Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) coil assembly for use in magnetic resonance includes a radio frequency coil (42, 100) and an electronic switch (28) which switches between open and closed states to detune and tune the coil to a preselected resonance frequency. Each electronic switch includes at least one field effect transistor (FET) (70) and a bias network (72).

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a magnetic assembly including a main magnet and a gradient coil unit and forming a static magnetic field and a gradient magnetic field in the bore thereof, and a gradient controller applying a test gradient waveform to the magnetic assembly, and compensating for a distortion of the magnetic field gradients, caused by eddy currents, by reflecting the actual shape of the applied test gradient waveform.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charger, a charge eliminator, and a controller. The charger charges a surface of an image carrier. The charge eliminator eliminates residual charge from the surface of the image carrier charged by the charger. The controller performs control to reduce a level of charge elimination performed by the charge eliminator during a third period compared to a level of charge elimination performed by the charge eliminator during a second period in which an image for determining an image-forming condition is formed. The third period is a period other than the second period within a first period that is a period, other than a period of normal image formation, during which the surface of the image carrier is charged by the charger.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat source; a fixing member looped into a generally cylindrical shape to rotate in a circumferential direction thereof and partially heated by the heat source and to heat a surface of a recording medium bearing an unfixed toner image to fix the unfixed toner image thereon in a fixing process; a rotary pressing member disposed facing the fixing member to form a nip therebetween, through which the recording medium is transported in a transport direction; and a rotation driver to rotate one of the fixing member and the pressing member. In a case in which the fixing member is halted for a reason other than the fixing process while power of the fixing device is on, electric power is not supplied to the heat source and the fixing member is rotated by a predetermined amount or more after the fixing member is halted.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance optical pumping isotropic magnetometer including a laser, a gas filled cell, a HF discharge circuit, RF magnetic field generating coils surrounding the cell, a first frequency regulating mechanism of an RF generator, a second polarization regulating mechanism of the laser beam, and a third regulating mechanism of the direction of the RF magnetic field. The direction of polarization of the laser beam at an inlet of the cell is orthogonally aligned with the magnetic field to be measured by virtue of a liquid crystal polarization rotator. The magnetometer is well-adapted to an integrated arrangement.

Abstract: A black blood magnetic resonance imaging sequence is performed using a magnetic resonance scanner. The sequence includes: applying a first flow sensitization gradient; applying a spoiler gradient after applying the first flow sensitization gradient; applying a second flow sensitization gradient after applying the spoiler gradient wherein the second flow sensitization gradient has area equal to the first flow sensitization gradient but of opposite polarity; applying a slice-selective radio frequency excitation pulse after applying the spoiler gradient; and performing a magnetic resonance readout after applying the second flow sensitization gradient and after applying the slice selective radio frequency excitation. The readout acquires magnetic resonance imaging data having blood signal suppression in the region excited by the slice-selective radio frequency excitation pulse. The magnetic resonance imaging data is suitably reconstructed to generate a black blood image that may be displayed.

Abstract: A packing member for packing a cartridge detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus is molded with a thin resin material plate and includes: (i) a frame portion including an opening as an entrance for the cartridge, a first recessed portion for accommodating the cartridge, and a first limiting portion for limiting a position of the cartridge with respect to a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the cartridge; and (ii) a cap portion for openably covering the opening. The cap portion includes a second limiting portion for limiting movement of the cartridge, positionally-limited by the first limiting portion, in a direction in which the cartridge is spaced from the first limiting portion.

Abstract: Provided is a fixing apparatus for fixing a toner image on a recording material while conveying the recording material on which the toner image has been formed at a nip portion that includes a roller, a heating unit configured to heat the roller from outside the roller, the heating unit receiving power supplied from a power supply, a backup unit forming the nip portion with the roller, and a power shutdown member configured to operate in response to an abnormal temperature of the backup unit and shut down power supply to the heating unit.

Abstract: A constraining mechanism includes a porous member that is in contact with a rotating body, which rotates about a rotation axis, and restrains foreign objects from moving in an axial direction of the rotating body and a covering portion that covers a portion of the porous member including an end portion of the porous member located upstream in a direction of rotation of the rotating body and that is in contact with the rotating body as a result of being pressed by the porous member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a drum unit, an intermediate transfer unit, a waste toner container, and a first guide portion. The drum unit includes a photoconductor drum. The intermediate transfer unit includes a transfer belt and a belt cleaning portion. The belt cleaning portion removes waste toner remaining on the transfer belt and conveys the waste toner toward one side in a width direction of the transfer belt. The waste toner container is provided below an end of the drum unit on the one side and includes an introduction port that introduces waste toner to an inside of the waste toner container. The first guide portion guides the waste toner conveyed by the belt cleaning portion to the one side, from the introduction port to the inside of the waste toner container.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing unit that fixes a developer on a recording medium, a first heating unit, and at least one second heating unit. The first heating unit is disposed at an upstream side of the fixing unit in a transport direction of the recording medium, and heats the recording medium so that a temperature of the recording medium is set at a first temperature that is equal to or lower than a temperature of the fixing member and is equal to or higher than a thermal deformation temperature at which the recording medium is deformed. The at least one second heating unit comes into contact with the recording medium at a downstream side with respect to the first heating unit and at an upstream side with respect to the fixing unit, and heats the recording medium at a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature.

