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

Abstract: In an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system and a method for controlling a magnetic field gradient applied in the MRI system during an imaging sequence, a first gradient parameter representing a first maximum value of the applicable magnetic field gradients applied over time is determined in view heat generated by the applied magnetic field gradients. A second gradient parameter representing a second maximum value of the applicable magnetic field gradients applied over time is also determined in view heat generated by the applied magnetic field gradients, the second maximum value being different from the first maximum value. A current operating parameter of the MRI system is determined, and either the first gradient parameter or the second gradient parameter is selected for the imaging sequence, dependent on the determined current operating parameter.

Abstract: Described here are systems and methods for volumetric excitation in magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) using frequency modulated radio frequency (“RF”) pulses. In general, quadratic phase modulation along the slice encoding direction is implemented for additional spatiotemporal encoding, which better distributes signal content in the slice direction and enables higher acceleration rates that are robust to slice-undersampling.

Abstract: A coil array component including an element assembly that includes a filler and a resin material, a first coil portion and a second coil portion that are embedded in the element assembly and that are composed of a first coil conductor and a second coil conductor, respectively, and four outer electrodes electrically connected to the first coil portion and the second coil portion. Also, four extension electrodes that extend from end surfaces of the element assembly to the bottom surface and are electrically connected to the outer electrodes on the bottom surface are further included. In addition, the extension electrodes are covered with insulating layers on end surfaces of the element assembly.

Abstract: A TEM RF antenna device (40) for a magnetic resonance MR imaging system (10), ?the RF antenna device (40) comprising a plurality of rungs (44), and each rung (44) having at least one axial member (46) that in an operational state is substantially arranged parallel to the axial direction (38) wherein ?the axial members (46) of the plurality of rungs (44) are arranged along an azimuthal direction (34) in a substantially equally spaced relationship about a center axis (42), and wherein ?the at least one axial member (46) of each of the rungs (44) has two end regions (48, 50) and wherein ?for at least two rungs (44?, 44?) of the plurality of rungs (44) that are adjacently arranged with regard to the azimuthal direction (34), each rung (44?, 44?) comprising at least one transversal member (52, 54) that is galvanically connected to one of the end regions (48, 50) of the axial member (46) of that rung (44?, 44?) only, in the operational state, the at least one transversal members (52, 54) of the adjacent rungs (44?,

Abstract: An intermediate transfer belt is provided onto which a toner image obtained by developing a latent image formed on an image bearer with a toner is transferred. The intermediate transfer belt includes a base layer and an elastic layer laminated on the base layer. The elastic layer includes an ether-based urethane rubber and particles. The elastic layer has a flame retardancy of vertical thin material (VTM)-1 or higher in UL94-VTM test, and the intermediate transfer belt has a Martens hardness of 0.3 to 0.6 N/mm2 and an elastic power of 60% to 85%.

Abstract: In a protocol parameter selection method and corresponding device, when previewing a current sequence in multiple predetermined sequences, a corresponding reference performance index radar chart is displayed in a standard radar chart, according to a reference value of each performance index in multiple performance indices obtained in advance on the basis of the current sequence. The standard radar chart is a radar chart generated using the multiple performance indices as components and using as a standard a standard value of each performance index obtained in advance on the basis of at least one sequence. The method and device also include determining, as a sequence required for scanning, a current sequence selected according to the reference performance index radar chart and a performance index currently of interest.

Abstract: A method for controlling an interventional magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) system configured to control a heating mode of an iMRI guidewire, the method comprising: controlling, during an iMRI procedure, a magnitude of an induced current in a single-layer MRI radio frequency (RF) coil used in the iMRI procedure, or a phase of the induced current by adjusting at least one of: a difference between a working frequency of a whole body coil (WBC) used in the iMRI procedure and a resonant frequency of the single layer MRI RF coil, a coil loss resistance of the single layer MRI RF coil, or a blocking impedance of an LC circuit connected in parallel with the single-layer MRI RF coil; and controlling a heating mode of the guidewire based, at least in part on the magnitude or phase.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique enables parallel imaging in combination with fat suppression at an increased image quality, notably in combination with EPI. The method includes acquiring reference MR signal data from the object in a pre-scan and acquiring imaging MR signal data from the object in parallel via one or more receiving coils having different spatial sensitivity profiles. The MR signal data are acquired with sub-sampling of k-space and with spectral fat suppression and an MR image is reconstructed from the imaging MR signal data. Sub-sampling artefacts are eliminated using sensitivity maps indicating the spatial sensitivity profiles of the two or more RF receiving coils. A B0 map is derived from the reference MR signal data and the spatial dependence of the effectivity of the spectral fat suppression is determined using the Bo map.

