Patents Represented by Attorney Jason K. Klindtworth
-
Patent number: 7548604Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing artifacts in image data generated by a computed tomography system is provided. The artifacts are due to the presence of a high density object in a subject of interest. CT data is acquired at a number of differing tilt angles. The data is then combined and reconstructed to generate an improved composite image substantially free of artifacts caused by the high density object.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2007Date of Patent: June 16, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Bruno K. B. De Man, Deborah Joy Walter
-
Patent number: 7548064Abstract: A folded gradient terminal board end connector includes a multi-layer terminal connection board having a plurality of connection paths and vias configured to provide intercrossing between a plurality of folded gradient coils and further to provide symmetry between the plurality of folded gradient coils without spatial interference between folded portions of the plurality of folded gradient coils to optimize the folded gradient coil efficiency.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2007Date of Patent: June 16, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Wensen Wang, Bruce Courtney Campbell Amm, Weijun Yin, Yogen Vishwas Utturkar, Tunc Icoz
-
Patent number: 7545954Abstract: A system recognizes events. The system includes a sequence of continuous vectors and a sequence of binarized vectors. The sequence of continuous vectors represents spatial-dynamic relationships of objects in a predetermined recognition area. The sequence of binarized vectors is derived from the sequence of continuous vectors by utilizing thresholds for determining binary values for each spatial-dynamic relationship. The sequence of binarized vectors indicates whether an event has occurred.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2005Date of Patent: June 9, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Michael Chan, Anthony Hoogs, John Schmiederer
-
Patent number: 7519158Abstract: A system for mitigating a gas load imposed upon a high vacuum chamber, thereby reducing the overall pressure, includes a device mounted onto a rotating gantry. The device has a first chamber enclosing a high vacuum and a first region in which anode bearings are positioned. A rotatable shaft has a first portion extending into the first chamber and a second portion extending into the first region. A ferrofluid seal is positioned about the rotatable shaft and positioned between the first portion and the second portion, the ferrofluid seal fluidically separating the first chamber from the first region. At least one pressure-reducing unit is fluidically connected to the first chamber.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2006Date of Patent: April 14, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Aniruddha Dattatraya Gadre, Darren Lee Hallman, John Scott Price, Paul M. Ratzmann, Richard Michael Roffers, Walter John Smith
-
Patent number: 7518370Abstract: A vacuum vessel assembly includes an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder formed of a material in which eddy currents are substantially not produced. The inner cylinder includes a first and second half having an annular flange thereon. A plurality of metal interfaces are connected to the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder. The plurality of metal interfaces bond the first half and second half of the inner cylinder and also bond the inner cylinder to the outer cylinder.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2006Date of Patent: April 14, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Xianrui Huang, Paul S. Thompson
-
Patent number: 7512210Abstract: An imaging system includes a gantry having a bore therethrough designed to receive a patient being translated through the bore an x-ray source disposed in the gantry and configured to emit x-rays toward the patient, and a detector module disposed in the gantry to receive x-rays attenuated by the patient. The detector module includes a scintillator configured to absorb the x-rays and to convert the x-rays into optical photons, a device configured to receive the optical photons and to convert the optical photons to electrical signals, and an adaptive data acquisition system (DAS) configured to switch an operating mode of the device from a charge integrating mode to a photon counting mode, and vice versa.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2007Date of Patent: March 31, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: George E. Possin, Kent C. Burr, Aaron J. Couture, Jonathan D. Short
-
Patent number: 7508911Abstract: An X-ray imaging system is provided that includes a target for emitting X-rays and having at least one target focal spot, and an array of multilayer optic devices for transmitting X-rays through total internal reflection. The array of multilayer optics devices are in optical communication with the at least one target focal spot. Further, a method for imaging an object with an X-ray imaging machine is provided. Also, a method for forming a stack of multilayer optic devices is provided.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2007Date of Patent: March 24, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Susanne Madeline Lee, Forrest Frank Hopkins, Peter Michael Edic
-
