Abstract: A method for determining the condition of an animate or inanimate object by magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, particularly for determining the pathologic condition of rheumatoid arthritis (“arthritis rheumatoides”) and carrying out a patient follow-up.

Abstract: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance imaging apparatus, comprising a unit (1) for exciting and receiving nuclear spin signals, an electronic driver unit (3) for driving the devices of the signal exciting and receiving unit, an electronic unit for controlling the electronic driver units, a unit (6) for processing the received signals, a unit (5) for displaying the image data processed, a unit (6) for filing and storing the image data, a unit (4) for entering commands, the said units being formed partially by specific hardware and partially by a commercial available personal computer running specific programs, a bidirectional communication bus (7?) being further provided for the communication between the different units, which bus encodes data consistently with the communication buses normally used to interface computer peripheral devices, and/or in communication networks, or the like, characterized in that at least one part of the personal computer hardware is formed by a client computer (30) and part by a server comput

Abstract: A method for compensating in a space volume for a magnetic noise field outside the space volume includes determining a strength of the magnetic noise field outside the space volume; defining a correlation between the noise field outside the space volume and a corresponding noise field inside the space volume, or calculating the noise field inside the space volume on the basis of the measurements of the magnetic field outside the space volume; based on the noise field inside the space volume, generating a magnetic compensation field for neutralizing the noise field inside the space volume; wherein the compensation of the magnetic noise field outside the space volume is carried out along a direction in the space volume which is variable by determining a noise field component inside the space volume along the direction and generating a compensation field of the noise field component along the direction.

Abstract: A method for determining the condition of an animate or inanimate object by magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, particularly for determining the pathologic condition of rheumatoid arthritis (“arthritis rheumatoides”) and carrying out a patient follow-up.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ultrasonic transducer comprising a plurality of micro-cells, arranged in an array having M rows and N columns, and driving electronic means apt to connect in parallel to each other said micro-cells so as to form at least two sub-groups of said micro-cells, the micro-cells of each sub-group being connected in parallel to each other, at least one column of said array comprising micro-cells belonging to at least two different adjacent sub-groups, so that a radiation emitted in a direction perpendicular to the array columns by said at least one column has a phase that is intermediate between the phases of said at least two different adjacent sub-groups.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging method and apparatus wherein the ultrasonic energy transmitted to a subject under examination is generated by a plurality of electroacoustic transducers, which are actuated for transmission with predetermined delays according to a predetermined focusing rule; the ultrasonic energy reflected by the subject under examination is received by an array of electroacoustic transducers which are actuated to read received signals with predetermined delays according to a received signal focusing rule. The focused received signals are turned into image data for ultrasonic image display. The transmitting transducers are actuated with such delays as to generate a homogeneous acoustic field over all or part of the region of the subject under examination.

Abstract: A method for image acquisition and display by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging, allowing display of images of an anatomical region along section planes or slices having different positions with respect to another, which method includes carrying out at least one three dimensional Magnetic Resonance Imaging for acquiring three dimensional anatomical data in the form of a three dimensional voxel array of unitary volumetric image elements in a user defined image volume containing at least part of the anatomical region to be studied and having a predetermined orientation reference; selecting relative to the user defined image volume one or more section planes along which an image of the anatomical region or part thereof in the defined volume is to be displayed; reconstructing from the three dimensional voxel array the image along each of the one or more section planes; displaying the image or images as a two dimensional image.

Abstract: An apparatus for imaging the inner part of a body, particularly for diagnostic imaging thereof, including at least means for imaging and displaying images according to at least one type of beams, waves or signals transmitted toward a body or a part thereof to be examined, the said means being means for generating at least one type of waves or beams which are transmitted toward the body or the part thereof to be internally imaged and means for receiving said type of waves or beams transmitted by the body under examination or by the part thereof or deriving from the excitation of said part or body under examination, from the reflection and/or transmission and/or modification of waves, of the beams transmitted against said body under examination or the part thereof.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for ultrasound imaging of a biopsy needle or the like during an ultrasound imaging examination, including the steps of alternately performing one or more imaging scans with ultrasound transmit and receive parameters which are adapted for optimized imaging and visualization of the needle and one or more imaging scans with ultrasound transmit and receive parameters adapted for optimized imaging and visualization of the body, in which the needle is inserted, injecting contrast agents in the region to be examined before imaging, and setting ultrasound transmit and receive parameters adapted for optimized imaging and visualization of the body.

