Patents Examined by Frederick Wenderoth
  • Patent number: 10371770
    Abstract: An embodiment provides a radio frequency (RF) receiving coil unit for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. The RF receiving coil unit includes an RF coil and a circuit. The circuit is configured to monitor a current flowing through the RF coil by using electromagnetic coupling between the RF coil and the first coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: George Verghese
  • Patent number: 10368778
    Abstract: A system and method for magnetic resonance imaging is provided. The method includes generating a main magnetic field through a region of interest (ROI), applying a slice selection gradient to an slice of the ROI, applying a plurality of RF pulses to the slice to generate a plurality of echoes, applying a first encoding gradient and a second encoding gradient on the echoes, and generating MR images based on the echoes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: SHANGHAI UNITED IMAGING HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Guobin Li, Chaohong Wang, Zhaopeng Li
  • Patent number: 10365582
    Abstract: A developer cartridge may include: a first gear having a small-diameter gear portion and a large-diameter gear portion; and a second gear including: a first columnar portion centered on a second axis; a second columnar portion having a smaller diameter than the first columnar portion; a first engagement portion extending along a portion of a peripheral surface of the first columnar portion and engageable with the small-diameter gear portion; a second engagement portion extending along a portion of a peripheral surface of the second columnar portion and positioned closer to a housing than the first engagement portion in an axial direction and engageable with the large-diameter gear portion; and a protruding portion protruding in the axial direction and rotatable together with the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion. The second engagement portion may engage the large-diameter gear portion after the first engagement portion engages the small-diameter gear portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keita Shimizu, Takashi Shimizu, Hideshi Nishiyama, Naoya Kamimura, Tomonori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10359493
    Abstract: An MRI system for performing time resolved MR imaging of an object with grouped data acquisition is provided. The MRI system includes an MRI controller in electronic communication with a magnet assembly and operative to sample a group of data points within a first region of a k-space. The first region includes a central sub-region and a first peripheral sub-region. The MRI controller is further operative to sample a group of data points within a second region of the k-space. The second region includes the central sub-region and a second peripheral sub-region different from the first peripheral sub-region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ersin Bayram, Naoyuki Takei, Yuji Iwadate, Kang Wang, Lloyd Estkowski
  • Patent number: 10359721
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a detecting element that detects a temperature of a heat generating member, a counter that counts a value corresponding to a cumulative time in which an endless belt is heated, and a controller that controls a timing of a start of image formation by an image forming portion depending on an output of the detecting element. When the value counted by the counter corresponds to a first cumulative time, the controller starts the image formation at a first timing when the detecting element carries out an output corresponding to a first temperature, and, when the value counted by the counter corresponds to a second cumulative time longer than the first, the controller starts the image formation at a second timing when the detecting element carries out an output corresponding to a lower second temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keigo Kaji
  • Patent number: 10353036
    Abstract: It is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide an MRI apparatus configured to and a method to acquire a sectional image of an object and implement a reduced Field of View (FOV) from which aliasing is removed by using a saturation pulse sequence that suppresses a magnetic resonance (MR) signal at a given position, and a method of controlling the same. An MRI apparatus may include: a sequence controller controlling a scanner to apply an unsaturation pulse sequence and a saturation pulse sequence to the object; and a data processor configured to acquire a first image by receiving an MR signal from the object to which the unsaturation pulse sequence is applied, acquire a second image by receiving an MR signal from the object to which the saturation pulse sequence is applied, and generate a difference image between the first image and the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang Young Zho, Jong Buhm Park, Sung Pil Jung
  • Patent number: 10345404
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a transmission coil, a plurality of reception channels, transmission/reception circuitry, and processing circuitry. The transmission coil transmits an RF wave to a subject. The reception channels receive MR signals generated from the subject. The transmission/reception circuitry controls the transmission coil to change the flip angle of a nucleus contained in the subject and excited by the transmitted RF wave. The processing circuitry determines whether the reception channels include an impaired channel, based on the comparison between the distributions of the signal values of the received MR signals with respect to the changing flip angles among the reception channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Ohmure, Sadanori Tomiha
  • Patent number: 10338507
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus capable of estimating lives of components more accurately than before. The image forming apparatus includes an ion conductive component, and a processor for estimating a life of the conductive component. The processor acquires an index value related to energization of the conductive component, and estimates the life of the conductive component based on the index value per unit time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Hideo Yamaki, Satoru Shibuya
  • Patent number: 10324156
    Abstract: Some implementations provide a MRI system configured to: access data encoding an input gradient waveform that would otherwise be used on a gradient sub-system of the MRI system to generate a gradient that corresponds to perturbations to the substantially uniform magnetic field; access data encoding a forward impulse response function and an inverse impulse response function, both characterizing a gradient generated from a target impulse input; pre-emphasizing the input gradient waveform by using both the forward impulse response function and the reverse impulse response function; and drive the gradient sub-system using the pre-emphasized gradient waveform such that distortions to the gradient caused by eddy currents within the gradient sub-system are substantially removed while radio-frequency (RF) samples for reconstructing an MRI image are being acquired from a grid that is substantially identical to when gradient sub-system is driven using the input gradient waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Synaptive Medical (Barbados) Inc.
