Patents Examined by Gregory H Curran
  • Patent number: 10956827
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides for a method of designing a radiofrequency or broadband pulse sequence. The method can comprise a qubit (e.g., nuclear spin, photon, electron, atomic spin, dot spin) and a harmonic oscillator wherein a flip angle is controlled by steering a spring between specific states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Washington University
    Inventor: Jr-Shin Li
  • Patent number: 10955366
    Abstract: An electron diffraction apparatus measures an overall structure of a crystal of a specimen by electron diffraction. An NMR apparatus measures a local structure of the crystal by NMR measurement. An analysis apparatus combines the overall structure and the local structure to specify a structure of the crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignees: JEOL Ltd., RIKEN
    Inventors: Koji Yonekura, Yusuke Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 10955497
    Abstract: A phase compensation circuit includes a phase difference voltage detection module configured to process an inputted detection signal and an inputted reference signal, calculate a magnitude ratio or a phase difference of the processed detection signal and reference signal, and then output a first phase difference voltage signal according to the amplitude ratio or the phase difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignees: Beijing BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd., BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wei Li, Lei Xu, Meng Shi
  • Patent number: 10948859
    Abstract: A fixing device includes: a heater including a substrate, and a heating pattern; an endless belt configured to rotate around the heater; and a pressure roller. The endless belt is nipped between the pressure roller and the heater. The endless belt is nipped by the substrate and the pressure roller to form a nip portion including a first portion and a second portion. The length of the first portion in a moving direction of the endless belt at the nip portion is less than that of the second portion in the moving direction. The substrate includes: a third portion located corresponding to the first portion in a longitudinal direction of the substrate; and a fourth portion located corresponding to the second portion in the longitudinal direction. The length of the third portion in the moving direction is less than that of the fourth portion in the moving direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Souda
  • Patent number: 10948860
    Abstract: A fixing device includes: a substrate; an endless belt rotatable around the substrate; a heating pattern including a heating resistor provided on the substrate; a terminal electrically continuous to the heating pattern and provided at an end portion of the substrate in a longitudinal direction of the substrate; a connector including an electrode connected to the terminal, the connector being mounted to the end portion of the substrate from one side of the substrate in a widthwise direction of the substrate and engaged with the substrate in the longitudinal direction to restrict movement of the connector with respect to the longitudinal direction; and an engaging member mounted to the connector from the other side of the substrate in the widthwise direction and engaged with the substrate in the longitudinal direction to restrict movement of the engaging member with respect to the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuichi Ikeno
  • Patent number: 10942469
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a main body casing, a drum cartridge and a developing cartridge. The main body casing has an opening and a slot extending in from the opening toward an inside of the main body casing along a first direction. The drum cartridge and the developing cartridge are arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction in a state where the drum cartridge and the developing cartridge are attached to the slot. The main body casing includes a drum guide groove configured to guide movement of the drum cartridge. The drum cartridge includes a drum protrusion configured to be engaged with the drum guide groove. A width of the drum guide groove in the second direction is decreased toward the inside of the main body casing from the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hideshi Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 10918744
    Abstract: A biometric method includes: a step (1) for administering, to a target organism from the outside thereof, one of (i) a target molecule A having both an unpaired electron and a magnetic resonance nucleus having a gyromagnetic ratio smaller than the same of 19F, and (ii) a target molecule B and a radical molecule C, the target molecule B having no unpaired electron, and further having a magnetic resonance nucleus having a gyromagnetic ratio smaller than the same of 19F, the radical molecule C having an unpaired electron; and a step (2) for causing electron spin resonance in the unpaired electron of the target molecule A or the radical molecule C by irradiating electromagnetic waves to the target organism, subsequently triggering nuclear magnetic resonance in the magnetic resonance nucleus having a gyromagnetic ratio smaller than the same of 19F in one of the target molecule A and the target molecule B, and further, measuring nuclear magnetic resonance signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignees: Educational foundation Kyushu Bunka Gakuen, JAPAN REDOX LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Ichikawa, Tatsuya Naganuma
