Patents Examined by Brij B. Shrivastav
  • Magnetic resonance examination platform with independently moveable bed and antenna device
    Patent number: 7602189
    Abstract: An examination platform for a magnetic resonance apparatus has a patient bed for supporting a patient, a local antenna device for acquisition of magnetic resonance signals, and a drive device arranged at the patient bed. The drive device is coupled with the local antenna device. The local antenna device thus can be moved parallel to the longitudinal axis of the patient bed independently of a movement of the patient bed. A magnetic resonance apparatus and a method for acquisition of image data of a patient employ such an examination platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Guenther Decke, Hubertus Fischer, Wilfried Schnell
  • System of electric coils for transmitting and receiving radio-frequency magnetic fields in a magnetic-resonance imaging apparatus, and magnetic-resonance imaging apparatus provided with such a system of electric coils
    Patent number: 7602188
    Abstract: The invention relates to a magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus comprising an electrical coil system (17) for transmitting and receiving a radio-frequency (RF) magnetic field from an examination volume (3) of the MRI apparatus. The electrical coil system (17) comprises at least one surface coil (35) which extends substantially in a plane. The surface coil is used for transmitting and/or receiving a RF magnetic field which is oriented substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the surface coil (35). The surface coil (35) has a main coil axis (37). When the MRI apparatus is in use, the main coil axis (37) extends substantially parallel to a main magnetic field in the examination volume (3) of the MRI apparatus. On both sides of the main coil axis (37), the surface coil (35) comprises an electrically conducting element (39) which extends substantially parallel to the main coil axis (37).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Cecilia Possanzini, Marinus Johannes Adrianus Maria Van Helvoort, Jan Bertus Marten Warntjes, Robert Paul Kleihorst
  • Integrated power supply for surface coils
    Patent number: 7602187
    Abstract: A radio frequency receive coil for receiving a magnetic resonance signal includes a radio frequency antenna. The radio frequency antenna includes one or more electrical conductors (72, 74, 76, 78, 172, 173, 176, 180, 252, 254), at least one of which is a substantially hollow conductor (72, 78, 172, 252, 254). At least one electrical component (100, 110, 110?, 110?, 140, 160, 200) is mounted to be shielded from interfering with the MR signal by disposing it inside the substantially hollow conductor. The at least one electrical component can be, for example, a battery (100, 160, 200), a storage capacitor (140), or coil electronics (110, 110?,110?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Kai-Michael Luedeke, Christian Findeklee, Peter H. Notten, Marinus J. A. M. van Helvoort, Hans H. Tuithof
  • System and method for multi-echo bandwidth match imaging
    Patent number: 7602179
    Abstract: A system and method for medical imaging includes an improvement to the MP-RAGE pulse sequence that enables the readout bandwidth thereof to be matched to that of other pulse sequences used in the same examination without a significant loss in SNR. More specifically, the present invention includes using a multi-echo MP-RAGE pulse sequence in which multiple gradient-recalled NMR signals are acquired at the desired “matching” bandwidth and combining selected ones of the NMR signals to reconstruct an image. By selecting and combining NMR signals acquired at each phase encoding, the SNR of the resulting reconstructed image can be maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation
    Inventors: Andre van der Kouwe, Bruce Fischl
  • Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and magnetic resonance imaging method
    Patent number: 7602185
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus performs photographing by magnetic resonance imaging using hardware of which temperature is likely to rise due to a photographing operation. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes an obtaining device, an alert state detecting device, and a control device. The obtaining device obtains information providing an indication of temperature of the hardware during the photographing. The alert state detecting device detects the occurrence of an alert state where the temperature of the hardware is likely to rise enough to affect the photographing, on the basis of the obtained information. The control device controls the photographing so as to suppress temperature rise of the hardware according to the detection of the occurrence of the alert state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Seiji Nozaki
  • Magnetic resonance system having a base body and a patient bed and inductive or capacitive signal transmission
    Patent number: 7602182
