Abstract: An MRI phantom for calibrated anisotropic imaging includes a plurality of separate sheathed taxons or integral taxons sharing common taxon walls, wherein each taxon has an inner diameter of less than 5 microns. The taxons form taxon filaments that are combined to form taxon ribbons. The taxons may have an average inner diameter of less than 1 micron, specifically about 0.8 microns with a packing density of about 1,000,000 per square millimeter. The filaments may include structural features such as an outer frame and crossing support ribs and may further include a visible alignment feature that allows for verifying orientation of an individual filament. The taxons may be formed as taxon fibers manufactured using a bi or tri-component textile/polymer manufacturing process. An anisotropic homogeneity phantom may include frame members that support fiber tracks extending in orthogonal directions, wherein each fiber track is formed of taxons.

Abstract: An MRI phantom having an MRI compatible temperature measurement device having an MRI compatible body containing an MRI compatible fluid, wherein the device senses accurate temperature measurement within an MR Scanner environment using image processing of the contrast in signal between the areas of the image around the device and the fluid contained within the body of the device. The MRI Phantom may further include an internal expansion bladder device accomodating internal changes in pressure within the phantom, wherein the internal expansion bladder device includes frames supporting a pair of spaced membranes defining a chamber filled with a compressible gas.

Abstract: A universal, modular, temperature controlled MRI phantom for calibration and validation for anisotropic and isotropic imaging comprises an outer insulating shell configured to be received within an MRI chamber; an inner shell received within the outer insulating shell; a fluid conduits adjacent the inner shell for receiving temperature controlling fluid or gas cycling there-through; and a series of stacked layers of frames containing test points for the MRI phantom, each layer including at least one fiducial and including at least some anisotropic imaging test points in at least one frame and at least one isotropic imaging test point in at least one frame. The anisotropic imaging comprises hollow tubular textile fibers, wherein each hollow tubular fiber has an outer diameter of less than 50 microns and an inner diameter of less than 20 microns, wherein at least some hollow tubular fibers are filled with a fluid.

Abstract: An MRI phantom for calibrated anisotropic imaging includes a plurality of separate sheathed taxons or integral taxons sharing common taxon walls, wherein each taxon has an inner diameter of less than 2 microns. The taxons form taxon filaments that are combined to form taxon ribbons. The taxons may have an average inner diameter of less than 1 micron, specifically about 0.8 microns with a packing density of about 1,000,000 per square millimeter. The filaments may include structural features such as an outer frame and crossing support ribs and may further include a visible alignment feature that allows for verifying orientation of an individual filament. The taxons may be formed as taxon fibers manufactured using a bi or tri-component textile/polymer manufacturing process. An anisotropic homogeneity phantom may include frame members that support fiber tracks extending in orthogonal directions, wherein each fiber track is formed of taxons.

Abstract: A universal, modular, temperature controlled MRI phantom for calibration and validation for anisotropic and isotropic imaging comprises an outer insulating shell configured to be received within an MRI chamber; an inner shell received within the outer insulating shell; a fluid conduits adjacent the inner shell for receiving temperature controlling fluid or gas cycling there-through; and a series of stacked layers of frames containing test points for the MRI phantom, each layer including at least one fiducial and including at least some anisotropic imaging test points in at least one frame and at least one isotropic imaging test point in at least one frame. The anisotropic imaging comprises hollow tubular textile fibers, wherein each hollow tubular fiber has an outer diameter of less than 50 microns and an inner diameter of less than 20 microns, wherein at least some hollow tubular fibers are filled with a fluid.

Abstract: A universal, modular, temperature controlled MRI phantom for calibration and validation for anisotropic and isotropic imaging comprises an outer insulating shell configured to be received within an MRI chamber; an inner shell received within the outer insulating shell; a fluid conduits adjacent the inner shell for receiving temperature controlling fluid or gas cycling there-through; and a series of stacked layers of frames containing test points for the MRI phantom, each layer including at least one fiducial and including at least some anisotropic imaging test points in at least one frame and at least one isotropic imaging test point in at least one frame. The anisotropic imaging comprises hollow tubular textile fibers, wherein each hollow tubular fiber has an outer diameter of less than 50 microns and an inner diameter of less than 20 microns, wherein at least some hollow tubular fibers are filled with a fluid.

