Patents Examined by Frederick Wenderoth
  • Patent number: 12656431
    Abstract: A system and method for compensation of radiofrequency (RF) spatial encoding misalignment errors due to gradient non-linearity in magnetic resonance imaging is described. The true magnetic field produced by the gradient coils in space are taken into account in order to encode the appropriate frequency band and offset of the RF pulse corresponding to the desired spatial encoding position and thickness. This method is applicable to any positionally (frequency) encoded radiofrequency (RF) pulses including slice or slab excitation pulses, inversion pulses, spin echo (refocusing) pulses and spatial saturation pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Inventors: Chad Tyler Harris, Andrew Thomas Curtis
  • Patent number: 12656426
    Abstract: In an approach to measuring a magnetic field of a sample, a system includes an optical fiber comprising a first end and a second end, the optical fiber having a core; and a nitrogen vacancy (NV) diamond sensor; where the first end of the optical fiber is configured to receive excitation light from an optical excitation source; and the NV diamond sensor is coupled to the second end of the optical fiber with an optical matching material, the optical matching material configured to optically match the NV diamond sensor to the core of the optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
    Inventors: Steven M. Risser, Andy F. Kirby, Richard J. Higgins, Anthony F. George
  • Patent number: 12656281
    Abstract: A sensor system is based on diamonds with a high density of NV centers. The description includes a) methods for producing the necessary diamonds of high NV center density, b) characteristics of such diamonds, c) sensing elements for utilizing the fluorescence radiation of such diamonds, d) sensing elements for utilizing the photocurrent of such diamonds, e) systems for evaluating these quantities, f) reduced noise systems for evaluating these systems, g) enclosures for using such systems in automatic placement equipment, h) methods for testing these systems, and i) a musical instrument as an example of an ultimate application of all these devices and methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Assignee: QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES GmbH
    Inventors: Jan Berend Meijer, Robert Staacke, Nils Meijer, Bernd Burchard
  • Patent number: 12644939
    Abstract: A resonant power circuit, a magnetic resonance imaging system, and a transformer are provided. The resonant power circuit is disposed within a scan room of a magnetic resonance imaging system, and is used for supplying power to a switch device in a radio-frequency amplifier of the magnetic resonance imaging system. The resonant power circuit includes: an inverter circuit, a resonant transformer circuit, and a rectifier circuit. The ratio of a resonant frequency is greater than 1 and less than a first threshold, a series resonant frequency being determined according to a resonant capacitor and a resonant inductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2026
    Assignee: GE Precision Healthcare LLC
    Inventors: Yanan Chen, Haiyuan Sun, Gang Ma, Tao He, Sun Lu
  • Patent number: 12638533
    Abstract: Exemplary system, method and computer arrangement for determining rotational invariants, fiber orientations, and scalar parameters of fiber tracts (e.g., compartment fractions, which can relate to intra/extra-cellular space volumes; compartment diffusivities; relaxation rates; exchange rates between compartments; characteristics of structural disorder such as axonal beading) from a general diffusion MRI acquisition is described. For example, gradient directions may not necessarily be arranged in so-called shells, and an acquisition may vary spatially. Furthermore, each acquisition can be undersampled in the k-space. A procedure can also be included for receiving information related to the at least one image. Another procedure can be provided for decoupling tissue and protocol parameters based on a singular value decomposition. A further procedure can be provided for grouping singular vectors into multiplets based on symmetries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2025
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2026
    Assignee: NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Santiago Coelho, Els Fieremans, Dmitry S. Novikov
  • Patent number: 12638531
    Abstract: A system for RF based frequency encoding utilizing a Bloch-Siegert shift, includes a controller, an RF encoding system, and an injection transformer simultaneous transmit and receive filter. The controller generates RF excitation pulses, RF based frequency encoding pulses, and a cancellation signal. The RF encoding system includes one or more RF coils configured to transmit the RF excitation pulses and RF based frequency encoding pulses, and to receive an MR signal from the subject where the MR signal includes a leakage signal induced by the RF based frequency encoding pulses. The injection transformer simultaneous transmit and receive filter is in signal communication with the controller and the RF encoding system. The injection transformer simultaneous transmit receive filter is configured to receive the cancellation signal, the MR signal including the leakage signal, and to cancel the leakage signal from the received MR signal to generate a filtered MR signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2026
    Assignees: Case Western Reserve University, Vanderbilt University
    Inventors: Sai Abitha Srinivas, William A. Grissom, Mark A. Griswold
  • Patent number: 12638530
    Abstract: In a method for processing fully sampled k-space MRI imaging data associated with a tissue of interest within a FOV, a neural network may be trained using undersampled k-space MRI imaging data associated with the tissue of interest. At least one subset of the fully sampled k-space MRI imaging data may be obtained based on an input dimension of the trained neural network such that a dimension of each one of the at least one subset is the same as the input dimension. Each one of the at least one subset of the fully sampled k-space MRI imaging data may be processed by the trained neural network, respectively. Spatial domain MRI imaging data associated with the tissue of interest within the FOV may be accordingly determined based on corresponding output of the trained neural network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2026
    Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG
    Inventor: Mario Zeller
  • Patent number: 12601804
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present inventive concept there is provided a method of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of an object positioned in an examination volume of an MR scanning device, the method comprising: acquiring, by the MR scanning device, multiple parallel, segmented acquisitions from the object, comprising: applying an R2 sensitizing phase; acquiring a first acquisition; applying an R1 sensitizing phase; acquiring a second acquisition; waiting for a delay time; and acquiring a third acquisition; wherein each acquisition comprises measuring at least three echoes at different echo times (TE); calculating multiple physical properties of the object based on at least some of the at least three acquisitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2026
    Assignee: SYNTHETICMR AB (publ)
    Inventor: Marcel Warntjes
  • Patent number: 12596164
    Abstract: A method and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system improve an MRI signal from a magnetization of interest. The method includes performing an MRI pulse sequence containing three consecutive radio frequency (RF) elements, namely, a first element that is an inversion-recovery pulse sequence characterized by a time of inversion, a second element that is an image-encoding pulse sequence starting at the time of inversion with an excitation RF pulse followed by an image-encoding gradient and a data sampling. The second element is followed by a third element. An MRI signal generated by the object and sampled by image readout blocks applied to the object by the MRI system during each repetition time, is acquired. From the MRI signal, an image of the object is reconstructed. The third element is a modified driven-equilibrium (mDE) pulse sequence configured for achieving a conversion of a transverse magnetization component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignees: Siemens Healthineers AG, Balgrist Campus AG
    Inventors: Constantin von Deuster, Daniel Nanz
  • Patent number: 12593981
    Abstract: A method for determination of an indicator representative of a change in the brain caused by a demyelinating disease, the method including, for each region of interest of the brain, determining a regional coefficient of one of the following diffusion coefficients: the radial diffusion, the axial diffusion, the mean diffusion, the anisotropy fraction, or a combination of several of these coefficients, the regional coefficients being determined from a diffusion MRI image; determining a number of changed regions, for which a condition relating to the value of the regional diffusion coefficient of each region is satisfied; and determining the indicator in accordance with the number of changed regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignee: BRAINTALE
    Inventor: Vincent Perlbarg
  • Patent number: 12584982
    Abstract: A method for imaging a subject using an MRI system includes determining a plurality of echo times and then acquiring a plurality of variable echo time signals corresponding to the plurality of echo times at a plurality of k-space locations. In the method, a water k-space data signal and a fat k-space data signal is generated for each of the plurality of k-space locations based on the plurality of variable echo time signals corresponding to that k-space location. Finally, the method includes generating a medical image of the subject based on water k-space data signals and fat k-space data signals at the plurality of k-space locations respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2026
    Assignee: GE Precision Healthcare LLC
    Inventors: Florian Wiesinger, Michael Carl
  • Patent number: 12578408
    Abstract: Images are reconstructed from k-space acquired with a magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) system using a multi-shot pulse sequence. In each iteration, a phase-aware image reconstruction, a data-consistency update across all shots or subsets of data, and a relative phase estimation across the reconstructed images for each shot are performed. In this way, the reconstruction framework recasts the problem as an iterative relative phase estimation problem, which allows for the use relative phase estimation techniques. Through an iterative search, an artifact-free combined image and the smooth relative phase between each shot in the multi-shot k-space data can be jointly estimated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2026
    Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen Cauley, Kawin Setsompop, Lawrence Wald, Berkin Bilgic
  • Patent number: 12578674
    Abstract: According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toner cartridge detachably mountable to a receiving device, the toner cartridge comprising a container including a accommodating portion for accommodating the toner and a discharge opening for discharging the toner from the accommodating portion into the receiving device; and an open/close member including a closing portion for closing the discharge opening and an engaging portion movable relative to the closing portion, the open/close member being rotatable relative to the container between (a) an opening position for causing the closing portion to open the discharge opening and (b) a closing position for causing the closing portion to close the discharge opening, wherein the engaging portion is movable relative to the closing portion between (c) a engaging position for engagement with the receiving device to receive a force for moving the open/close member from the opening position to the closing position when the toner cartridge is d
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2026
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yosuke Kashiide, Takashi Kimura
  • Patent number: 12578405
