Abstract: An NMR method and apparatus for analyzing a sample of interest applies a static magnetic field together with RF pulses of oscillating magnetic field across a sample volume that encompasses the sample of interest. The RF pulses are defined by a pulse sequence that includes a plurality of measurement segments configured to characterize a plurality of relaxation parameters related to relaxation of nuclear magnetization of the sample of interest. Signals induced by the RF pulses are detected in order to derive the relaxation parameters. The measurement segments of the pulse sequence include at least one first-type measurement segment configured to characterize relaxation of spin-lattice interaction between nuclei of the sample of interest in a rotating frame (T1?) at a predefined frequency. The T1? parameter can be measured in conjunction with the measurement of other relaxation and/or diffusion parameters as part of multidimensional NMR experiments.

Abstract: To acquire a more accurate tissue contrast image such as a water-fat separation image in time-series imaging by an MRI apparatus, a static magnetic field non-uniformity map is created from a plurality of echo signals having different TEs obtained in time series, and a water-fat separation image is obtained using the static magnetic field non-uniformity map. Processing (spatial direction discontinuity correction processing) for correcting discontinuity of a phase or a frequency in a spatial direction and processing (time-series direction discontinuity correction processing) for correcting discontinuity in a time-series direction are performed for the static magnetic field non-uniformity map.

Abstract: In order to approximate the gradient magnetic field pulse waveform shape with high accuracy and improve the image quality at the time of imaging cross-section change or oblique imaging, an MRI apparatus of the present invention divides the waveform shape of the gradient magnetic field pulse into a plurality of sections, defines an approximation function for each section, and corrects the k-space coordinates at which the echo signal is arranged using the parameter of the approximation function. In addition, an optimal parameter of the approximation function of the waveform shape of the gradient magnetic field pulse is searched for using the measured signal.

Abstract: Provided is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acoustic system that includes a magnet that is included in a bore having an image-taking space where an object is able to be accommodated and that forms a magnetic field in the image-taking space to obtain an MR image of the object, an electro-acoustic transducer that is located outside of the bore, and includes coils through which a current for generating an attraction force or a repulsion force with respect to the magnetic field generated by the magnet and a vibrating plate that vibrates in response to the an attraction force or the repulsion force, and a controller that controls the intensity of the current inputted to the electro-acoustic transducer to generate a sound by using the magnetic field that is generated by the magnet.

Abstract: An NMR apparatus includes a superconducting magnet coil system configured to generate a homogeneous magnetic field, and a helium (He) tank having an inner tube mechanically rigidly connected to the He tank and in which the magnet coil system is positioned. The He tank is configured to contain liquid helium to cool the magnet coils. A radiation shield has a radiation shield inner tube encompassing the He tank and spaced from the He inner tube to create a space between the He inner tube and the radiation shield inner tube to reduce an evaporation rate of the liquid helium. The NMR apparatus additionally includes a field shaping device with a magnetic material arranged in the space, in order to shim the homogeneous magnetic field. The field shaping device is fixed in the space so as to be in rigid mechanical contact with the He tank but without contacting the radiation shield.

Abstract: Systems and methods that provide relaxivity-insensitive permeability logs. At least some logging system embodiments include a logging tool assembly that measures spin-spin relaxation time distributions of formation fluid nuclei at different positions along a borehole. A processor operates on the measurements to provide a permeability log that is relatively insensitive to relaxivity coefficient changes and hence insensitive to changes in formation fluids. Thus, permeability logs will be relatively unaffected by invasion of the borehole fluids into the formation, even if surfactants in the borehole fluid cause large changes in formation wettability. For each position logged within a borehole, the processor may process the measured relaxation time distribution to determine a Swanson parameter value; adjust the Swanson parameter value to reduce dependence on relaxivity; and convert the adjusted value to a permeability measurement.