    Inventors: Chad Tyler Harris, Andrew Thomas Curtis, Jeff Alan Stainsby, Geron André Bindseil
  • Patent number: 10309914
    Abstract: A hand-held measuring appliance includes at least a nuclear magnetic resonance sensor, a control apparatus configured to control the measuring appliance, an evaluation apparatus configured to evaluate a measurement signal supplied by the nuclear magnetic resonance sensor, an output apparatus configured to output ascertained information, and an apparatus for energy supply. The measuring appliance is configured to examine at least one of fuel, oil, and hydraulic fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Graessl, Klaus Marx, Reiner Krapf, Ulli Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 10307106
    Abstract: Systems and methods for estimating time-dependent voltages that are induced in electrophysiological monitoring systems by magnetic field gradients generated during a magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) scan are provided. The gradient-induced voltages are subsequently removed from signals acquired with the electrophysiological monitoring system during an MRI scan. As an example, the electrophysiological monitoring system can include an electrocardiography (“ECG”) system, an electroencephalography (“EEG”) system, an electromyography (“EMG”) system, a voltage device tracking (“VDT”) system, and so on. The gradient-induced voltages are estimated using a two-step procedure in which a learning algorithm is used to determine fitting parameters to be used in a model of the gradient-induced voltages. The fitting parameters are then used together with the model to extract the gradient-induced voltages from signals acquired during an MRI scan. The gradient-induced voltages can then be removed from the acquired signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignees: BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPTIAL, INC., UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
    Inventors: Wei Wang, HuaLei Zhang, Ehud J. Schmidt, Tsz Ho Tse
  • Patent number: 10302713
    Abstract: In a method and magnetic resonance apparatus for determining absolute three-dimensional reception sensitivity maps for reception coils in a scanner of the magnetic resonance, in particular a scanner having a basic magnetic field strength of at least 3 T, in the presence of a subject under examination that affects the reception sensitivity, spatially resolved subject parameters are determined, which specify electromagnetic properties of the subject under examination, and coil-geometry parameters are determined, which specify the spatial arrangement of the reception coils in the magnetic resonance scanner. The reception sensitivity maps are determined by simulation in a model specified by the subject parameters and the coil-geometry parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Stefan Popescu
  • Patent number: 10301924
    Abstract: A method for correcting motion-effects from a downhole measurement includes, in one embodiment, determining relative motion of a downhole logging tool for a given logging operation in a borehole formed in an earth formation, determining a motion induced signal decay (MID) based upon the determined relative motion, determining a motion-effect inversion kernel (MEK) based upon the determined MID, using the downhole logging tool to acquire measurements that are affected by motion of the downhole logging tool during the logging operation, and using the MEK to process the acquired motion-affected measurements to obtain motion-corrected data. Corresponding systems, devices, and apparatuses are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shin Utsuzawa, Martin Hurlimann, Lukasz Zielinski, Haitao Zhang
  • Patent number: 10295645
    Abstract: A method and a system for measuring and calibrating an imaging magnetic field in a magnetic resonance apparatus are provided. The method includes: providing the imaging magnetic field, where the imaging magnetic field is adapted for scanning an object; sampling a signal corresponding to the imaging magnetic field; processing the signal to obtain an actual magnetic field intensity; and calibrating based on a difference between the actual magnetic field intensity and a target magnetic field intensity. The system includes: a magnetic component, adapted for scanning an object to be imaged; a sampling unit, adapted for sampling a signal corresponding to the imaging magnetic field; a processing unit, adapted for processing the signal to obtain an actual magnetic field intensity; a calibration unit, adapted for calibrating based on a difference between the actual magnetic field intensity and a target magnetic field intensity; and a control unit, adapted for controlling the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: SHANGHAI UNITED IMAGING HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunyu Tsai, Weiguo Zhang, Qiang Zhang
  • Patent number: 10295642
    Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of constructing a diagnostic image of a sample from MRI data acquired while subjecting the sample to an inhomogeneous polarizing magnetic field, the method comprising the steps of: i) deriving an estimate of the spatial map of the inhomogeneous polarizing magnetic field; ii) acquiring the MRI data; iii) processing the estimate of the spatial map with the acquired MRI data to obtain an estimate of the diagnostic image; iv) calculating an acquired data error in response to the estimates of the spatial map and the diagnostic image; v) updating the estimate of the spatial map in response to the calculated error; and repeating the steps iii) to v) to improve the estimate of the spatial map of the earlier iteration and the estimate of the diagnostic image, wherein the repetition is stopped when the calculated error of the latest iteration reaches within a tolerance range and wherein the estimate of the diagnostic image from the latest iteration be
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: VOXELGRIDS INNOVATIONS PRIVATE LIMITED
    Inventor: Arjun Arunachalam
  • Patent number: 10268158
    Abstract: A drive transmission device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes an output body, an input body, and an intermediate body. The output body has a drive output portion. The input body has a drive input portion. The intermediate body is supported by a support side body that is one of the output body and the input body. The intermediate body includes a relay portion to receive a driving force applied by the drive output portion and to transmit the driving force to the drive input portion, and a retaining portion to prevent the intermediate body from falling from the support side body. A distance from a center of rotation of the intermediate body to a leading end of the retaining portion is greater than or equal to a distance from the center of rotation of the intermediate body to a leading end of the relay portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Takagi
  • Patent number: 10268144
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus has a heater to heat an image formed on a recording material. The heater has a plurality of heat generating elements. A control portion controls electrical power supplied to the plurality of heat generating elements. The control portion respectively sets a heating amount with respect to a region in which an image is formed and a heating amount with respect to a region in which an image is not formed in a single sheet of the recording material. The control portion is further configured to at least set the heating amount with respect to the region in which the image is not formed when the recording material is heavy paper to become less than the heating amount with respect to the region in which the image is not formed when the recording material is plain paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 10261467
    Abstract: A cartridge has a surface to be biased which is connected to a first surface extending in an intersecting direction that intersects with an insertion direction from an upstream side to a downstream side in the insertion direction, and an engaging portion engaging with a support member that supports the cartridge inside a main body and has a biasing member that biases an engaged portion to be engaged with the engaging portion in the intersecting direction. The engaged portion has a biasing surface extending in the intersecting direction from the upstream side to the downstream side in the insertion direction. Movement of the support member in the intersecting direction by the closing operation of an opening and closing member, the surface to be biased is biased by the biasing surface, the cartridge contacts with a positioning portion, and positioning of the cartridge is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaki Seto
  • Patent number: 10254433
    Abstract: A disclosed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging tool includes a static magnetic field source. The NMR logging tool also includes a pulsed magnetic field source with an operational range corresponding to a predetermined frequency range and a predetermined amplitude range. The NMR logging tool also includes a controller in communication with the pulsed magnetic field source. The controller performs a calibration for the pulsed magnetic field source to optimize an NMR parameter. The calibration uses a reduced search space within the operational range to select a frequency and an amplitude that optimize the NMR parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Jie Yang, Rebecca Corina Jachmann
  • Patent number: 10248075
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a frame; a plate including first and second electrical contact portions; and a developing cartridge detachably mountable to the frame. At least a portion of the first electrical contact portion is movable relative to the plate and separated farther from the plate than the second electrical contact portion The developing cartridge includes: a storage medium and a pressing portion. The storage medium includes first and second electrical contact surfaces. The pressing portion is configured to press the first electrical contact surface toward the first electrical contact portion to bring the first electrical contact surface into contact with the first electrical contact portion and to press the second electrical contact surface toward the second electrical contact portion to bring the second electrical contact surface into contact with the second electrical contact portion in a state where the developing cartridge is mounted to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Nao Itabashi