Patents Examined by Tiffany A. Fetzner
  • Patent number: 7990143
    Abstract: The nuclear magnetic resonance machine comprises a device (101) for creating an intense main magnetic field B0 in a useable interior space (109) in the form of a tunnel with axis Z, a device for radio-frequency excitation and processing of radio-frequency signals emitted in response by a body (150) placed in the useable interior space (109), and a set (110) of solenoidal gradient coils for superimposing on the intense magnetic field B0 components of an additional magnetic field, the gradient coils (111-122) being incorporated into tubes that are disposed in a annular cylindrical space (130).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et Aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventor: Guy Aubert
  • Patent number: 7986142
    Abstract: A cylindrical antenna arrangement in a magnetic resonance apparatus has two feed points to feed in two partial signals, the two feed points being arranged on a cross-section of the antenna arrangement. The cross-section has a center point. A first angle is formed by the connection of a first feed point with the center point relative to a horizontal axis of the cross-section while a second angle is formed by the connection of a second feed point with the center point relative to the horizontal axis of the cross-section. An apparatus for controlling such an antenna arrangement has a device for signal splitting with two outputs and an input. A radio-frequency magnetic resonance signal is connected at the input. This signal is divided by the device for signal splitting into two partial signals of equal amplitude that are respectively supplied to an associated output. Each output of the device for signal splitting is connected with precisely one associated feed point of the antenna arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Ludwig Eberler, Juergen Nistler
  • Patent number: 7969150
    Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for measuring a parameter of an earth formation surrounding a wellbore. A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) tool and at least one second tool are conveyed in the wellbore on a wireline, the NMR tool having a magnetic influence on a region of the wellbore. The magnetic influence of the NMR tool is removed from the region of the wellbore using a demagnetizing device. The parameter of the earth formation is measured using the at least one second tool. A second demagnetizing device may be used to remove the magnetic influence of the at least one second tool from the region of the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Homero C. Castillo, Thomas Kruspe
  • Patent number: 7956612
    Abstract: A system and method for displaying MR spectroscopy data acquired using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system includes acquiring MR spectroscopy data from a region of interest using the MRI system. The MR spectroscopy data is processed to determine relative spectral amplitudes of each of a plurality of points in the MR spectroscopy data resulting from frequency components of molecules in the region of interest. Each of the plurality of points is mapped to a particular optical parameter based at least upon on the relative spectral amplitude associated with each point and a point is generated for each of the plurality of points having the optical parameter mapped thereto. The points for each of the plurality of points are arranged to form a hypsometric map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation
    Inventor: Alma Gregory Sorensen
  • Patent number: 7944208
    Abstract: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging System consisting of a magnet (10) with a U-shaped frame (15), whose pole faces define an open magnetic imaging area [R] for a patient, and a magnetic field generator (17) that is controlled to generate magnetic fields inside the magnetic imaging area; a transport system (30) associated with the magnet has a support structure (20) that defines a movement path through the magnetic imaging area. The transport system (30) also includes a bench (40) to support the patient. The transport system (30) can slide the bench (40) along the support structure so that the patient can be introduced into and extracted from the magnetic imaging area. The bench (40) may further include a non-reclinable support part (41) coupled to reclinable support parts (42 and 43) at opposing ends to allow the position of patient to be rotatably changed on the bench (40).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Paramed Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Roberto Dutto, Marco Monaldi
  • Patent number: 7940046
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance system has a first installation unit, in which a control processor device is arranged, as well as a radio-frequency coil arrangement for transmitting and receiving magnetic resonance signals. The radio-frequency coil arrangement is controlled or read out by a transmit device, having a digital transmit unit built into the first installation unit for emitting a digital transmit signal to an analog transmit unit, which outputs an analog transmit signal based on the digital transmit signal, and by a receiving apparatus, having at least one analog reception unit for converting an analog received signal into a digital reception signal and at least one digital reception unit for digital demodulation of the received signal. The digital reception unit is built into a further installation unit external to the first installation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Rudi Baumgartl, Matthias Buettner, Georg Pirkl, Andreas Potthast
  • Patent number: 7936169
    Abstract: An apparatus in one example comprises a polarization filter and a polarization analyzer. The polarization filter comprises a first polarization axis. The polarization analyzer comprises a second polarization axis. The polarization filter is configured to polarize detection light for a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) cell along the first polarization axis. The polarization analyzer is configured to receive the detection light from the NMR cell and pass a portion of the detection light to a processor for determination of angular rate information. The portion of the detection light passed to the processor is based on an orientation of the second polarization axis relative to the first polarization axis. The orientation is selected to maximize a signal-to-noise ratio of the detection light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Guidance and Electronics Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Edward Kanegsberg