Abstract: A method for magnetic resonance (MR) for imaging an imaging area of an object has a reconstruction image quality which depends on a spatial distribution of background phase. A background phase distribution is initially determined using an optimization algorithm having a reconstruction quality as an optimization criterion, wherein limitation of a spatial variation of a background phase offset distribution is integrated as a boundary condition in the optimization algorithm. At least one spatially selective radio frequency pulse is applied which contributes to generation of an MR signal distribution having a previously determined background phase distribution, wherein the at least one spatially selective radio frequency pulse generates the background phase offset distribution as a part of the background phase distribution. In this fashion, the reconstruction quality is improved in a manner which can be realized using available equipment.

Abstract: NMR analyzers and associated methods, circuits and computer program products that allow NMR operation in fluctuating ambient temperature environments of at least +/?5 degrees F. in a relatively large operating temperature range, typically between about 60-85 degrees F.) with the ability to still generate accurate quantitative measurements using an electronically applied temperature sensitivity adjustment based on an a priori model of temperature sensitivity and a detected temperature proximate the NMR signal acquisition (e.g., scan). The clinical NMR analyzers can be remotely accessed to evaluate linearity and temperature compensation adjustments.

Abstract: A virtual coil emulation method is used in a magnetic resonance imaging scan for acquiring a magnetic resonance image of an object (10). The scan is performed by an MR system (1) using a physical coil arrangement (9; 11; 12; 13) including a set of individual transmit coils. The coils are adapted for transmission of a desired RF transmit field to the object (10) for magnetic resonance spin excitation of the object (10). Each coil is associated with a physical transmit channel. The RF transmit field corresponds to a virtual arrangement of two or more of the coils. Virtual transmit channel properties include virtual transmit channel weights are assigned to the RF transmit field which describe the virtual complex RF field amplitudes with respect to each individual coil of the virtual coil arrangement to be applied to the physical coils (9; 11; 12; 13) for generating the RF transmit field.

Abstract: A mounting device for a body coil of a magnetic resonance device is provided. The mounting device includes a suspension device that has at least one suspension element. The at least one suspension element is mechanically connectable to a counterpart piece of the body coil. The suspension device is configured for suspension and coarse adjustment of the body coil in the magnetic resonance device during an adjustment process of the body coil. The mounting device also includes an adjustment device that has an adjuster for changing a position of the body coil, and adjustment indicators for displaying the position of the body coil. The adjustment device is provided for fine adjustment of the body coil during the adjustment process. The mounting device includes an attachment device differing from the suspension device. The attachment device includes at least one attachment element for mechanical interaction with the body coil.

Abstract: A probe for use in Magnetic Resonance Force Microscopy (MRFM) to provide an image of a sample comprising: a magnetic field source adapted to orient the spin of the nuclei in a sample; a detector capable of detecting a magnetic field comprising an oscillator; at least one conductor substantially surrounding the oscillator for forming a RF antenna for transmitting a radio frequency electromagnetic field; whereby the at least one conductor transmits a radio frequency electromagnetic field that influences the nuclei in the sample, and whereby the detector detects how the nuclei are influenced through the oscillations of the oscillator to provide identification information concerning the content of the sample. Also included is a method for magnetic resonance force microscopy of a sample.

Abstract: An example implementation of a method for mapping tissue magnetic susceptibility includes acquiring magnetic resonance (MR) images acquired at multiple echo times, where the MR images correspond to a subject comprising at least two species of protons, and where each species has a different chemical shift in its respective resonance frequency. The method also includes determining, for each species, an estimated chemical shift value, determining an estimated map of magnetic field inhomogeneity based on the estimated chemical shift values, determining an estimated susceptibility distribution of the subject and an error of each estimated chemical shift value based on the estimated map of magnetic field inhomogeneity and prior information regarding the subject, and generating an image of the subject based on the estimated susceptibility distribution.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a method for acquiring MR data at resolutions down to tens of microns for application in in-vivo diagnosis and monitoring of pathology for which changes in fine tissue textures can be used as markers of disease onset and progression. Bone diseases, tumors, neurologic diseases, and diseases involving fibrotic growth and/or destruction are all target pathologies. Further the technique can be used in any biologic or physical system for which very high-resolution characterization of fine scale morphology is needed. The method provides rapid acquisition of selected values in k-space, with multiple successive acquisitions of individual k-values taken on a time scale on the order of microseconds, within a defined tissue volume, and subsequent combination of the multiple measurements in such a way as to maximize SNR.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a spectrum acquisition unit, a resonance frequency acquisition unit and an imaging unit. The spectrum acquisition unit is configured to acquire frequency spectra of magnetic resonance signals from an object while changing a suppression effect or an enhancing effect of signals from a specific material. The resonance frequency acquisition unit is configured to obtain a resonance frequency of the specific material or another material based on an index representing a difference in intensities of signals from the specific material or the another material between the frequency spectra. The imaging unit is configured to perform imaging using a radio frequency pulse having a center frequency set to the resonance frequency of the specific material or the another material.