Abstract: Imaging method and system including thermal noise reduction for ultrasonic and magnetic resonance images. In ultrasound imaging, this method provides thermal noise reduction and a reduction of artifacts in applications with contrast agents. The method includes the computation of a simple correlation function to be applied where two or more images or vectors of the same region of the body are provided. The signals relating to the images or the vectors are: combined by a weight function which, by comparing corresponding samples of the signals or vectors, assumes values in a range between a maximum value and a minimum value depending on the mutual correlation measure between the samples. The weight function is combined with the combination of the two response signals (P1, P2, MR1, MR2). The resulting signal is transformed into image data. The signals are processed based on the peculiarities of the selected imaging system.

Abstract: A method for generating time independent images of moving objects with the image information being related to properties of the moving objects represented by sequences of digital images. The images are transformed into a series of space-time representations of the image data. A function is derived from the space-time representation images that approximates the object motion and is used to create time independent images of the moving objects.

Abstract: A superconducting magnet, in which a static magnetic filed is generated in a region of interest, i.e. a predetermined volume in which the part under examination has to be placed for imaging characterised in that it is provided with means for generating a uniform annular distribution of electric currents enclosing the polyhedral cavity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for diagnostic imaging of a body part, by nuclear magnetic resonance, which method includes the steps of positioning the body part in a detection volume of a nuclear magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, inside a dedicated receiving coil; selecting the section or sections of said body part that has to be imaged and carrying out image detection by nuclear magnetic resonance; identifying and storing the detected images; and carrying out at intervals one or more subsequent image detections with nuclear magnetic resonance of the same body part and of the same section thereof as in the preceding image detections with nuclear magnetic resonance, positioning each time the body part in the same relative position with respect to the imaging volume of the nuclear magnetic resonance imaging apparatus.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for ultrasonic imaging in which acoustic, and in particular ultrasonic, receiver beamforming utilizes delays which are partially determined as a function of the frequency of the received signals and as a function of the position of the individual receiving transducers in the entire array of receiving transducers.

Abstract: A method of compensating for eddy currents induced by the switching on and off magnetic fields in gradient coils in NMR imaging apparatuses, which method includes at least one compensation cycle including the steps of performing at least one detection of the magnetic field generated by the current flowing in a gradient coil, i.e., a gradient field; extrapolating the course of the effectively generated gradient field from the data of said at least one detection; generating a gradient fields excitation current compensating the eddy current effects on the gradient fields on the basis of the comparison of the effectively generated gradient fields and of the target gradient field.

Abstract: A nuclear magnetic resonance imaging device has a magnetic structure which defines a cavity for housing at least part of the body of a patient with a magnetic field which permeates at least part of the cavity, an opening provides access to the imaging cavity from outside of the magnetic structure and electrically conductive and electrically grounded shielding provided at the opening is movable between a first inactive configuration wherein the opening is substantially open and an active configuration in which the opening is at least partially closed by the shielding

Abstract: Receiving coil for nuclear magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for spinal column images, where the apparatus has a supporting bench of the patient and an element for generating a static magnetic field perpendicularly oriented with respect to the supporting bench of the patient. The receiving coil is provided with at least two conductors useful for the detection extending in the direction of the positioning of the longitudinal extension of the spinal column and in the supporting bench or in a bench parallel to the supporting bench of the patient and have a length that is enough to cover approximately the anatomic district of the spinal column or a part of interest thereof, the distance of the two conductors being in the order of magnitude of the average width of the spinal columns and the two conductors being connected in such a way to have a coherent flowing direction of current.

Abstract: An apparatus for MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) includes a scanner, a support for a patient, and a supporting bench for the scanner and for the patient support, wherein the scanner and said patient support are mounted on the supporting bench such that a position of at least one of the scanner and the patient support can be changed with respect to the other of the scanner and the patient support.

Abstract: A method for compensating for magnetic noise fields in spatial volumes includes determining the strength of a magnetic field outside said spatial volume; defining the correlation between the noise field outside the spatial volume and the corresponding noise field inside said spatial volume; generating a magnetic compensation field for neutralizing the noise field in said spatial volume. The method further provides separate detection of noise fields with frequencies in the range of at least two different frequency bands.

Abstract: A magnet structure for a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance imaging apparatus includes at least two opposing magnetic pole pieces, which are located at a certain distance from each other and delimit an imaging region. The pole pieces are formed by at least one massive layer of a magnetically permeable material, and at least one layer of magnetically permeable material having a pack of superimposed sheets or foils, electrically insulated from each other. Each of the sheets has cuts arranged over the surface of the sheet in positions that are at least partly non coincident with the cuts of at least one, or both adjacent sheets. The magnetically permeable sheets or foils have a first face and a second face and the cuts are so arranged on each sheet that the cuts of a sheet or foil are offset and not coincident with respect to the cuts of an adjacent sheet or foil, when said adjacent sheet is laid over the previous sheet in an overturned position, i.e.