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance system has a base body embodying a magnet system that generates magnetic fields in an excitation region, a patient bed that is movable, with a patient thereon through the base body, a local coil that is operable to detect magnetic resonance signals from the patient, and an evaluation device that evaluates the magnetic resonance signals detected by the local coil. A base body coupling element, at a predetermined base body location, is connected to the evaluation device and inductively or capacitively couples with a patient bed coupling element, located at a predetermined patient bed location, that is connected to the local coil. The magnetic resonance signals are fed from the local coil to the evaluation device via the patient bed coupling element and the base body coupling element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Oliver Heid, Markus Vester
  • K-T sparse: high frame-rate dynamic magnetic resonance imaging exploiting spatio-temporal sparsity
    Patent number: 7602183
    Abstract: A method of dynamic resonance imaging is provided. A magnetic resonance imaging excitation is applied. Data in 2 or 3 spatial frequency dimensions, and time is acquired, where an acquisition order in at least one spatial frequency dimension and the time dimension are in a pseudo-random order. The pseudo-random order and enforced sparsity constraints are used to reconstruct a time series of dynamic magnetic resonance images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Michael Lustig, Juan M. Santos, David L Donoho, John M. Pauly
  • Magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging with short echo times
    Patent number: 7602184
    Abstract: Radio frequency (rf) pulses are applied to a sample to produce magnetic resonance (MR) echo signals from the sample at multiple different echo times. Magnetic field gradients are applied to the sample to select for acquisition components of each MR echo signal. The selected components correspond to groups of radial projections in k-space. Each group is associated with one of the echo times. Each group defines a different set of projection angles in the k-space, and the groups are interleaved to reduce streak artifacts in spectroscopic images associated with a resonance frequency. Images of the sample are generated based on acquired MR signals. In some implementations, an echo time of eight microseconds or less is included in the multiple different echo times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventor: Jiang Du
  • Apparatus and method for generating a magnetic field by rotation of a charge holding object
    Patent number: 7602181
    Abstract: A device and a method for the production of a magnetic field using a Charge Holding Object that is mechanically rotated. In a preferred embodiment, a Charge Holding Object surrounding a sample rotates and subjects the sample to one or more magnetic fields. The one or more magnetic fields are used by NMR Electronics connected to an NMR Conductor positioned within the Charge Holding Object to perform NMR analysis of the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Rex E. Gerald, II, Lela Vukovic, Jerome W. Rathke
  • RF coil system for an MRI system with a fixed coil and with a moving coil part below the patient support
    Patent number: 7602186
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an RF system for a magnetic resonance imaging device (13). The RF system comprises an RF transmitter coil subsystem and an RF receiver coil subsystem (18), wherein the RF receiver coil subsystem comprises at least one first coil-like element (19) and at least one second coil-like element (20), wherein the or each first coil-like element is assigned to a main magnet system (15) of the magnetic resonance imaging device, and wherein the or each second coil-like element is assigned to an object (14) to be analyzed by the magnetic resonance imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Romhild Martijn Hoogeveen
  • Method and control device for determination of the position of a local coil in a magnetic resonance apparatus
    Patent number: 7598737
    Abstract: In a method for determination of a position of a local coil on a bed in at least one spatial direction within a magnetic resonance scanner, a signal intensity value is initially, extracted from magnetic resonance measurements implemented with the appertaining local coil for acquisition of magnetic resonance images of an examination subject and/or for measurement of further system parameters at each of various positions of the recumbent bed relative to the tomograph. The functional dependency of the extracted signal intensity values on the position of the bed relative to the scanner is then determined. The position of the local coil on the bed is determined on the basis of the determined functional dependency. A corresponding control device for a magnetic resonance system and a computer program product implement the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Swen Campagna
  • Complete structure elucidation of molecules utilizing single NMR experiment
    Patent number: 7598738
    Abstract: The complete structure of a molecule of interest is determined from a single NMR experiment utilizing a single NMR pulse sequence. The experiment utilizes the same pulse sequence for acquiring various one-dimensional and multi-dimensional spectra, with independent receivers tuned to individual resonance frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Varian, Inc.