  • Patent number: 10915038
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller for performing a mode, in which an image portion potential is controlled during image formation so that an absolute value of the image portion potential is a first value when a resistance value of a developing roller based on a value of a current flowing between the developing roller and an electroconductive member is smaller than a predetermined value when a predetermined potential difference between the developing roller and the electroconductive member is formed during non-image formation and so that an absolute value of the image portion potential is a second value smaller than the first value when a resistance value of the developing roller based on a value of current flowing between the developing roller and the electroconductive member is not smaller than the predetermined value when the predetermined potential difference between the developing roller and the electroconductive member is formed during non-image formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takehiro Kojima
  • Patent number: 10914802
    Abstract: A method is provided for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging near metal, including acquiring an image at a first magnetic field from a subject that includes a metal object, acquiring an image at a second magnetic field, and combining the images to provide a corrected image with reduced metal distortion. An MR imaging system for measuring near metal is also provided including a superconducting magnet to provide a magnetic field, a power supply for a current to ramp the magnetic field, a cryocooler in contact with the superconducting magnet, a magnetic field controller programmed to ramp the main magnetic field by adjusting the current generated by the power supply, a radio frequency system for transmitting and receiving signals, and a data aquisition and processing system to receive the MR signals, generate image data sets and combine the image data sets to provide a corrected image having a reduced metal distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: SYNAPTIVE MEDICAL INC.
    Inventors: Jeff Alan Stainsby, Chad Tyler Harris
  • Patent number: 10905354
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an MRI apparatus includes a memory storing a predetermined program and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured, by executing the predetermined program, to generate a first image having a first phase affected by susceptibility, generate a second image having a second phase affected by both of the susceptibility and flow, and distinguish difference in susceptibility or flow for a pixel of a third image by using the first phase and the second phase or by using a value calculated from the first phase and a value calculated from the first phase, the third image having regions which are substantially same in contrast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Naotaka Sakashita
  • Patent number: 10901360
    Abstract: A cartridge includes a coupling member for receiving a rotational force for rotating a developing roller. The cartridge also includes a cylinder including an accommodating portion accommodating at least a part of the coupling member, the cylinder being configured to transmit the rotational force from the coupling member to the developing roller. The cartridge further includes a frame including a bearing configured to rotatably support the cylinder and a regulating wall capable of regulating movement of the coupling member by contacting the coupling member. The bearing encompasses the regulating wall as seen along a rotational axis of the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeo Miyabe, Takahito Ueno, Atsushi Takasaka
  • Patent number: 10895613
    Abstract: The invention concerns to a radio frequency (RF) body coil (2), for use in a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system, comprising: an RF shield (6), an RF coil element (8), distantly arranged from the RF shield (6), and at least one distance setting element (10), arranged and designed in such a way that the relative distance (12) between the RF shield (6) and the RF coil element (8) is adjustable via the distance setting element (10) which may lead to locally deforming the RF coil element (8) and/or the RF shield (6). Thus, a radio frequency coil for use in an Magnetic Resonance Imaging system is provided that can be tuned to desired resonances in a comfortable and economic way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Christian Findeklee, Christoph Leussler
  • Patent number: 10895619
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of Dixon-type MR imaging. It is an object of the invention to provide a method that enables Dixon water/fat separation with high SNR and with improved noise propagation in the water/fat separation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventor: Holger Eggers
  • Patent number: 10895615
    Abstract: A balun is provided that is suitable for use with miniature coaxial cables and that obviates the need to cut the cable in order to install the balun. A portion of each coaxial cable that extends from the RF receive coils to the RF receiver is wound multiple times around a device to form an inductor. The inductor may be used with or without a separate resonant circuit. If used with a separate resonant circuit, the inductor and the resonant circuit couple with one another to generate a coupled impedance that provides common-mode noise suppression at the frequency of interest. If used without a separate resonant circuit, the inductor formed in the cable provides an inductance and the capacitance between the windings coupled with the inductance provides a series impedance that suppresses common-mode noise at the frequency of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Tracy Wynn, Aasrith Ganti, Olli Tapio Friman, Christopher Spencer