Patent number: 7498814Abstract: A magnet assembly for a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system includes a vacuum vessel including an inner cylinder, an outer cylinder and a pair of tapered flanges connecting the inner and outer cylinders. The inner cylinder is made of a composite material. The outer cylinder and flanges are composed of several magnetic segments that provide a magnetic flux return path with low eddy currents. The segments are bonded together and electrically insulated from each other. A container, a thermal shield and a superconducting magnet coil assembly are disposed within the vacuum vessel. The superconducting magnet coil assembly includes a non-conductive cylindrical structure and superconducting coils. A thermally conductive cable is wrapped around the cylindrical structure and coils to form a thermally conductive envelope.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2007Date of Patent: March 3, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Xianrui Huang, Minfeng Xu, Evangelos Trifon Laskaris, Paul St. Mark Shadforth Thompson, Bulent Aksel, Kathleen Melanie Amm, Anbo Wu, Yan Zhao
-
Patent number: 7495228Abstract: A dual function detector device operates in either a normal operating mode or in an EMI correction mode to suppress effects of EMI within the detector. The detector device may be a flat panel x-ray detectors used in x-ray imaging systems. The device has a pixel architecture and panel read-out technique that enables real-time, high spatial frequency measurement of noise induced by electromagnetic radiation on a digital x-ray detector. The measurement can be used to calibrate the detector in real-time to attain artifact-free imaging in all environments, including those that contain temporally and spatially changing electromagnetic fields.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2008Date of Patent: February 24, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Douglas Albagli, Aaron Judy Couture, William Andrew Hennessy, Kenneth Scott Kump, Feng Gao, James Zhengshe Liu
-
Patent number: 7495227Abstract: An x-ray detector is provided for use in imaging systems. The x-ray detector includes a detector subsystem configured to output electrical signals in response to reception of x-rays. The detector subsystem includes an imaging panel, a support layer and a low density core disposed between the imaging panel and the support layer.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2007Date of Patent: February 24, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: William Andrew Hennessy, Habib Vafi, Donald Earl Castleberry, Michael John Utschig, Mahadevan Balasubramaniam, Jie Jiang, Virendra Vilas Gaikwad, Ajit Achuthan, Le Yan
-
Patent number: 7489191Abstract: An amplifier circuit and method for reducing bias noise is disclosed. The amplifier circuit includes a passive biasing source for supplying a desired bias signal to the amplifier and an active biasing source for energizing the passive biasing source to supply the desired bias signal. The amplifier circuit also includes a decoupler for selectively decoupling the active biasing source from the passive biasing source when the amplifier is configured for amplifying an input signal so that the amplifier remains isolated from electronic noise produced by the active biasing source while still being supplied the desired bias signal by the passive source.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2007Date of Patent: February 10, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Naresh Kesavan Rao, Jianjun Guo
-
Patent number: 7488945Abstract: Count rates may be obtained from one or more subpixels for a given pixel in an imaging system detector. Count rates may be obtained from individual subpixels, or may be from electronically binned subpixels at least in part in various subpixel arrangements where a selected subpixel arrangement may be adaptively set according to a detected count rate. For lower count rates, two or more subpixels may be electronically binned together and the counts may be obtained from the binned subpixels, for example to mitigate a charge sharing effect. For higher count rates, the count rates of a greater number of subpixels may be individually obtained, for example to mitigate a pulse pile-up effect. Detective quantum efficiency may be optimized over a wider range of photon flux rate via the adaptive subpixel arrangement.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2005Date of Patent: February 10, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Wen Li, John Eric Tkaczyk, Yanfeng Du, James Leblanc
-
Patent number: 7488946Abstract: An x-ray detector is provided for use in imaging systems. The x-ray detector includes a detector subsystem configured to output electrical signals in response to reception of x-rays. The x-ray detector also includes a single-piece protective enclosure having at least one opening to receive the detector subsystem.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2006Date of Patent: February 10, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: William Andrew Hennessy, Bruce Courtney Campbell Amm, Donald Earl Castleberry, Shashishekara Sitharamarao Talya, Virendra Vilas Gaikwad, Shailendra Pramod Joshi, Habib Vafi, Michael John Utschig
-
Patent number: 7486764Abstract: A CT detector includes a plurality of metallized anodes with each metallized anode separated from another metallized anode by a gap. A direct conversion material is electrically coupled to the plurality of metallized anodes and has a charge sharing region in which an electrical charge generated by an x-ray impinging the direct conversion material is shared between at least two of the plurality of metallized anodes. An x-ray attenuating material is positioned to attenuate x-rays directed toward the charge sharing region.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2007Date of Patent: February 3, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: John Eric Tkaczyk, Yanfeng Du, Wen Li
-
Patent number: 7477055Abstract: A system and method for connecting superconducting magnet coils made up of coil segments to allow an integrated winding concept. The integrated winding concept can include serially connecting coil segments of coil pairs in an alternating pattern, which causes coil pairs to be electrically symmetric. Symmetric coil pairs can eliminate or significantly reduce the currents in magnet coils induced by gradient or other pulses, produce a homogenous field, and reduce the accumulated voltages in the coils due to gradient pulsing.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2007Date of Patent: January 13, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Xianrui Huang, Paul S. Thompson, Minfeng Xu