  • Patent number: 7932720
    Abstract: The disclosed innovation is a method for acquiring spatial frequency spectra from specific locations in a 3D sample using modifications of the current MRI techniques for localized NMR spectroscopy. The innovation in its simplest abstraction is to add the use of a read out gradient to the current NMR spectroscopy pulse sequences and record the resultant echo. These techniques generate spectra from a selected region or generate an image of the results over a region of the sample. These methods can be applied to analyzing the structure of trabecular bone as well as for analyzing or diagnosing disease in cases where there is a difference in the spatial frequency power spectrum due to physiologic or disease processes. Various embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Acuitas Medical Limited
    Inventors: Timothy W. James, David Chase
  • Patent number: 7928730
    Abstract: The electromagnet apparatuses generate a homogeneous magnetic field in a homogeneous magnetic field region by a pair of superconductive main coils for facing to each other; a pair of superconductive shielding coils for facing to each other and passing a current in a direction reverse to that of the main coils; and a pair of first ferromagnetic members for facing to each other, and the apparatuses further include a pair of second ferromagnetic members for facing to each other and be disposed in contact with or adjacent to an opposite side of the region side of the first ferromagnetic members, wherein the region is interposed between the main coils, between the shielding coils, between the first members whose outer periphery is a circle, and between the second members whose outer periphery is a circle whose diameter is larger than that of the circle of the first members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Manabu Aoki, Mitsushi Abe, Takeshi Nakayama, Masanori Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7924002
    Abstract: A method for mapping field inhomogeneity for forming a magnetic resonance image is provided. A magnetic resonance excitation is applied. A plurality of k-space echoes signals is acquired. A periodic cost function is calculated from the acquired plurality of k-space echo signals. A period of the calculated periodic cost function is divided into multiple regions. A search algorithm is used to locate a local minimum in each region. Located local minimums are chosen to provide global smoothness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventor: Wenmiao Lu
  • Patent number: 7924008
    Abstract: The present utility model discloses a patient table for a magnetic resonance system, said magnetic resonance system also comprises a body coil, and said patient table comprises a table board and supporting means for supporting said table board, which table board is located in said body coil, and said supporting means supports said table board in such a way that the table board has no contact with said body coil. By using said patient table according to the present utility model, it is possible to eliminate the vibration of the table board caused by the vibration of a gradient coil, thus improving the imaging quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Ke Cheng Liu, Xiao Guang Liu
  • Patent number: 7924003
    Abstract: NMR signal contributions from water and fat are separated using a model of the fat resonant frequency spectrum that has multiple resonant peaks. The relative frequencies of the multiple fat spectrum peaks are known a priori and their relative amplitudes are determined using a self-calibration process. With the determined relative amplitudes of the fat spectrum peaks, acquired NMR signals are modeled. Using this model and NMR signal data acquired at a plurality of echo times (TE), the signal contribution from multiple fat spectrum peaks is separated from the acquired NMR signal data. A combined image is alternatively produced from weighted contributions of the separated water and fat images. Additionally, a more accurate estimation of the apparent relaxation time and rate (T*2 and R*2, respectively) is alternatively performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Huanzhou Yu, Scott B. Reeder
  • Patent number: 7924007
    Abstract: In a method for coil selection of a magnetic resonance apparatus, a determination of coil positions of the multiple coil devices of the magnetic resonance apparatus is made and a determination is also made of a number of coil groups, wherein a coil group is composed of at least one coil device. One or more coil groups is associated with positions of the support device, and the coil group that is associated with a position of the support device includes the coil devices that are suitable for use in that associated position of the support device. A control of one of the multiple coil groups dependent on the position of the support device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Arnold, Swen Campagna
  • Patent number: 7911209
    Abstract: A head coil for use with a parallel-imaging compatible MR system is disclosed, as is a method of making, and a neurovascular array (NVA) equipped with, same. The head coil includes conductive rings and rods configured to produce a plurality of electrically-adjacent primary resonant substructures about a birdcage-like structure, with each such primary resonant substructure including two rods neighboring each other and the short segment of each of the first and second rings interconnecting them. The primary resonant substructures are isolated from each other via a preamplifier decoupling scheme and an offset tuning scheme thereby enabling each primary resonant substructure (i) to receive an MR signal from tissue within its field of view and (ii) to be operatively couplable to one processing channel of the MR system for conveyance of the MR signal received thereby (iii) while being simultaneously decoupled from the other primary resonant substructures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Medrad, Inc.
