Abstract: An apparatus for magnetic resonance imaging is described having a casing with an inner bore which in some embodiments is substantially frustoconical shape for receiving a subject. The apparatus contains devices disposed in the casing to create a uniform field within an inner bore. The apparatus employs dual access since the inner bore has a first and second end at the outer edge of the casing for which the part of the subject's body would travel so as to be imaged. Further, in some embodiments, the apparatus provides one or more recesses for inserting at least one gradient coils into position about an inner bore. The MRI system induces resonance in selected dipoles in an examination region created along an inner bore of a casing housing in a magnetic resonance imaging system such that the selected dipoles generate magnetic resonance signals to create an image representation of the part of the subject's body.

Abstract: An assembly comprising a thermometer, test strip material and a housing that forms first and second separate compartments for receiving the test strip material and the thermometer, respectively.

Abstract: A conducting structure and an electronic clinical thermometer, wherein the conducting structure is provided on the measuring end of the clinical thermometer, and the measuring end has a recess, a temperature sensor and conducting wires fitted in the recess, and a contact member having a curved top and made of metallic conductive material and having a predetermined length embedded in the recess thereby providing the contact member with a large temperature sensing contact area but only with a small portion protruded out of the measuring end, and therefore enabling the thermometer to be fully in contact with a certain portion of the human body such as the armpit, preventing the thermometer from being broken, and achieving heat balance rapidly. The measuring end of the thermometer may be bent at a predetermined angle or the contact member may be arranged at either side of the measuring end as required.

Abstract: A coil arrangement is provided that is configured to be used with a magnetic resonance imaging system. The arrangement can include a first coil element and a second coil element positioned adjacent to the first coil element. The second coil element may be different in size from the first coil element. The coil elements may be generally circular or rectangular in shape, or can have other shapes, and they may have different sizes from one another. In one exemplary embodiment, the coil elements overlap one another. In a further exemplary embodiment, three coil elements may be provided in an orientation such that a center coil is immediately adjacent to two outer coils, and the center coil element may be smaller than the outer coil elements. In still further exemplary embodiments, the coil elements may be configured in the form of a linear array or a two-dimensional array.

Abstract: A method of obtaining an arbitrary, admissible transverse magnetization profile as the summed response of two, self refocused selective “half pulse” excitations for use in, e.g., magnetic resonance imaging pulse generation. The problem of finding the pair of half pulses is rephrased in the inverse scattering formalism and a simple closed form algorithm for the solution is given, provided the target transverse profile has constant phase (modulo 180°). The problem has a unique low energy solution for sufficiently small, complex valued data, and an algorithm for finding the solution is provided. This solution is used to generate pairs of half pulses for given target transverse profiles.

Abstract: A gradient coil system for a magnetic resonance apparatus has gradient coils and at least one cooling tube for cooling the gradient coils using a coolant flowing through the cooling tube. The cooling tube is formed of a flexible thermoplastic material, augmented with a filler, and has a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/mK.