Abstract: Systems, methods of reducing off-resonance blurring in acquired magnetic resonance imaging data. The method includes acquiring a first set of spiral interleaf data for each of one or more spiral-in/out interleaves by performing a first sampling each of one or more locations in k-space along a first redundant spiral-in/out trajectory, and acquiring a second set of spiral interleaf data for each of the one or more spiral-in/out interleaves by performing a second sampling of each of the one or more locations in the k-space along a second redundant spiral-in/out trajectory, wherein the second redundant spiral-in/out trajectory corresponds to a time-reversed trajectory of the first redundant spiral-in/out trajectory. The method may yet further include combining the first set of spiral interleaf data and the second set of spiral interleaf data with an averaging operation such as to reduce artifacts.

Abstract: In a method and a magnetic resonance (MR) system, a marked area is determined that demarcates a predetermined volume segment of the subject relative to the regions adjacent thereto. Nuclei in the predetermined volume segment are excited, or nuclei in a region adjacent thereto are saturated with an RF excitation pulse at the same time a magnetic field gradient is activated. The center frequency of a frequency range of the RF excitation pulse and the direction of the magnetic field gradient are adjusted dependent on resonant frequencies of substances present within the predetermined volume segment in order, starting from the predetermined volume segment to shift an actual excitation volume segment excited by the RF excitation pulse toward the marked area, or to shift a saturation volume saturated by the RF excitation pulse away from the marked area. MR data are then acquired from the predetermined volume segment.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention includes a magnetometer system. The system includes a sensor cell comprising alkali metal particles and a probe laser configured to provide a probe beam through the sensor cell. The system also includes a detection system configured to implement nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) detection of a vector magnitude of an external magnetic field in a first of three orthogonal axes based on characteristics of the probe beam passing through the sensor cell and to implement electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) detection of a vector magnitude of the external magnetic field in a second and a third of the three orthogonal axes based on the characteristics of the probe beam passing through the sensor cell. The system further includes a controller configured to calculate a scalar magnitude of the external magnetic field based on the magnitude of the external magnetic field in each of the three orthogonal axes.

Abstract: A method and a measuring-sequence-determining device for determining a measuring sequence for a magnetic resonance system based on at least one intra-repetition-interval time parameter are provided. During the determination of the measuring sequence in a gradient-optimization method, gradient-pulse parameters of the measuring sequence are automatically optimized to reduce at least one gradient-pulse-parameter maximum value. As a boundary condition in the gradient-optimization method, the intra-repetition-interval time parameter is kept constant at least within a specified tolerance value.

Abstract: A method for estimating a property of subsurface material includes extracting a sample of the material using a downhole formation tester and performing a plurality of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements on a sensitive volume in the sample where each measurement in the plurality is performed in a static homogeneous magnetic field with a pulsed magnetic field gradient that is different in magnitude from other NMR measurements to provide a waveform signal. The method further includes transforming each received waveform signal from a time domain into a frequency domain and comparing the frequency domain signal to a reference to provide proton chemical-shift information related to a chemical property of one or more molecules in the sample and transforming the frequency domain signals into a complex number domain that quantifies waveform signal amplitude changes to provide one or more diffusion rates with each diffusion rate being associated with a corresponding frequency.

Abstract: A Cryogen-Free (CF) type MRI superconducting magnet system capable of monitoring the conditions of the system components and, in case of a foreseeable quench, discharging the superconducting magnet at any desired discharge voltage before occurrence of quench.