-
Patent number: 7473859Abstract: A gating voltage control system and method are provided for electrostatically actuating a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) device, e.g., a MEMS switch. The device may comprise an electrostatically responsive actuator movable through a gap for actuating the device to a respective actuating condition corresponding to one of a first actuating condition (e.g., a closed switching condition) and a second actuating condition (e.g., an open switching condition). The gating voltage control system may comprise a drive circuit electrically coupled to a gate terminal of the device to apply a gating voltage. The gating voltage control system may further comprise a controller electrically coupled to the drive circuit to control the gating voltage applied to the gating terminal in accordance with a gating voltage control sequence.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2007Date of Patent: January 6, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Joshua Isaac Wright, Kanakasabapathi Subramanian, William James Premerlani, John Norton Park, Christopher Keimel, Long Que, Kuna Venkat Satya Rama Kishore, Abhijeet Dinkar Sathe, Xuefeng Wang, Edward Keith Howell
-
Patent number: 7466793Abstract: A CT system in an example comprises one or more high frequency electromagnetic energy sources, a detection assembly, a data acquisition system (DAS), and a computer. The one or more high frequency electromagnetic energy sources emit one or more beams of high frequency electromagnetic energy toward an object to be imaged. The detection assembly is capable of measuring a plurality of projection data at a same projection path that corresponds to a plurality of distinct incident energy spectra. The detection assembly comprises one or more energy discriminating (ED) detectors and/or one or more energy integration (EI) detectors that receive high frequency electromagnetic energy emitted by the one or more high frequency electromagnetic energy sources. The data acquisition system (DAS) is operably connected to the one or more ED detectors and/or the one or more EI detectors. The computer is operably connected to the DAS.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2006Date of Patent: December 16, 2008Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Xiaoye Wu, James W. LeBlanc, Samit Kumar Basu
-
Patent number: 7449128Abstract: A nanomaterial comprising a plurality of nanoparticles. The plurality of nanoparticles includes at least one dopant and at least one of a metal oxide, a metal phosphate, a metal silicate, a metal hafnate, a metal aluminate, and combinations thereof. The metal is one of an alkali earth metal, a lanthanide, and a transition metal. The plurality of nanoparticles is formed by forming a homogenized precursor solution of at least one metal precursor and at least one dopant precursor, adding a fuel and optionally at least one of a phosphate source, a silicate source, a hafnate source, and an aluminate source to the precursor solution, removing water from the precursor solution to leave a reaction concentrate, and igniting the reaction concentrate to form a powder comprising the nanomaterial. In one embodiment, the nanomaterial is a scintillator material.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2004Date of Patent: November 11, 2008Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Kalaga Murali Krishna, Sergio Paulo Martins Loureiro, Mohan Manoharan, Geetha Karavoor
-
Patent number: 7449889Abstract: A system and method for a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system includes a coil form, at least one magnet positioned about the coil form and configured to generate a magnetic field, at least one gradient coil for manipulating the magnetic field generated by the at least one magnet by way of a gradient field, and a heat pipe thermally connected to the coil form and having a cryogen therein. The MR imaging system also includes a cryocooler connected to the heat pipe to cool the heat pipe and the cryogen, wherein the coil form is comprised of a thermally conductive material in which eddy currents are substantially reduced during operation of the at least one gradient coil. The present invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiment, and it is recognized that equivalents, alternatives, and modifications, aside from those expressly stated, are possible and within the scope of the appending claims.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2007Date of Patent: November 11, 2008Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Xianrui Huang, Bulent Aksel, Kathleen M. Amm, Evangelos T. Laskaris, Ernst W. Stautner, Paul S. Thompson, Anbo Wu, Minfeng Xu, Yan Zhao
-
Patent number: 7450683Abstract: A detector assembly is presented. The detector assembly includes a first detector layer having a top side and a bottom side, where the first detector layer includes a plurality of first coupling gaps. Additionally, the detector assembly includes a first interconnect structure operationally coupled to the first detector layer and configured to facilitate transfer of a first set of image data from the first detector layer to backplane electronics. The detector assembly also includes a second detector layer having a top side and a bottom side and disposed adjacent the bottom side of the first detector layer, where the second detector layer includes a plurality of second coupling gaps configured to facilitate passage of the first interconnect structure from the first detector layer to the backplane electronics.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2006Date of Patent: November 11, 2008Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: John Eric Tkaczyk, Jonathan David Short, James Walter Leblanc, James Wilson Rose