Abstract: There is provided an RF coil capable of resonating or tuning two frequencies, having uniform spatial sensitivity and having a small spatially occupied volume, especially an RF coil suitable for a high magnetic field MRI apparatus. A coil apparatus is made up of a plurality of linear conductors 200, 201 arranged around a central axis and two ring conductors 202, 203 connected to the respective ends of the plurality of linear conductors 200, 201 and capacitors are inserted in the linear conductors 200, 201 and ring conductors 202, 203. The plurality of linear conductors are made up of conductors 200 located near the central axis and conductors 201 located far from the central axis and the ring conductors 202, 203 have star-like polygonal shape so that the linear conductors are arranged alternately.

Abstract: A system and method are provided herein for designing and transmitting RF pulses which cause a reduced off-resonance magnetization transfer saturation. An RF pulse shape may be optimized according to a set of Bloch solutions defining a desired magnetization profile. An RF pulse may be transmitted according to this optimized shape according to a k-space trajectory which traverses a high amplitude portion of the RF pulse more times than one or more low amplitude portions. In addition, a generally alternating slice select gradient may be applied during transmission of the RF pulse.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus is provided in which vibration of a gradient magnetic field coil is reduced, the vibration is not transmitted to a static magnetic field correcting unit, and space can be saved.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance apparatus includes a coil which receives a magnetic resonance signal from a subject, a transmitting unit which transmits the magnetic resonance signal received by the coil with a radio signal of a frequency band different from that of the magnetic resonance signal, an unit which extracts the magnetic resonance signal from the radio signal, a battery which supplies power to the transmitting unit, a switch unit which turns on and off power supply from the battery to the transmitting unit, a unit which wirelessly transmits a startup signal and a stop signal, a receiving unit which receives the startup signal and the stop signal that have been wirelessly transmitted, and a unit which controls the switch unit to turn on the power supply when the receiving unit receives the startup signal and turn off the power supply when the receiving unit receives the stop signal.

Abstract: In performing the moving table imaging, an MRI apparatus and a method thereof are provided, which minimizes image degradation and reduces imaging time. When an image of a wide range of a test object is taken, the imaging is repeated while changing the gradient magnetic field intensity in a phase-encode direction, as well as changing the size of field of view FOV in the readout direction by changing the readout gradient magnetic field intensity in reading out the data, according to the phase-encode amount. In a part where the FOV is expanded, data acquisition frequency is lowered, and consequently, the total imaging time is reduced. The data sampling time may be changed along with the change of the FOV, and therefore, a process for achieving a unique matrix size in the readout direction is rendered unnecessary, and a spatial resolution can be maintained.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus and method for automated hyperpolarization of samples for use as an imaging agent comprising a sample box, an airlock chamber configured to receive a sample from the sample box, a cryogenic chamber, a guide channel to transport samples from the airlock chamber to the cryogenic chamber, a heater and pressure module coupled to the sample box, an insertion and retraction device to transport samples through the guide channel to and from the cryogenic chamber, a dissolution module coupled to the sample box, and a controller to regulate hyperpolarization of the samples by controlling one or more of position, sequencing, temperature, pressure, and dissolution of the samples within the apparatus. Also provided is a machine-readable medium comprising instruction which, when executed by a controller, causes a hyperpolarization apparatus to perform the steps of hyperpolarization of a sample.

Abstract: A radio frequency coil for magnetic resonance imaging includes an active coil member (70, 701, 170, 270) that defines an imaging volume. The active coil member has a first open end (74) with a first cross-sectional dimension (dactive). A shield coil member (72, 721, 722, 723, 724, 725, 172, 1722, 272) substantially surrounds the active coil member. The shield coil member has a constricted open end (88) arranged proximate to the first open end of the active coil member with a constricted cross-sectional dimension (dconst) that is less than the cross-sectional dimension (dShieid) of the shield coil member. In some embodiments, the radio frequency coil further includes an outer shield coil member (100) that is substantially larger than the shield coil member (72, 721, 722, 723, 724, 725, 172, 1722, 272), and surrounds both the active coil member and the shield coil member.

Abstract: In a method for determination of a diffusion-weighted image of an examination subject in a magnetic resonance system, a diffusion-weighted data set is acquired with magnetic diffusion gradients being activated; a diffusion-weighted image of the examination subject is calculated using this diffusion-weighted data set; dephasing or spoiler gradients are activated in order to reduce artifacts in the diffusion-weighted image due to additional signal echoes and the position and/or amplitude and/or polarity of the dephasing gradients is/are selected dependent on the diffusion gradients.

Abstract: Technology for controlling non-uniformity in the B1 field includes selecting the phase, magnitude, frequency, time, or spatial relationship among various elements of a multi-channel excitation coil in order to control the radio frequency (RF) power emanating from the coil antenna elements. Non-uniformity can be used to steer a constructively interfering B1 field node to spatially correlate with an anatomic region of interest. A convex (quadratically constrained quadratic problem) formulation of the B1 localization problem can be used to select parameters for exciting the coil. Localization can be used in simulated Finite Difference Time Domain B1 field human head distributions and human head phantom measurement.

Abstract: A method for reducing eddy currents caused by the gradient magnetic field in a magnetic resonance system employs an anti-eddy current device formed by a number of laminated metallic plates, and includes the steps of calculating the distribution of the main magnetic field of the magnetic resonance system in the anti-eddy current device, calculating the distribution of the main magnetic field and the gradient magnetic field in the anti-eddy current device, subtracting the calculated distribution of the main magnetic field in the anti-eddy current device from the calculated distribution of the main magnetic field and the gradient magnetic field in the anti-eddy current device, to obtain the distribution of the gradient magnetic field in the anti-eddy current device, and adjusting the setting of the metallic plates of the anti-eddy current device based on the distribution of the gradient magnetic field in the anti-eddy current device, so as to reduce the eddy current.

