiation directions in which the projected images are respectively captured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobu Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 11016158
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to the automatic determination of correction factor values for producing MR images using a magnetic resonance system. A plurality of MR images is produced, wherein each MR image is produced using parameters with parameter values and using correction factors with correction factor values. In order to produce the MR images, MR data of the same examination object is acquired under the same external boundary conditions. The MR images are evaluated automatically in respect of artifacts in the respective MR image, in order to determine the MR image with the least artifacts among the MR images. The correction factor values are determined as those correction factor values which have been used to produce the MR image with the least artifacts. The parameters determine a sequence, with which the MR data is acquired for producing the MR images. The correction factors reduce influences which influence the acquisition of the MR data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Dominik Paul, Mario Zeller
  • Patent number: 11016157
    Abstract: A method and system for suppressing metal artifacts in magnetic resonance (MR) images of slices of a patient containing a metallic implant. The method and system can use a Slice Encoding for Metal Artifact Correction (SEMAC) sequence. In the method and system, MR data of each slice is fully sampled in k-space in a reference region located in a center of k-space in a phase-encoding direction and a central section in a slice-selection direction. The MR-data of each slice outside the reference region can be undersampled in k-space. The fully sampled MR data from the reference regions of each slice can be combined to generate a reference data set for reconstructing an MR image of each slice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Dominik Paul, Flavio Carinci, Mario Zeller
  • Patent number: 11016155
    Abstract: In a method and apparatus for recording a magnetic resonance dataset with a number of reception coils, wherein the measurement signals of the magnetic resonance dataset contain measurement signals from at least two slices, the measurement signals are recorded segmented by the measurement signals being recorded in a first area of k-space with a first scanning density and in a second area of k-space with a second scanning density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Flavio Carinci, Mario Zeller
  • Patent number: 11009578
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for predicting B1+ field maps from magnetic resonance calibration images using deep neural networks. In an exemplary embodiment a method for magnetic resonance imaging comprises, acquiring a magnetic resonance (MR) calibration image of an anatomical region, mapping the MR calibration image to a transmit field map (B1+ field map) with a trained deep neural network, acquiring a diagnostic MR image of the anatomical region, and correcting inhomogeneities of a transmit field in the diagnostic MR image with the B1+ field map. Further, methods and systems are provided for collecting and processing training data, as well as utilizing the training data to train a deep learning network to predict B1+ field maps from MR calibration images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: GE PRECISION HEALTHCARE LLC
    Inventors: Dawei Gui, Xiaoli Zhao, Ling Sun, Haonan Wang, Wei Sun
  • Patent number: 11009575
    Abstract: Methods for reducing scan time in magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”), particularly when imaging three-dimensional image volumes, using a simultaneous time-interleaved multislice (“STIMS”) acquisition are described. The unused time in each repetition time (“TR”) period is exploited to provide an additional reduction in encoding time for a three-dimensional acquisition (e.g., a 3D whole brain coverage). Groups of spatially interleaved slices are excited in a single TR, with the excitation and acquisition of the groups of slices being interleaved in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation
    Inventors: Berkin Bilgic, Kawin Setsompop, Daniel Polak, Huihui Ye, Lawrence Wald
  • Patent number: 10996294
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an MRI apparatus includes an amplifier and a control circuit. The amplifier amplifies an RF pulse and supplies it to an RF coil. The control circuit is configured to determine whether an output RF pulse outputted from the amplifier is fed back to an input side of the amplifier to correct an input RF pulse to be inputted into the amplifier, based on a determination value being set according to a slew rate of the input RF pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Haruki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 10996299
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for optimizing gradient waveforms for oblique imaging. In one embodiment, a method comprises generating initial gradient waveforms in logical axes, evaluating area demand of each of the initial gradient waveforms, increasing a maximum amplitude of the initial gradient waveform in a first logical axis, reducing a maximum amplitude of the initial gradient waveform in a second logical axis, wherein the area demand in the first logical axis is greater than the area demand in the second logical axis, converting the gradient waveforms to physical gradient waveforms, and driving physical amplifiers of an imaging system with the physical gradient waveforms during a scan. In this way, oblique scans may be performed without a performance reduction caused by increases in echo time, repetition time, and echo spacing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Ali Ersoz
  • Patent number: 10996301
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of Dixon-type MR imaging. It is an object of the invention to provide a method that enables efficient and reliable water/fat separation using bipolar readout magnetic field gradients and avoids flow-induced leaking and swapping artifacts. According to the invention, an object (10) is subjected to an imaging sequence, which comprises at least one excitation RF pulse and switched magnetic field gradients, wherein two echo signals, a first echo signal and a second echo signal, are generated at different echo times (TE1, TE2). The echo signals are acquired from the object (10) using bipolar readout magnetic field gradients. A first single echo image is reconstructed from the first echo signals and a second single echo image is reconstructed from the second echo signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventor: Holger Eggers
  • Patent number: 10996300