  • Patent number: 10895622
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed to leverage the use of neural networks or similar machine learning algorithms to de-noise highly accelerated Wave-CAIPIRINHA scans. The described techniques facilitate the generation of 3D sequences using a greatly reduced scan time, with the resulting images having a high spatial resolution and an improved SNR compared to conventional approaches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignees: Siemens Healthcare GmbH, The General Hospital Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Polak, Esther Raithel, Kawin Setsompop
  • Patent number: 10890632
    Abstract: To avoid the complication of an MRI apparatus and avoid the overestimation of a calculated value of SAR without extending a processing time and to perform accurate SAR management. To this end, the MRI apparatus is equipped with a high frequency antenna which has a plurality of channels and resonates at a predetermined frequency, and a measuring instrument which measures the amplitudes of a forward traveling and reflected waves of each high frequency signal supplied to the high frequency antenna. In the MRI apparatus, a reflection matrix S is determined based on the measured amplitudes. Diagonal terms of the determined reflection matrix S are used to calculate Q values for each of the channels. Each non-diagonal term of the reflection matrix S is used to correct the calculated Q value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideta Habara, Masaharu Ono, Tetsuhiko Takahashi, Hiroyuki Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 10888247
    Abstract: In a method for filtering magnetic resonance (MR) image data, complex MR image data is acquired from a region to be imaged, and a sliding window averaging is applied to the complex MR image data to generate filtered MR image data. For each window position of the sliding window averaging: a phase variation of the complex MR image data of individual image points of a sliding window is estimated with a model using a linear phase progression, and filtered complex MR image data is generated based on the estimated phase variation of the complex MR image data. The generation of the filtered complex MR image data uses an average formation of the complex MR image data of the individual image points of the sliding window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Marcel Dominik Nickel, Alto Stemmer
  • Patent number: 10884082
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes a receiver array coil structured with a plurality of receiver coils. Each of the receiver coils included in the receiver array coil includes a coil element, a first tuning element configured to tune a tunable frequency of the receiver coil to a desired frequency, and a series circuit including a switching element and a second tuning element and being connected in parallel with the first tuning element. The switching element is configured to disconnect the first tuning element and the second tuning element from each other at the time of transmitting and is configured to arrange the first tuning element and the second tuning element to be electrically conductive with each other at the time of receiving. At least two receiver coils positioned adjacent to each other among the plurality of receiver coils are decoupled from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuya Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10884358
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer transport path through which a developer is agitated and transported, a developing roller mounted in the developer transport path, a discharging unit extending from the developer transport path in a length direction of the developing roller, the discharging unit including an air outlet from which air is discharged and a developer discharge outlet from which the developer is discharged, and a separating member mounted in the discharging unit to separate an inner portion of the discharging unit into an air discharge path, connecting the developer transport path and the air outlet, and a developer discharge path, connecting the developer transport path and the developer discharge outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jong Hyun Park, Oh Dug Kwon, Dong Geun Lee, Ho Jin Jang
  • Patent number: 10884086
    Abstract: Systems and methods for accelerated multi-contrast PROPELLER are disclosed herein. K-space is sampled in a rotating fashion using a plurality of radially directed blades around a center of k-space. A first subset of blades is acquired for a first contrast and a second subset of blades is acquired for a second contrasts. The first subset of blades is combined with high frequency components of the second subset of blades to produce an image of the first contrast. And the second subset of blades are combined with high frequency components of the first subset of blades to produce an image of the second contrast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: GE Precision Healthcare LLC
    Inventors: Ali Ersoz, Ajeetkumar Gaddipati, Dawei Gui, Valentina Taviani, Zachary W Slavens