Abstract: An antenna unit for a PET/MRI scanner is disclosed, including a supporting tube in which at least one antenna for MR signals is arranged. In at least one embodiment, the supporting tube has at least one permeable section and one impermeable section, the permeable section of which has a greater permeability to PET quanta than the impermeable section. The antenna unit further includes a screen for radio-frequency signals which is arranged outside of the supporting tube and surrounds the latter. In at least one embodiment, an intermediate layer is arranged between the supporting tube and the screen and, in the region of the permeable section of the supporting tube, is composed of, at least in part, a material which has a permeability to PET quanta comparable to the permeable section.

Abstract: An MRI apparatus includes a filtering control unit that filters discrete MR-signal values. A filter-coefficient setting unit sets a plurality of filter coefficients with respect to each point of sampling time, based on time-shift amounts corresponding to variations in an MR-signal frequency arising from temporal variations in the magnetic field strength. A product-sum operating unit filters the MR-signal values by performing a product-sum operation between the filter coefficients and the MR-signal values. An image-data creating unit creates image data based on the MR-signal values on which the filtering processing is performed.

Abstract: A transmission cable for use in a magnetic resonance apparatus is provided. The transmission cable includes a plurality of cable segments (200n). The cable also includes a plurality of couplers each of which transforms a first signal carried by a first cable segment into an acoustic signal and from the acoustic signal into a second signal carried by a second cable segment.

Abstract: An MRI apparatus consolidates and stores maintenance and/or performance data automatically measured by a measurement unit and data manually input via an input device. The automatically measured data may include an adjustment value, a state value or an error record. The manually input data may include a software and/or hardware upgrade record, a customized situation record, a network connection record, a repair record, a check record, a maintenance record or an installation record, for example. Both types of data can be obtained swiftly and faults or malfunctions can be recovered from quickly or even prevented in advance. The stored data may be communicated among a plurality of MRI apparatuses, a service center apparatus and a maintenance support apparatus via a communications network.

Abstract: In a magnetic resonance imaging method, inner radial readout lines (100, 200, 300, 400) in an inner portion (102, 202, 302, 402) of k-space are acquired using a first readout magnetic field gradient profile (120, 220, 320, 420). Outer radial readout lines (104, 204, 304, 404) in an outer portion (106, 206, 306, 406) of k-space disposed substantially outside of the inner portion of k-space are acquired using a second readout magnetic field gradient profile (124, 224, 324, 424) different from the first readout magnetic field gradient profile. The acquired inner and outer radial readout lines are reconstructed to produce a reconstructed image.

Abstract: An MRI coil capable of improving an SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) includes a pair of multi-turn coils disposed to face each other in an x-direction across a space for accommodating a subject, and the center of turns of the first multi-turn coil is biased in a (?y)-direction, and the center of turns of the second multi-turn coil is biased in a (+y)-direction.

Abstract: A method for performing correction in an autocalibrated, multi-shot MR imaging data acquisition includes performing correction on k-space data in an autocalibration region for each shot individually and then combining the corrected k-space data from each shot to form a corrected reference autocalibration region. Uncorrected source k-space data points are “trained to” the corrected k-space data from the corrected reference autocalibration region to determine coefficients that are used to synthesize corrected k-space data in the outer, undersampled regions of k-space. Similarly, acquired k-space lines in the outer, undersampled regions of k-space may also be replaced by corrected synthesized k-space data. The corrected k-space data from the corrected reference autocalibration region may be combined with the synthesized corrected k-space data for the outer, undersampled regions of k-space to reconstruct corrected images corresponding to each coil element.

Abstract: An arrangement configured for controlling an antenna arrangement in a magnetic resonance device has an antenna arrangement that surrounds an examination region and that has at least one antenna element configured for emitting an amplified transmit signal. At least one amplifier is provided, at the input of which a high-frequency transmit signal is connected, which is present on the output side of the amplifier as an amplified transmit signal. The amplifier is connected to a feed point of the antenna arrangement on the output side, in order to emit the amplified transmit signal. Coil windings of a primary gradient coil are also provided, which at least partially include the antenna arrangement and the examination region. Coil windings of a secondary gradient coil at least partially include the coil windings of the primary gradient coil, the antenna arrangement (and the examination region).

Abstract: In a magnetic resonance method and apparatus for acquisition of measurement data from a subject, k-space to be scanned into an inner region and an outer region, and the inner region is divided into inner segments that differ in terms of their distance from a k-space center and the outer region is divided into outer segments that differ in terms of their distance from a k-space center. First k-space data are acquired for the inner region, wherein k-space lines of the inner region are divided into first groups such that k-space lines from different inner segments are associated in each of the first groups, and the first groups are successively scanned. Second k-space data are acquired for the outer region, wherein k-space lines of the outer region are divided into second groups such that k-space lines from different outer segments are associated in each of the second groups, and the second groups are successively scanned.

Abstract: Methods and pulse sequences for facilitating nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements in grossly inhomogeneous fields. Methods and pulse sequences according to the invention may be used to accurately measure variables such as transverse relaxation time, longitudinal relaxation time, and diffusion, without the need for data at long recovery time, thereby allowing for faster measurements. In addition, methods and pulse sequences according to embodiment of the invention may allow simultaneous encoding of information in both the amplitude and the shape of echoes, so as to allow a single-shot measurement of multiple variables, e.g., both transverse relaxation time (from the decay of echo amplitudes) and longitudinal relaxation time (from the echo shape). CPMG detection may be used to overcome the often limited signal-to-noise ratio in grossly inhomogeneous fields.