Abstract: A method for improving the imaging quality of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment and MRI equipment, include obtaining a corresponding relationship between a deterioration factor of imaging quality and the cumulative energy of gradient pulses applied by successive scanning MRI sequences, then determining a predicted value of a current deterioration factor of imaging quality according to the currently applied cumulative energy of the gradient pulses and said corresponding relationship, adopting a corresponding method to carry out dynamic regulation or compensation using the predicted value of said deterioration factor of imaging quality as a reference, so as to cancel the influence produced by the heating effect of the gradient system to the imaging quality, thereby effectively improving the imaging quality of the MRI equipment.

Abstract: Featured is a device for NMR or MRI signals from excited nuclei as well as related apparatus, systems and methods. The device includes a strip array antenna including one or more conductor and N reactive tuning components, where N is an integer ?1 at least one of the N reactive components is electrically coupled to each of the one or more conductors as well as to ground/virtual ground. The apparent electrical length of the conductors is tuned with the reactive tuning components so it is equal to be about n?/4, where n is an integer ?1 and ? is the wavelength of the signal to be detected. The length of the strip also is such as to be substantially in the approximate range of 1.3 times the depth of interest. The strip conductors are also combined with loop coils to form quadrature detectors.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining midpoint coordinates of an image of a point-symmetrical structure stored in a volume data record, comprising: extracting a partial volume data record from the volume data record which contains the image of the point-symmetrical structure, selecting a set of points whose coordinates lie in the partial volume data record, determining a measure for each point of the set wherein the measure for each of the points of the set characterizes in each case the symmetry of the partial volume data record in relation to this point, selecting a point as a midpoint of the point-symmetrical structure that point of the set in relation to which the partial volume data record has the greatest symmetry on the basis of the previously determined measures, and storing the coordinates of the midpoint in a computer unit.

Abstract: A method of measuring a parameter characteristic of a rock formation in an oil well is provided for evaluating a reservoir treatment applied to a subterranean formation including the steps of injecting from a tool body suspended into a well at an injection location a known volume of fluid into the formation, performing a logging operation sensitive to a change of fluid content at several measuring points below and above the injection location; and using results of the logging operation to determine a depth profile along said well of a parameter related to fluid content.

Abstract: An MRI includes at least a singular imaging channel which uses a smoothly varying sampling pattern to sparsely sample k-space as a series of parallel lines over time to acquire data of an object. The MRI includes a computer in communication with the imaging channel that performs a signal processing routine to interpolate the data and fill in points of k-space which were not sampled by the imaging channels and produce an image of the object. A method for using an MRI includes the steps of acquiring data of an object with at least a singular imaging channel of the MRI which uses a smoothly varying sampling pattern to sparsely sample k-space as a series of parallel lines over time. There is the step of performing a signal processing routine with a computer in communication with the imaging channel to interpolate the data and fill in points of k-space which were not sampled by the imaging channels. There is the step of producing an image of the object.

Abstract: A system and method for magnetic resonance imaging assisted surgery. The system includes an antenna support assembly and an antenna that are used to acquire real time images of the surgical site that may be used by a surgeon to more accurately perform the surgical procedure. The method comprises acquiring real time images of the surgical site and feeding back the images to a surgeon performing the surgical procedure.

Abstract: A flip-angle calculating unit calculates a flip angle of a fat-suppression pulse by inputting scanning parameters read from a scanning-parameter storage unit based on scanning conditions set by a scan-condition setting unit and a desired fat-suppression level, into a predetermined computing program. A control unit suppresses fat signals to a desired level by performing irradiation of a fat-suppression pulse having the calculated flip angle and application of a spoiler gradient magnetic field onto a scan target portion of a subject by controlling a gradient magnetic-field generating unit and a transmitting-receiving unit, and further performs irradiation of an RF pulse and application of a gradient magnetic field in accordance with a predetermined pulse sequence, thereby detecting water signals and suppressed fat signals as MR signals. An image-data creating unit creates image data by reconstructing the MR signals.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a cooled NMR probe including an antenna coil and capable of decreasing an operation temperature of the antenna coil by effectively cooling the antenna coil, thereby increasing detection sensitivity of an NMR signal. To attain this, a probe head according to the present invention includes a coil support member which supports the antenna coil, and a cooling member arranged around at least a portion of the coil support member, the cooling member providing a cooling space between the cooling member and the coil support member, the cooling space allowing a refrigerant to circulate therethrough. The cooling member is coupled to the coil support member such that the refrigerant flowing in the cooling space directly contacts an outer peripheral surface of the coil support member.

Abstract: A magnet assembly primarily for use in MRI Interventional applications having an array of four mam permanent magnets that are spaced-apart and arranged into a ring-like geometry with six easy-access openings The magnetization direction in each permanent magnet is anti-parallel to any other adjacent permanent magnet in the ?ng assembly while it is parallel to any other permanent magnet in the array that is oppositely located just as in a quadrupolar system Such an arrangement has the advantage of concentrating the magnetic field inside the nng enclosure while minimizing magnetic field generated outside Together, these four spatially spaced-apart permanent magnets create a very homogeneous and strong magnetic field in the central enclosure with two orthogonal access paths and one parallel access path to the enclosure Through one access pathway a patient can be inserted while through the other pathways a doctor can fully access the patient.