Abstract: A magnet assembly for magnetic resonance imaging is used to generate the basic magnetic field with a strength needed to produce the steady state or equilibrium position of nuclei or nuclear spins in magnetic resonance imaging. This magnet, or a part thereof, is vibrated or tilted or otherwise periodically moved so as to change its position and thereby generate a time-varying gradient field, which is used to enter the acquired magnetic resonance signals as raw data into k-space.

Abstract: The invention provides for a magnetic resonance imaging system (100) comprising a memory (134) for storing machine executable instructions (140) and pulse sequence commands (142). The pulse sequence commands are configured for controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system according to a DCE Magnetic Resonance Imaging protocol. The magnetic resonance imaging system further comprises a user interface (200) and a processor (130) for controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system.

Abstract: Systems and methods for data transmission may be provided. The system may at least include a data transmission module. The system may obtain MR signals from one or more RF coils. The system may generate, via a first portion of the data transmitting module, first data based on the MR signals. The system may generate, via a second portion of the data transmitting module, second data based on the first data. The second portion of the data transmitting module may connect to the first portion of the data transmitting module wirelessly. The system may further store the second data in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

Abstract: In order to optimize magnetic resonance (MR) images in spin echo-based imaging, MR raw data are acquired by applying a static magnetic field, an excitation pulse, a refocusing pulse, and an RF pulse at the same time point as an echo elicited by the pulses with the result that the magnetization in the negative z-direction is deflected by a flip angle. The flip angle is selected such that, given a specified repetition time of the excitation pulse, a predetermined contrast is provided for two specified tissue types of the subject to be imaged. An MR image is reconstructed from the acquired MR raw data.

Abstract: The invention relates to a gradient coil unit comprising a first conductor structure arranged on a surface of a first cylinder with the first radius, a second conductor structure arranged on a surface of a second cylinder with the second radius and a third conductor structure arranged on a surface of a third cylinder with the third radius, wherein the first radius is smaller than the second radius and the second radius is smaller than the third radius.

Abstract: Systems and method for measuring and mitigating radio frequency (“RF”) induced currents on electrical leads, electrodes, and other electrically conductive objects present in the bore of a magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) scanner when the MRI scanner is operated to image an object or subject are described. The methods described in the present disclosure can be implemented as a pre-scan procedure to obtain images from which the current induced on the electrical lead can be estimated. This information can then be used to adjust the RF excitation used in a subsequent pulse sequence to mitigate induced currents and reduce heating in the lead. As such, the methods described in the present disclosure provide for improved patient safety.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure includes an apparatus body, a toner container, a container supporting portion, and an exterior member. The toner container is configured to be attached at an attachment position that is specified inside the apparatus body. The container supporting portion is configured to support the toner container such that the toner container is movable between the attachment position and a pull-out position that is separated from the attachment position by a specific distance toward a specific first surface of the apparatus body. The exterior member is provided on the toner container, and constitutes an exterior of the first surface when the toner container is in an attached state, where the toner container is held at the attachment position by the container supporting portion.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for correlating functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with gene expression. Brains of first and second sets of patients are imaged at first and second times to provide first and second sets of fMRI images. Blood is drawn from each of the first and second sets of patients at the first and second times to provide first and second sets of gene expression transcripts. A therapeutic is administered to the first set of patients between the first and second times. A change in the connectivity of the brain for each patient is determined from the first and second sets of fMRI images. A set of changes in the peripheral lymphocyte gene expression that are correlated with changes in the connectivity of the brain are determined from the change in the connectivity of the brain for each patient and the collected imaging and gene expression data.

Abstract: A system for performing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of a subject has a pulse sequence system that generates a pulse sequence and has a gradient system, a plurality of gradient coils, a radio-frequency system, and a plurality of RF coils. The pulse sequence system causes the subject to emit MR signals which are captured as k-space data. The system also has a k-space ordering processor that collects first k-space data and second k-space data, an MR signal modeler that generates a signal variation model, and a compensation module that applies the signal variation model to the second k-space data collected to produce compensated k-space data. A display processor reconstructs the compensated k-space data into an image of the subject. The compensated data accounts for variation in magnetization during the pulse sequence and k-space data collection to reduce artifacts in the images.

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.

Abstract: The present application discloses a gradient power amplifier debugging method and system. The method may comprise initializing a control unit of the gradient power amplifier debugging system; retrieving a characteristic output of the control unit; computing a load inductance parameter L according to the characteristic output; and adjusting the control parameter of the control unit according to the load inductance parameter L. The control unit may comprise a close-loop control sub-unit, or a feedforward control sub-unit. The characteristic output may be representative of the difference between an output signal and an input signal of the gradient power amplifier debugging system. The control parameter may comprise a proportional coefficient, an integral coefficient, or a cutoff frequency of the filter.