Patents Examined by Rishi R Patel
  • Patent number: 10698047
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes a radio frequency coil and a control signal transmitting unit. The radio frequency coil is that receives a magnetic resonance signal emitted from a patient as a result of an application of a radio frequency magnetic field thereto and to transmit the received magnetic resonance signal via a wireless communication. The control signal transmitting unit that transmits control information that collectively defines operations to be performed by the radio frequency coil during a predetermined repetition time period, to the radio frequency coil via a wireless communication, prior to the start of the operations performed during the predetermined repetition time period. Further, the radio frequency coil that receives the control information via a wireless communication and to perform the operations on the basis of the received control information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Sadanori Tomiha, Koji Akita, Hideo Kasami, Kazuya Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10698056
    Abstract: One aspect of the present disclosure provides an imaging method including: specifying an imaging focus region on a subject to be imaged, applying radiofrequency pulses to the subject to interact with a magnetic field gradient, wherein the radiofrequency pulses successively bend magnetization phases of respective electromagnetic signals from the specified imaging focus region, resulting in magnified pixel data, and generating a magnified image of the imaging focus region based on the magnified pixel data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary, Department of Health & Human Services
    Inventor: Jun Shen
  • Patent number: 10692250
    Abstract: A method for magnetic resonance imaging acquires multi-channel subsampled k-space data using multiple receiver coils; performs singular-value-decomposition on the multi-channel subsampled k-space data to produce compressed multi-channel k-space data which normalizes the multi-channel subsampled k-space data; applies a first center block of the compressed multi-channel k-space data as input to a first convolutional neural network to produce a first estimated k-space center block that includes estimates of k-space data missing from the first center block; generates an n-th estimated k-space block by repeatedly applying an (n?1)-th estimated k-space center block combined with an n-th center block of the compressed multi-channel k-space data as input to an n-th convolutional neural network to produce an n-th estimated k-space center block that includes estimates of k-space data missing from the n-th center block; reconstructs image-space data from the n-th estimated k-space block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Joseph Yitan Cheng, Morteza Mardani Korani, John M. Pauly, Shreyas S. Vasanawala
  • Patent number: 10684337
    Abstract: A method for designing one or more multichannel, multiband radio frequency (“RF”) pulses for use with a magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) system is provided. The method includes determining a number of RF amplitude modulations and a number of RF phase modulations for each channel in a multichannel RF coil by minimizing an objective function that includes a complex-valued vector. The objective function also contains a system matrix that accounts for both a spatial sensitivity profile of each channel in the multichannel RF coil and a magnetic field map for each excitation band in the multiband RF pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Xiaoping Wu, Pierre-Francois Van De Moortele, Sebastian Schmitter, Kamil Ugurbil, Edward Auerbach
  • Patent number: 10677873
    Abstract: A system for correcting an artifact within MR data is provided. The system includes a magnet assembly and a controller in electronic communication with the magnet assembly. The controller is operative to: acquire the MR data from a subject via the magnet assembly, the MR data having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion including the artifact; and to populate the first portion of the MR data with substitute data corresponding to the second portion. The first portion corresponds to a first region of the subject, and the second portion corresponds to a second region of the subject that is anatomically symmetrical to the first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Gaspar Delso
  • Patent number: 10670678
    Abstract: An object (10) is placed in an examination volume of a MR device (1). To enable fast MR imaging, a stack-of-stars acquisition scheme is employed with a reduced level of streaking artifacts. The acquisition scheme includes subjecting the object (10) to an imaging sequence of at least one RF pulse and switched magnetic field gradients and acquiring MR signals according to the stack-of-stars scheme. The MR signals are acquired as radial k-space profiles (S1-S12) from a number of parallel slices (21-27) arranged at different positions along a slice direction. The radial density of the k-space profiles (S1-S12) varies as a function of the slice position with the radial density being higher at more central k-space positions and lower at more peripheral k-space positions. The k-space profiles are acquired at a higher temporal density from slices at the more central positions than from slices at the more peripheral k-space positions. An MR image is reconstructed from the MR signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventor: Gabriele Marianne Beck
  • Patent number: 10663553
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for intra-scan motion correction to compensate not only from one line or acquisition step to the next, but also within each acquisition step or line in k-space. The systems, methods, and devices for intra-scan motion correction can comprise updating geometry parameters, phase, read, and/or other encoding gradients, applying a correction gradient block, and/or correcting residual errors in orientation, pose, and/or gradient/phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Kineticor, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Michael Ernst, Oliver Speck
  • Patent number: 10658109
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing electromagnet coils for use in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system is provided. The method comprises forming a coil representation of a coil surface for the electromagnet coils; setting a plurality of performance metric requirements for a plurality of performance metrics for the electromagnet coils, the plurality of performance metrics including a magnetic field-shape metric and an eddy-field metric; forming a performance functional, based on the coil representation and the plurality of performance metrics, for generating a current density pattern over the coil surface; optimizing the performance functional based on the plurality of performance metric requirements; generating a current density pattern over the coil surface based on the minimized performance functional; and obtaining coil windings from the current density pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: SYNAPTIVE MEDICAL (BARBADOS) INC.