Abstract: Critical needs for MRI patient instruction, testing, comfort, motion control, and speech communication are provided for better imaging which leads to more effective medical care. An MRI Digital Video Projection System is disclosed which provides better quality display to the patient to better inform, instruct, test, and comfort the patient plus the potential to stimulate the brain with microsecond onset times to better diagnose brain function. An MRI Motion Tracker and Patient Augmented Visual Feedback System enables monitoring patient body part motion, providing real time feedback to the patient and/or technician to substantially improve diagnostic yield of scanning sessions, particularly for children and mentally challenged individuals. An MR Forward Predictive Noise Canceling Microphone System removes the intense MRI acoustic noise improving patient communication, patient safety and enabling coding of speech output. These systems can be used individually but maximum benefit is from providing all three.

Abstract: Creating and executing real-time psychological experiments with sub-millisecond time precision uses a Hierarchical Experiment Spreadsheet (HES) providing a hierarchical data structure and interface. The user adds/modifies experiment levels in a spreadsheet multilevel table representation. New objects and properties are added while maintaining the hierarchical structure of the experiment and prohibiting user corruption of the experiments hierarchical structure. A Time Event Queue Manager (TEQM) provides precision timing using event pre-release synchronization, compensating for timing errors produced by the personal computer operating system and enabling sub-millisecond time precision.

Abstract: A system and operational method that supplies visual stimuli to each subject in the form of a virtual environment in which at least the objects of interest have a three dimensional wire frame or mesh frame of a number of polygons that is surrounded with at least one skin or surface; wherein the visual stimuli is presented in a test session to the subject on a display device including an eye tracking sub-system that can effectively track the subject's gaze direction and focus on the display device throughout the test session; wherein unique colors are assigned to the mesh frame and/or an eye tracking skin of each object of interest whereby the system can evaluate the obtained eye tracking data and assign attention data to specific objects of interest resulting in object specific attention data.

Abstract: A system and operational method that supplies visual stimuli to each subject in the form of a virtual environment in which at least the objects of interest have a three dimensional wire frame or mesh frame of a number of polygons that is surrounded with at least one skin or surface; wherein the visual stimuli is presented in a test session to the subject on a display device including an eye tracking sub-system that can effectively track the subject's gaze direction and focus on the display device throughout the test session; wherein unique colors are assigned to the mesh frame and/or an eye tracking skin of each object of interest whereby the system can evaluate the obtained eye tracking data and assign attention data to specific objects of interest resulting in object specific attention data.

Abstract: A system and operational method that supplies visual stimuli to each subject in the form of a virtual environment in which at least the objects of interest have a three dimensional wire frame or mesh frame of a number of polygons that is surrounded with at least one skin or surface; wherein the visual stimuli is presented in a test session to the subject on a display device including an eye tracking sub-system that can effectively track the subject's gaze direction and focus on the display device throughout the test session; wherein unique colors are assigned to the mesh frame and/or an eye tracking skin of each object of interest whereby the system can evaluate the obtained eye tracking data and assign attention data to specific objects of interest resulting in object specific attention data.

Abstract: A system and operational method that supplies visual stimuli to each subject in the form of a virtual environment in which at least the objects of interest have a three dimensional wire frame or mesh frame of a number of polygons that is surrounded with at least one skin or surface; wherein the visual stimuli is presented in a test session to the subject on a display device including an eye tracking sub-system that can effectively track the subject's gaze direction and focus on the display device throughout the test session; wherein unique colors are assigned to the mesh frame and/or an eye tracking skin of each object of interest whereby the system can evaluate the obtained eye tracking data and assign attention data to specific objects of interest resulting in object specific attention data.

Abstract: Creating and executing real-time psychological experiments with sub-millisecond time precision uses a Hierarchical Experiment Spreadsheet (HES) providing a hierarchical data structure and interface. The user adds/modifies experiment levels in a spreadsheet multilevel table representation. New objects and properties are added while maintaining the hierarchical structure of the experiment and prohibiting user corruption of the experiments hierarchical structure. A Time Event Queue Manager (TEQM) provides precision timing using event pre-release synchronization, compensating for timing errors produced by the personal computer operating system and enabling sub-millisecond time precision.

Abstract: Critical needs for MRI patient instruction, testing, comfort, motion control, and speech communication are provided for better imaging which leads to more effective medical care. An MRI Digital Video Projection System is disclosed which provides better quality display to the patient to better inform, instruct, test, and comfort the patient plus the potential to stimulate the brain with microsecond onset times to better diagnose brain function. An MRI Motion Tracker and Patient Augmented Visual Feedback System enables monitoring patient body part motion, providing real time feedback to the patient and/or technician to substantially improve diagnostic yield of scanning sessions, particularly for children and mentally challenged individuals. An MR Forward Predictive Noise Canceling Microphone System removes the intense MRI acoustic noise improving patient communication, patient safety and enabling coding of speech output. These systems can be used individually but maximum benefit is from providing all three.