    Inventor: Eriks Kupce
  • Apparatus and method for detecting metallic objects in shoes
    Patent number: 7595638
    Abstract: An inspection system positions a balancing shim to asymmetrically balance a magnetic field generated by an inductive sensor, which forms part of the inspection system. Additionally, relays and capacitors used to tune the inductive sensor to a desired resonance frequency are geometrically arranged to minimize electrical interference generated by operation of the relays and capacitors. A shielding device, which may be formed on a printed circuit board, protects a magnetic field generated by the inductive sensor from external electromagnetic interference. A slot positioned in the inductive sensor may be used to tune a resonant mode of the inductive sensor to accurately and particularly detect metallic shanks and/or other metallic objects in shoes, socks, and/or clothing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: GE Homeland Protection, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Crowley
  • System and method of angular elliptic centric view ordering for 3D MR acquisitions
    Patent number: 7595639
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus includes an MRI system having a plurality of gradient coils positioned about a bore of a magnet. An RF transceiver system and an RF switch are controlled by a pulse module to transmit and receive RF signals to and from an RF coil assembly to acquire MR images. The MRI apparatus also includes a computer programmed to calculate a cost for each point to be acquired in k-space, acquire MR data based on the calculated cost for each point, and generate an MR image using the acquired MR data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ersin Bayram, Charles R. Michelich, Anthony T. Vu
  • System and method for reducing MR scan time using partial fourier acquisition and compressed sensing
    Patent number: 7592808
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing the scan time of an MR imaging system using a data acquisition technique that combines partial Fourier acquisition and compressed sensing includes a computer programmed to acquire a partial MR data set in k-space along a phase encoding direction, the data set having missing data in the phase encoding direction due to the omission of phase encoding steps. The computer is further programmed to generate an estimate of a reconstructed image, compensate the partial MR data set for the missing data, and reconstruct an MR image by iteratively minimizing the total squared difference between the k-space data of the estimate of the reconstructed image and the measured k-space data of the compensated partial MR data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Kevin F. King
  • Wireless RF coil power supply
    Patent number: 7592813
    Abstract: A system wirelessly supplies electrical power to an RF coil and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for an MRI system. The system supplies power to at least operate the RF coil and ADC without the use of a battery and without use of a wired connection external to the bore of the magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Eddy Benjemin Boskamp, Ronald D. Watkins, Glen P. Koste
  • MRI methods for combining separate species and quantifying a species
    Patent number: 7592810
    Abstract: A method for generating a magnetic resonance images is provided. A first species signal for a first species is generated from magnetic resonance data. A second signal is generated from the magnetic resonance data. The first species signal is combined with the second signal to provide a recombined image. The recombined image may be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignees: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, General Electric Company
    Inventors: Scott B. Reeder, Charles A. McKenzie, Jean H. Brittain
  • Double half RF pulses for reduced sensitivity to eddy currents in UTE imaging
    Patent number: 7592806
    Abstract: A method for creating a magnetic resonance image of an object with at least a first species and a second species, wherein the first species has a first T2 time and the second species has a second T2 time longer than the first T2 time is provided. An excitation with an ultra short echo time using a pulse is provided, comprising a first subpulse that creates a transverse magnetization component for the first species and the second species and a second subpulse that creates a transverse magnetization for the first species and substantially returns the second species to a longitudinal axis, wherein the transverse magnetization component substantially decays for the first species during an interval between the first subpulse and the second subpulse. At least one echo is read. A magnetic resonance image is created from the at least one echo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Sonal Josan, John M. Pauly, Kim B. Pauly
  • Maximum likelihood estimator in the presence of non-identically distributed noise for decomposition of chemical species in MRI
    Patent number: 7592807
    Abstract: A method of separating signals from at least two species in a body using echo-coherent time magnetic resonance imaging is provided. A plurality of echo signals is acquired at acquisition times optimized based on the noise properties of images with different variance with possibly correlated noise resulting in possibly asymmetrically positioned images with respect to an echo time. The plurality of echo signals is combined iteratively by using a maximum likelihood decomposition algorithm for non-identically distributed noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Angel R. Pineda, Charles A. McKenzie, Huanzhou Yu, Scott B. Reeder
  • Gradient magnetic field coil unit, gantry for MRI apparatus, and MRI apparatus
    Patent number: 7589531
    Abstract: A gradient magnetic field coil unit includes a main coil layer that has a main coil for generating a gradient magnetic field and is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. A shield coil layer that is attached to the outside of the main coil layer and has a shield coil for generating a magnetic field which shields a leakage magnetic field from the main coil. A cooling layer is attached between the main coil layer and the shield coil layer and has a plurality of flow paths for refrigerant. The flow paths are arranged in a substantially circumferential shape with the central axis of the main coil layer set to the center thereof, and a plurality of shim tray holding sections which hold a shim tray for a magnetic body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Masatoshi Yamashita, Hiromitsu Takamori