Abstract: In a method of displaying settings for a Magnetic Resonance (MR) image, a visual marker is displayed in a window. The coordinates of the visual marker correspond to T1 weighting of the MR image along a first axis of a display and correspond to T2 weighting of the MR image along a second axis of a display window.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a fluid image data acquisition unit and a flow velocity measuring unit. The a fluid image data acquisition unit acquires fluid image data, corresponding to mutually different inversion times, by imaging with applying at least three inversion recovery pulses having the inversion times. The flow velocity measuring unit obtains a flow velocity of fluid based on time variation of a signal intensity depending on the inversion times at each of plural positions and a distance between the plural positions.

Abstract: A phantom for use in quality control measurement of a fully integrated magnetic resonance/PET scanner is disclosed. The phantom features radiation activity distributed throughout an electrically conductive binder. Suitably, the binder is elastomeric and includes carbon fibers distributed throughout it to set the conductivity of the phantom to a desired level. The phantom is applicable to various multimodality integrated medical imaging systems such as MR/SPECT and MR/CT in addition to MR/PET.

Abstract: In a method for processing radio frequency signals of a magnetic resonance imaging system in which the coil portion of the magnetic resonance imaging system includes a body coil and a local coil, radio frequency signals are supplied to the body coil, and these radio frequency signals are coupled to said local coil, and transmitted by said local coil into a region to be examined. A corresponding radio frequency system has a local coil and a body coil, with power coupling between the local coil and the body coil; during the phase for transmitting the radio frequency signals. The body coil serves to couple the radio frequency signals to be transmitted to the local coil, and the local coil serves to transmit the coupled radio frequency signals to a region to be examined. This method and system allow the transmitting function of the local coil to be achieved without having a coil plug on a patient bed to provide a radio frequency signal transmitting channel.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sensor selection device for selecting sensor elements of a magnetic resonance imaging device, the sensor selection device comprising a provider for providing a first characteristic property (601) of a first sensor element (603) within a predetermined scan volume and for providing a second characteristic property (605) of a second sensor element (607) within the predetermined scan volume (215), a means for determining a mutual quantity from the first characteristic property (601) and from the second characteristic property (605), and a selector for selecting or for excluding the first sensor element (601) or the second sensor element (601) based on the mutual quantity.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for imaging multiple substances, such as contrast agents and metabolites in vivo, with selective excitation frequencies. A first substance is excited with a frequency selective pulse, then a second substance is excited with another frequency selective pulse. The signals resulting from these pulses are acquired in an order reversed from the order in which the pulses were applied. In some embodiments, more than two substances may be imaged. The system and method thus provide for quick and efficient utilization of the magnetization of multiple substances for spectral-spatial imaging.

Abstract: A method for estimating values of a field map to generate a magnetic resonance display image with species separation is provided. A set of MR images is acquired based on an applied magnetic resonance excitation. A set of feasible field map values for each pixel in a field map are determined from the set of MR images. Estimated values of the field map for each pixel are chosen from the set of feasible field map values using a combinatorial optimization algorithm that includes a smoothness constraint. The combinatorial optimization algorithm includes iteratively communicating, between neighboring pixels in the field map, sum-product belief messages that include likelihoods for feasible field map values. Field map values are fixed to most likely field map values if the pixel satisfies the smoothness constraint with its neighboring pixels. A magnetic resonance display image with species separation is generated using the estimated field map.

Abstract: In a magnetic resonance data acquisition method, magnetic resonance is excited (72, 74) in an observed nuclear species. Magnetic resonance data of the observed nuclear species are acquired (76). A plurality of different broadband decoupling radio frequency pulses (80) configured to decouple a coupled nuclear species from the observed nuclear species are applied. Each broadband decoupling radio frequency pulse has a different or randomized or pseudorandomized amplitude (110) as a function of time. Each broadband decoupling radio frequency pulse has about the same peak power, pulse duration, and frequency spread. The differences between the broadband decoupling radio frequency pulses are effective to substantially suppress cycling sidebands.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus is configured to generate a correcting magnetic field for correcting a static magnetic field, based on a first set of information representing an inhomogeneous distribution of the static magnetic field generated depending on the characteristic of the static magnetic field generating means, a second set of information representing an inhomogeneous distribution of the static magnetic field generated depending on the tissue of the object, a third set of information corresponding to a set field of view for imaging in a desired region of the object.

Abstract: A radio-frequency transmission device for a magnetic resonance system to generate magnetic resonance exposures of an examination region of an examination subject, has: a first radio-frequency transmission antenna that emits radio-frequency signals in the examination region, a radio-frequency amplifier that supplies the first radio-frequency transmission antenna, with radio-frequency signals with a predetermined radio-frequency transmission power, and a second radio-frequency transmission antenna fashioned to label a medium flowing in the examination region and/or examination regions via emission of labeling radio-frequency signals, such that the medium can be identified in the generated magnetic resonance exposures of the examination region.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus is configured to divide an object to be examined into a plurality of regions in a predetermined direction, set images of slice positions for each of the regions so that the slice positions are continuous in each region, obtain an image of each of the regions while moving the object stepwise, and acquire a plurality of image data having three types of categories for the region, the slice position and the imaging sequence. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus selectively sets one of the three types of categories and rearranges and displays a plurality of images having the set category in the lengthwise direction or the lateral direction according to the two other categories that have not been selectively set.