Abstract: A removable device to be detachably attached to an apparatus main body includes a container body to store developer; a discharge opening to discharge the developer inside the container body; an internal shutter to open and close the discharge opening; an external shutter to open and close the discharge opening, the external shutter being disposed at an outer side with respect to the internal shutter, wherein the internal shutter and the external shutter are configured to be driven separately.

Abstract: In a method and magnetic resonance apparatus for image acquisition using a magnetic resonance sequence in which k-space corresponding to the imaging area is scanned, a first region of k-space, which does not include the center of k-space, is scanned radially along a number of spokes emanating from the k-space center, and at least two phase coding gradients are completely ramped up before the excitation pulse. A second central region of k-space, which remains without the first region, is scanned in a Cartesian manner. For contrast increase a pre-pulse is provided before a predetermined number of individual measurements. The number of spokes is selected so a measurement point nearest to the k-space center is measured at a predetermined point in time after the pre-pulse, which is optimal for signal-to-noise ratio and/or contrast.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a casing, a photosensitive body, a toner accommodation component, a developing roller and an exposure unit configured to emit a laser beam toward the photosensitive body along an irradiating path. The image forming apparatus further includes a sheet feed roller configured to feed a sheet toward the photosensitive body. In some arrangements, the sheet feed roller is disposed at a position closer to the exposure unit than to the photosensitive body, and the developing device is disposed at a first height range relative to the bottom of the casing, the first height range being lower than the irradiation path. Moreover, the toner accommodation component is disposed at a second height range relative to the bottom of the casing, the second height range being higher than the irradiation path.

Abstract: This disclosure describes, in one aspect, a device that includes a dual-tuned birdcage coil. The dual-tuned birdcage coil generally includes an inner multinuclear coil and a plurality of outer 1H coils separated from the inner coil. Also, the dual-tuned birdcage coil is generally configured so that the inner coil may be tuned independently of one or more of the outer coils. In some embodiments, the device may be configured to provide inductive coupling between the inner coil and the plurality of outer coils. In some embodiments, the multinuclear coil can include 31P, 13C, 23Na, 15N, 17O, or 19F, etc. In another aspect, this disclosure describes using the device to a generate magnetic resonance in a target. In some of cases, the method can further include creating an image of the target from the magnetic resonance generated by the device.

Abstract: Example magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radio frequency (RF) coils are described. An MRI RF coil may include a first terminal and a second terminal that are connected by a coaxial cable. Rather than rely exclusively on two terminal passive components (e.g., resistor, inductor, capacitor), example coax MRI RF coils rely on the capacitance that can be created in the coax cable between the inner conductor and the outer conductor. The capacitance of the coil may be controlled by selectively disrupting (e.g., cutting, stripping) the outer conductor, the inner conductor, or the dielectric material disposed between the inner and outer conductor.

Abstract: In order to reduce image quality deterioration due to static magnetic field inhomogeneity according to imaging conditions without increasing an operator workload, shimming current where static magnetic field inhomogeneity of a selected region is reduced is calculated, shimming is performed for the selected region using the calculated local Bo shimming current, and then an increment (RF-Phase) in an irradiation phase of an RF pulse that excites the selected region in a state where static magnetic field inhomogeneity of the selected region is reduced or a post-adjustment excitation frequency (f0?) that is an excitation frequency is calculated. These increments (RF-Phase) in an irradiation phase and post-adjustment excitation frequency (f0?) that is an excitation frequency correspond with each other in amount.

Abstract: In a magnetic resonance data acquisition of at least two measurement data sets of an examination subject, each of the at least two measurement data sets is acquired in at least three partial measurements. Each partial measurement covers a partial region of k-space corresponding to the examination subject to be examined, and the partial measurements are executed in series in an order such that two successive partial measurements are associated with different data sets of the at least two measurement data sets, and such that two successive partial measurements respectively do not measure the same partial region. A reduced movement sensitivity is achieved by the acquisition of the interleaved partial measurements associated with different measurement data sets. Unwanted refocusings (and therefore echo signals of residual magnetization) are also avoided by avoiding successive partial measurements that measure the same partial region.

Abstract: An antenna (100), which is designed for exciting and/or detecting a magnetic resonance in an object (1) under investigation, comprises a conductor loop (10) with an inner conductor (11) and a primary shield conductor (12), which form at least one waveguide, wherein the primary shield conductor (12) is interrupted by a gap (13), and wherein a secondary shield conductor (14) is provided which surrounds the primary shield conductor (12), wherein a dielectric (15) is arranged between the primary shield conductor (12) and the secondary shield conductor (14) and at least the gap is covered by the secondary shield conductor (14). An antenna arrangement which comprises a plurality of such antennas, a magnetic resonance device, and a method for magnetic resonance imaging or magnetic resonance spectroscopy are also described.

Abstract: In a method and magnetic resonance system to determine multiple magnetic resonance images for respective different echo points in time, k-space is scanned on a segment-by-segment basis with at least two rectangular k-space segments, these being scanned line by line with respective k-space lines oriented parallel to one another. A short side of the rectangular k-space segments is oriented parallel to the k-space lines. First and second gradient echoes are respectively produced by a radio-frequency pulse radiated for each k-space line.