    Inventors: Geron André Bindseil, Chad Tyler Harris, William Bradfield Handler, Blaine Alexander Chronik
  • Patent number: 10656226
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus for implementing an MR examination of a patient, has an MR scanner with a gradient coil arrangement and a music network having at least two communicating instrument devices, synchronized by synchronization signals sent via the music network, so as to generate a music piece that is to be emitted as an output to the patient. One of the instrument devices is the magnetic resonance scanner that, as an interface to the music network, has a synchronization unit designed to derive the synchronization signals for the music network from sequence control signals received from the control computer of the magnetic resonance scanner, at least for the gradient coil arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Daniel Rinck, Stefan Popescu
  • Patent number: 10649047
    Abstract: An MAS NMR probe head arrangement has a stator (2) aligned along an axis of rotation (RA) to support a rotor (1), a stator mount (32), and a RF coil arrangement (21) to emit/receive RF pulses into/from the measurement substance (40) in the rotor. The stator mount has a stator bearing (41) into which the stator can be axially inserted and extracted. The stator, when inserted, passes through the RF coil arrangement (21), and can be fed through the RF coil arrangement (21). A mechanism fixes the stator axially in the stator bearing (41) when inserted. This arrangement enhances both ease of assembly and maintenance of the arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: BRUKER SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Nicolas Freytag, Fabian Kuehler, David Osen
  • Patent number: 10649055
    Abstract: In diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion-encoded gradient pulses with an amplitude and a duration are activated. The amplitude and the duration of the gradient pulses are varied for various excitations of nuclear magnetization. The echo time for the various excitations of nuclear magnetization can be changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Pedro Miguel Itriago Leon, Mario Zeller
  • Patent number: 10627468
    Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and other embodiments associated with NMR fingerprinting are described. One example NMR apparatus includes an NMR logic configured to repetitively and variably sample a (k, t, E) space associated with an object to acquire a set of NMR signals. Members of the set of NMR signals are associated with different points in the (k, t, E) space. Sampling is performed with t and/or E varying in a non-constant way. The varying parameters may include flip angle, echo time, RF amplitude, and other parameters. The NMR apparatus may also include a signal logic configured to produce an NMR signal evolution from the NMR signals, and a characterization logic configured to characterize a resonant species in the object as a result of comparing acquired signals to reference signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Case Western Reserve University
    Inventors: Mark Griswold, Nicole Seiberlich, Vikas Gulani, Dan Ma
  • Patent number: 10620288
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry sets imaging parameters for each scan. The processing circuitry specifies the size of the object region in the phase encode direction from a first image. The first image acquired by using a pulse sequence different from EPI. The processing circuitry sets parameters in a field of view in the phase encode direction in a phase correction scan based on the specified size and the size of the field of view in the phase encode direction in a second scan. The phase correction scan is executed for acquiring phase correction information for the first image. The second scan is executed for acquiring a second image by using EPI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kusahara, Yutaka Machii, Yuki Takai
  • Patent number: 10613175
    Abstract: In a method and apparatus to correct a signal phase in the acquisition of magnetic resonance signals of an object to be examined in a slice multiplexing method, magnetic resonance signals from at least two different slices of the object are detected simultaneously. In at least one slice-selection time period, a slice-selection gradient is generated by a slice-selection-gradient pulse. During the activation of the slice-selection gradient in each case a radio-frequency pulse with a slice-specific frequency is emitted for each of the slices. The radio-frequency pulses for the different slices at least partially temporally overlap and are temporally offset for the phase correction, so the duration of the slice-selection time period is shortened by modification of the slice-selection gradients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventor: Thorsten Feiweier
  • Patent number: 10613163
