Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a magnet having two poles and a wall connecting the poles; the poles delimiting a patient-imaging space; and a table which is slidably connected to one of the two poles between the two poles and which table extends substantially parallel to the two poles; a drive for displacing the table relative to the magnet; a lock for locking the table in a selected position relative to the magnet; a drive for rotating the magnet about the axis; the table connected to the magnet such that the table rotates with the magnet when the magnet rotates about the axis; the magnet and the table being rotatable from a position in which the poles and the table are horizontal to a position in which the table and the poles are vertical.

Abstract: The device for interstitial laser thermotherapy of tumors comprises an hollow needle (3) with a point (3A) for perforating a tissue (T) to be treated, and a light guide (9) which can be inserted in said hollow needle. The hollow needle is associated with a membrane (17) which is inflatable to form a balloon (P) into which the distal end (9A) of said light guide (9) can project, the membrane being inflated to create a cavity in the tissue to be treated into which laser radiation is guided by said light guide.

Abstract: A method for ultrasonic detection and imaging of hemodynamic information includes the steps of transmitting ultrasonic pulses into a body, which are generated by an array of electro-acoustic transducers arranged in a predetermined order and design; receiving reflected pulses with an array of receiving electro-acoustic transducers, which generate receive signals upon stimulation of the reflected pulses, the succession of pulses transmitted to or received from the body being focused along one or more scan lines; generating a Doppler frequency shift signal resulting from the reflection of pulses transmitted by a blood flow into a vessel intersected by the scan line, in a point and along the scan line, or along a direction of propagation of a pulse; determining the direction of blood flow velocity from the average frequency value of Doppler shift frequencies; and displaying the direction of blood flow velocity by graphical and/or chromatic representation differentiating opposite directions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of correcting inhomogeneity of the static magnetic field generated by the magnet of a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance imaging machine, wherein the magnet is flat and the magnetic field on one side of said magnet is corrected such that a volume is defined, which is bounded by a spherical cap surface, in which volume and along which surface the magnetic field is homogeneous, i.e. has field lines having equal parallel directions and equal intensities.

Abstract: Method for making magnets particularly for the use in MRI scanners, which magnets are three-dimensional and have a tubular wall made of magnetized material, with a closed or open annular shaped cross-section, the tubular wall being composed of individual elements made of magnetized material, the magnetization of each element made of magnetized material having a predetermined direction in the transverse section plane and said directions being determined such to generate a uniform static magnetic field in the cavity of the tubular wall.

Abstract: An MRI apparatus having a magnet structure which delimits a cavity for receiving a body under examination or a part thereof, which includes a mechanism for generating a magnetic field in the cavity, as well as a mechanism for causing the body under examination or the part thereof to emit nuclear magnetic resonance signals, a region defined in the cavity, known as an imaging volume, and a mechanism for receiving the nuclear magnetic resonance signals. The geometric center of the geometric shape of the cavity delimited by the magnet structure is offset in relation to the geometric center of the imaging volume.

Abstract: An MRI apparatus including a magnetic structure defining a cavity for receiving a body under examination or a part thereof, a mechanism for generating a magnetic field inside the cavity, a mechanism for causing the body under examination or a part thereof to emit nuclear magnetic resonance signals, and a mechanism for receiving the nuclear magnetic resonance signals. The mechanism for generating the magnetic field includes one or more elements made of permanently magnetized material of the so-called superconducting bulk material type and, in combination therewith, a mechanism for keeping the magnetization condition of the superconducting bulk material which includes mechanisms for maintaining the temperature of the permanently magnetized material below the critical temperature thereof and for restoring the magnetization of the superconducting bulk material upon a complete or partial demagnetization.

Abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging method and device, preferably using T2-weighted Fast Spin Echo (FSE) sequences, wherein a first set of magnetic resonance signals corresponding to predetermined phase-encoding gradients and at least one second set of received magnetic resonance signals, corresponding to further predetermined phase-encoding gradients, are acquired from the body under examination, using multi-echo sequences, such that echoes with the same echo index are assigned to different phase-encoding gradients, said first set and said at least one second set being entered into at least two corresponding k-space matrices, and the at least two k-space matrices being combined into a single k-space matrix from which an image is generated, wherein each k-space matrix is incompletely filled such that, for the same phase encoding gradients, one matrix contains the higher-intensity received signals, and at least another matrix contains no signal.

Abstract: A Magnetic Resonance imaging apparatus having a cavity in which a body or a part of a body to be imaged can be housed and a patient support device, which includes a patient supporting surface having a size so as to accommodate at least a part, particularly the whole of the patient body. The patient supporting surface is mounted in a slidable way relative to the cavity for housing the body to be imaged or a part thereof and enters together with the patient into the cavity. The patient support device includes one or more receptacles for respectively housing and/or removably coupling a coil adapted to receive signals from anatomic regions, upon excitation thereof by the Magnetic Resonance imaging apparatus. Each of the one or more receptacles are arranged over the surface of the device in areas corresponding to the position of one or more anatomic regions to be imaged.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a magnet having two poles and a wall connecting the poles; the poles delimiting a patient-imaging space; and a table which is slidably connected to one of the two poles between the two poles and which table extends substantially parallel to the two poles; a drive for displacing the table relative to the magnet; a lock for locking the table in a selected position relative to the magnet; a drive for rotating the magnet about the axis; the table connected to the magnet such that the table rotates with the magnet when the magnet rotates about the axis; the magnet and the table being rotatable from a position in which the poles and the table are horizontal to a position in which the table and the poles are vertical.