    Abstract: An MRI system uses a Cartesian-radial hybrid k-space trajectory to capture three-dimensional k-space data and reconstruct an image of an area of interest of a subject. The MRI system performs a series of k-space acquisitions to collect the data. A first k-space acquisition includes acquiring a two-dimensional EPI projection in a first plane parallel to a frequency-encoding direction and acquiring additional two-dimensional EPI projections in planes that are radially shifted about a center axis parallel to the frequency-encoding direction with respect to the first plane, until a selected number of projections are acquired. Each subsequent k-space acquisition includes acquiring an additional set of two-dimensional EPI projections in all of the planes in which an EPI projection was acquired during the first k-space acquisition, each additional set of EPI projections being shifted along a respective plane in a direction perpendicular to the frequency-encoding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignees: Siemens Healthcare GmbH, University of Utah Research Foundation
    Inventors: Sunil Goraksha Patil, Henrik Odeen, Dennis L. Parker
  • Patent number: 10989782
    Abstract: A method and a magnetic resonance imaging device, and a corresponding computer readable storage medium. The method includes acquiring a distortion function describing a frequency dependence of an amplitude or phase of an MR-signal received by a receiver part of the MRI-device, Fourier transforming K-space data acquired using this receiver part to image space data, generating compensated image space data by compensating for the frequency dependence by dividing the image space data or image space data derived therefrom in image space by the distortion function, and providing the MR-image as the compensated image space data or reconstructed therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: David Grodzki, Stephan Biber, Kun Zhou, De He Weng
  • Patent number: 10984120
    Abstract: There are provided systems and methods for limiting device functionality based on data detection and processing. A user computing device may include sensitive or confidential data and/or processes that utilize such data that a malicious party may wish to abuse, such as an electronic transaction processing application that uses financial data of a user. The device may therefore be compromised by the malicious party if the device becomes accessible to that party. The device may utilize one or more processes to detect device data determine data proximate to the device and/or contextual data in order to determine whether limitations on application processes are required based on the potential nearby risk. If the nearby risk indicates the device application processes may be in danger, the device may impose limitations on the processes and/or wipe data. The device may also alert other devices or nearby users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: PAYPAL, INC.
    Inventor: Rahul Nair
  • Patent number: 10983183
    Abstract: In a method and apparatus for determination of phase distributions in MR imaging, a measured phase distribution of the region of interest is combined with at least one second phase value to form a combination-phase distribution, wherein the phase values of the combination-phase distribution are restricted to a defined presentation interval. A correction-phase distribution is generated, based on a known magnetic field distribution in the region of interest. The phase values thereof are not restricted to the defined presentation interval. A corrected combination-phase distribution is generated using the correction-phase distribution and the combination-phase distribution, in which the phase values are restricted to the defined presentation interval. An absolute combination-phase distribution is generated from the corrected combination-phase distribution, in which the phase values are not restricted to the defined presentation interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Thorsten Feiweier, Daniel Niederloehner
  • Patent number: 10983242
    Abstract: A subterranean characterization and fluid sampling device for analyzing a fluid from a subterranean formation includes a controller, a tool body, and a probing module. The tool body includes a fluid testing module configured to receive a sample of the fluid from the subterranean formation and a permanent magnet configured to induce a static magnetic field (B0). The probing module is coupled to the tool body and separate from the permanent magnet, and configured to withdraw the fluid from the formation and deliver the fluid to the testing module. The probing module comprises an antenna that generates a radio frequency magnetic field (B1) in response to a signal from the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Lilong Li, Songhua Chen, Arcady Reiderman
  • Patent number: 10977838
    Abstract: Generating a magnetic resonance image dataset includes providing a raw dataset that has been acquired such that the raw dataset is spatially and/or temporally undersampled. A regularization parameter is determined in an automated manner, and an image dataset is generated from the raw dataset using the regularization parameter in a compressed sensing technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Kartäusch, Dominik Paul, Flavio Carinci
  • Patent number: 10969450
    Abstract: In a method, apparatus and storage medium for filling a k-space trajectory in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, a blank window, following an RF excitation pulse, is set in an arbitrary spatial encoding direction, and a first MR signal is acquired in this blank window, to obtain the phase of the first MR signal. A gradient field is activated outside the blank window and a second MR signal is acquired to obtain the phase of the second MR signal. This first and second MR signals are entered into k-space along first k-space and second k-space trajectories that are respectively based on the phase of the first MR signal and the phase of the second MR signal. A calibrated k-space trajectory in the spatial encoding direction is determined based on the first and second k-space trajectories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Zhong Qiang Shi, De He Weng
  • Patent number: 10969451
    Abstract: Systems and methods for ZTE MRI are disclosed. An exemplary method includes obtaining Larmor frequencies of water and/or fat for a region of interest of a subject to be imaged at a pre-scan and setting a center frequency for an RF transceiver of the MR system at a value between the Larmor frequencies of water and fat. A ZTE pulse sequence is applied to the subject and MR signals in response to the ZTE pulse sequence are received from the subject. The received MR signals are demodulated with the center frequency and an in-phase ZTE image is generated from the demodulated MR signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: GE Precision Healthcare LLC
    Inventors: Florian Wiesinger, Mathias Engstrom
  • Patent number: 10969454
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry sets an excitation pulse sequence that applies an excitation pulse including an inversion pulse between at least one set of sub pulses of a local excitation radio frequency pulse formed of a plurality of sub pulses, and applies a spoiler gradient magnetic field that disperses transverse magnetization while applying the inversion pulse. The processing circuitry controls execution of the excitation pulse sequence by applying the excitation pulse and the spoiler gradient magnetic field according to the excitation pulse sequence, and collects a magnetic resonance signal based on a data collecting sequence after execution of the excitation pulse sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Hitoshi Kanazawa