    Abstract: Micro-imaging may be performed with an ultra-sensitive atomic magnetometer (AM) and an array of flux guides (FGs). The array of FGs may be configured to act as a magnetic lens that expands microscopic magnetic distribution to match dimensions of the AM. A plurality of single channel AMs may be combined into an array, or the AM may include an array of photodetectors, to realize multi-channel operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Triad National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Igor Savukov, Young Jin Kim
  • Patent number: 10613170
    Abstract: An NMR-MAS probehead having an MAS stator (3) receiving an MAS rotor (5) that is surrounded by an RF coil (4) and that has a sample substance, and having a first microwave guide (1) supplying microwave radiation into a sample volume (0) through a coil block (2). The coil block is constructed from dielectric material, is inserted into the wall of the MAS stator so that it surrounds the RF coil and the MAS rotor, and has a first bore (4?) that extends coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the elongate MAS rotor, the RF coil being fastened to the inner wall of said first bore, as well as a second bore (8?) that extends coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the first microwave guide and has a hollow, elongate second microwave guide (8) supplying microwave radiation from the first microwave guide into the sample volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: BRUKER BIOSPIN GMBH
    Inventors: Armin Purea, Christian Reiter, Alexandros I. Dimitriadis
  • Patent number: 10591566
    Abstract: A method for acquiring magnetic resonance imaging data from a subject. The method includes performing a series of radio frequency pulses formed of individual RF pulses applied with a constant time interval between each of the individual RF pulses to form a consistent magnetic field about at least of a region of interest in the subject, where the RF pulse has a flip angle of less than 30 degrees. The method also includes performing phase encoding gradients to achieve spatial encoding and performing an imaging acquisition process over an acquisition window to acquire imaging data. The method further includes performing phase encoding rephasing gradients and repeating the preceding steps such that a time between a center of the acquisition window and a center of a first RF pulse in a first RF pulse in a repetition of the RF pulses is equal to the constant pulse interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Naoharu Kobayashi, Djaudat Idiyatullin, Michael Garwood
  • Patent number: 10585156
    Abstract: Some aspects include a method of detecting change in degree of midline shift in a brain of a patient. The method comprises, while the patient remains positioned within the low-field magnetic resonance imaging device, acquiring first magnetic resonance (MR) image data and second MR image data of the patient's brain; providing the first and second MR data as input to a trained statistical classifier to obtain corresponding first and second output, identifying, from the first output, at least one initial location of at least one landmark associated with at least one midline structure of the patient's brain; identifying, from the second output, at least one updated location of the at least one landmark; and determining a degree of change in the midline shift using the at least one initial location of the at least one landmark and the at least one updated location of the at least one landmark.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Hyperfine Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Michal Sofka, Jonathan M. Rothberg, Gregory L. Charvat, Tyler S. Ralston
  • Patent number: 10578696
    Abstract: Method, system and non-transitory computer-accessible medium can be provided for performing magnetic resonance spectroscopy for at least one structure. For example, with such method and/or computer-accessible medium, it is possible to receive information related to a substantially simultaneous acquisition of a stimulated echo pathway and a double spin echo associated with at least one portion of the at least one structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: New York University
    Inventors: Oded Gonen, Assaf Tal
  • Patent number: 10578693
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes a static field magnet, a gradient coil and a shim housing box. The static field magnet generates a static magnetic field in a space within a substantially cylindrical hollow. The gradient coil is provided inside the static field magnet and generates a gradient magnetic field. The shim housing box is capable of housing a metallic shim, the shim housing box being formed into a shape such that an attractive force of the static magnetic field applied to the shim housing box under magnetic excitation becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshitomo Sakakura, Kazuto Nogami, Hidekazu Tanaka