Abstract: A method for determining information for a diagnosis of pathologic conditions of the anatomical region of the pelvic floor by MRI imaging includes acquiring a sequence of MRI images along one or more predetermined section planes or inside a predetermined three-dimensional area, which planes intersect or which three-dimensional area contains at least a part of the pelvic floor. The image sequence is acquired for a time interval coinciding with or including at least a part of the length of the physiological process evacuating natural solids or liquids carried out on the basis both of a natural stimulation and an induced stimulation or during a simulation of physiological processes evacuating solids or liquids by introducing foreign bodies or substances simulating natural products.

Abstract: A method of measuring the thickness of a biological tissue by ultrasounds and a device carrying out such method. The method is implemented with an ultrasound probe that emits ultrasonic pulses within a body under examination and receives echoes generated from structures of the body under examination. The probe includes an array of two or more electro-acoustic transducers and, in combination, means for processing the reception signals and means for orienting one or more lines of sight, along which the emission of the pulses and/or the reception of the echoes is focused, according to different angles with respect to an axis perpendicular to the emitting surface of the probe.

Abstract: Apparatus for ultrasound image acquisition is integrated into the casing of an ultrasound probe that includes an array of electro-acoustic transducers, which transmit and receive ultrasound pulses. The array communicate with a processing unit, to which reception signals are fed, and are connected to a unit generating signals for exciting the transmission of ultrasound waves. In one aspect of the invention, at least the processing unit is fitted into the probe casing and is configured to convert the reception signals into an image, and to generate video signals for generating an image on a display unit. The transmission between the probe and a remote unit displaying and possibly storing the images as video signals may be operated wirelessly.

Abstract: A method for assessing motion, including deformation, of a structure from a sequence of at least two consecutive image frames of such structure, which images are timely separated by a certain time interval. The method including the steps of defining a certain number of reference points at least on one image frame, and determining the velocity of motion of such reference points between two successive image frames.

Abstract: An electronic array probe for ultrasonic imaging includes an array of transmitting and/or receiving electroacoustic transducers arranged in concentric bands in which the transducers are tangent to one other in both radial and circumferential directions. In order to minimize the number of transducers required without compromising dynamic range, a transducer arrangement geometry is provided so that the number of transducers having the same focusing delay is minimal or null.

Abstract: An electroacoustic transducer assembly and probe for emitting and receiving acoustic radiation beams. The transducer assembly comprising a plurality of transducer elements, each one composed of an electroacoustic element, arranged side by side and spaced apart along a row having a first end. Starting from transducer element proximate to the first end, adjacent transducer elements are constructed and arranged create an electroacoustic pair. A first element of the electroacoustic pair is constructed and arranged to only transmit acoustic pulses and a second element of the electroacoustic pair is constructed and arranged to only receive acoustic pulses. Each electroacoustic pair share a common connection line which branches off into a transmit branch connected to the first element and a receive branch connected to the second element.

Abstract: A Magnetic Resonance apparatus includes a 3D structure having a cavity for receiving a body under examination, a mechanism for generating a static magnetic field in the patient receiving cavity, a mechanism for generating variable magnetic fields in the cavity, an antenna for transmitting electromagnetic nuclear spin excitation pulses, an antenna for receiving the electromagnetic signals generated by nuclear spin relaxation, a plate for locating and fixing magnetic dipoles for fine correction of magnetic field homogeneity, and a compartment for the magnetic correction dipole locating and fixing plate, the compartment being adapted to be opened for direct access to the magnetic correction dipole locating and fixing plate from the outside. The compartment may be opened either by removal of an end plate of the magnetic field generating mechanism, or via a lateral slot for insertion and removal of the magnetic correction dipole locating and fixing plate.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging method particularly for 3D gynaecologic inspections provides an ultrasound probe having a number of transducers forming a linear array. An imaging scanning unit connected to the transducers alternatively generates electric driving signals for each transducer. The probe is oscillated in a direction transversal to the longitudinal extension of the linear array of transducers and around an axis coinciding or parallel to the longitudinal extensions of the linear array of transducers to modify the orientation of the direction of propagation of the ultrasound signals. The ultrasound beams are steered so that the linear array of transducers generates a trapezoidal scanning slice or plane diverging in the direction of propagation of the beams.

Abstract: A method of generating 2D or 3D maps of MRI T1 and T2 relaxation times by acquiring 2D or 3D MRI gradient-echo images and extracting the T1 and T2 values from the images, wherein MRI images are acquired using a combination of gradient-echo sequences, including a first MRI image acquired using a SSFP-FID (Steady State Free Precession-Free Induction Decay) acquisition sequence; two further images acquired using a Dual-Echo SSFP acquisition sequence; and the T1 and T2 values are extracted for each image pixel or voxel from the corresponding MRI signals.