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for operating a magnetic resonance facility for recording a magnetic resonance data set may include, after the recording of all the reference data, before the establishment of the calibration data, an intensity adjustment of the reference data with respect to the different temporal position of time portions in which they were recorded is performed for the recording of the associated slice scan data. The intensity adjustment may include establishing a representative intensity value for each reference data set of a slice, forming an intensity progression for each time portion from the intensity values of the reference data sets recorded in the time portion, establishing a scaling of the intensity progressions relative to one another, and performing the intensity adjustment based on the scaling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2026
    Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG
    Inventors: Mario Zeller, Flavio Carinci, Dominik Paul
  • Patent number: 12578406
    Abstract: Provided in the present invention are a magnetic resonance imaging system and method. The magnetic resonance imaging method comprises: performing m NEXs, wherein in each NEX, a plurality of fat suppression pulses are applied, each of the plurality of fat suppression pulses has thereafter m gradient recalled echo sequences, and each NEX acquires q groups of initial image data, where q=m*n, n is the number of fat suppression pulses applied in each NEX, n is greater than 1, and m is greater than 1; and reconstructing a magnetic resonance image on the basis of at least a portion of the initial image data acquired in the m NEXs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2026
    Assignee: GE Precision Healthcare LLC
    Inventors: Hanbei Zhang, Yongchuan Lai, Wei Chang
  • Patent number: 12571865
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a magnetic resonance apparatus having a superconducting main magnet, a magnet cooler for the main magnet and a cooling apparatus for the magnet cooler and further components of the magnetic resonance apparatus that are to be cooled. The cooling apparatus has a cooling circuit with a coolant that can be conveyed via a pump for circulation, and the cooling circuit has a first partial circuit to which the magnet cooler is coupled for cooling, at least one second partial circuit for the further components and a common portion, and at least the second partial circuit has a flow rate setting apparatus for setting the coolant flow rate through the partial circuit and associated with the cooling apparatus is a control apparatus, which is configured for actuating the pump and/or the flow rate setting apparatus dependent upon an operating state information item of the magnetic resonance apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2026
    Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG
    Inventor: Stephan Biber
  • Patent number: 12571861
    Abstract: A magnetic field sensor which can achieve sensitivities competitive with modern sensors while simultaneously maintaining a small size, low power consumption, simplicity of design, and low cost. The magnetic field sensor utilizes nonlinear precession dynamics of subatomic spins to attain parametric amplification of a magnetic field. A preliminary experimental implementation of the proposed concept establishes its feasibility and can already demonstrate significant benefits over existing approaches to sensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2026
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Yuanxun Ethan Wang, Lap Kun Yeung, Kevin Luong
  • Patent number: 12555292
    Abstract: A method for performing real-time magnetic resonance (MR) imaging on a subject is disclosed. A prep pulse sequence is applied to the subject to obtain a high-quality special subspace, and a direct linear mapping from k-space training data to subspace coordinates. A live pulse sequence is then applied to the subject. During the live pulse sequence, real-time images are constructed using a fast matrix multiplication procedure on a single instance of the k-space training readout (e.g., a single k-space line or trajectory), which can be acquired at a high temporal rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignee: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
    Inventors: Anthony Christodoulou, Zhaoyang Fan, Debiao Li, Pei Han
  • Patent number: 12553970
    Abstract: A system for MRI is provided. The system may obtain a plurality of sets of under-sampled k-space data corresponding to a plurality of frames. Each set of under-sampled k-space data may be acquired simultaneously from a plurality of slice locations of a subject in one of the frames using an MRI scanner. The system may reconstruct a plurality of reference slice images based on the sets of under-sampled k-space data of the plurality of frames. Each of the reference slice images may be representative of one of the slice locations in more than one frame of the frames. The system may further reconstruct a plurality of image series based on the sets of under-sampled k-space data and the reference slice images. Each image series may correspond to one of the slice locations and include a plurality of slice images of the corresponding slice location in the plurality of frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignee: SHANGHAI UNITED IMAGING HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu Ding, Yuan Zheng, Qi Liu, Jian Xu
  • Patent number: 12553974
    Abstract: In MRI using an SE-based pulse sequence, an object is to suppress flow artifacts and acquire a flow artifact-free image regardless a velocity or a direction of blood flow. A pair of gradient magnetic field pulses are applied before and after a 180-degree pulse of the SE-based pulse sequence, and a plurality of times of imaging are performed using varying intensities of the pair of gradient magnetic field pulses. Image reconstruction is performed by performing a Fourier transformation on measurement data obtained through the plurality of times of imaging in an axial direction of the intensities of the gradient magnetic field pulses, that is, a velocity encoding direction. As a result, images can be separated for each velocity of a stationary tissue and a non-stationary component included in tissues, and an image of spins with a velocity of zero, that is, a flow artifact-free image of the stationary tissue, can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Kosuke Ito, Kazuho Kamba, Atsushi Kuratani