    Inventors: Fahad Alradady, William J. Monski, George J. Misic, Robert J. McKenney, Jr., Timothy S. Zibrat, Jaroslaw Wlodarczyk
  • Patent number: 7906966
    Abstract: An antenna for magnetic resonance imaging. The antenna preferably comprises a base, a first coil and a second coil. The first coil is mounted to the base and oriented to form an opening for receiving a foot of a patient such that the first coil extends around the foot along a lengthwise direction and defines a first coil vector that is perpendicular to the lengthwise direction. The second coil is preferably mounted to the base and oriented to extend along a widthwise direction of the foot and preferably defines a second coil vector that is parallel to the length wise direction of the foot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Fonar Corporation
    Inventor: Jan Votruba
  • Patent number: 7902823
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus, and systems associated with dynamic parallel magnetic resonance imaging (DpMRI) are presented. One example system facilitates separating data associated with a dynamic portion of a dynamic magnetic resonance image from data associated with a static portion of the dynamic magnetic resonance image. The system computes reconstruction parameters for a DpMRI reconstruction processes for both the dynamic portion of the image and the static portion of the image. The example system produces a DpMRI image based on separate reconstructions of the dynamic portion of a dynamic magnetic resonance image and the static portion of a dynamic magnetic resonance image. The separate reconstructions may depend on separate sets of reconstruction parameters and on separated static data and dynamic data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Inventors: Mark A. Griswold, Martin Blaimer, Randall Kroeker
  • Patent number: 7898251
    Abstract: A method and system for the characterization of a magnetic element based on ferromagnetic resonance, the magnetic element presents ferromagnetic resonance and its own characteristic resonance frequency. The system includes mechanism for application of a low-frequency electromagnetic field in a given area; a mechanism for application of a high-frequency electromagnetic wave the same as the characteristic resonance frequency of the magnetic element in the same area; and a control unit configured so as to control the simultaneous application of the low-frequency electromagnetic field so that in response to the introduction of the magnetic element in the area the magnetic element absorbs the high-frequency electromagnetic wave with a frequency the same as that of the low-frequency electromagnetic field, so the wave is modulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Micromag 2000, S.L.
    Inventors: Pilar Marin Palacios, Daniel Cortina Blanco, Javier Calvo Robledo, Antonio Hernando Grande
  • Patent number: 7884606
    Abstract: In a cooling device for arrangement between two gradient coil windings of a gradient coil for dissipation of the heat (arising upon feeding current to the gradient coil windings) by means of a coolant flowing through one or more coolant channels in the cooling device, two films made of thermoplastic material are connected with one another, and are preformed in a thermal reshaping procedure to form coolant channel sections that are complementary to one another to form an inherently stable coolant channel after the connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Johann Schuster, Lothar Schoen, Stefan Stocker
  • Patent number: 7884604
    Abstract: Methods and systems in a parallel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system utilize sensitivity-encoded MRI data acquired from multiple receiver coils together with spatially dependent receiver coil sensitivities to generate MRI images. The acquired MRI data forms a reduced MRI data set that is undersampled in at least a phase-encoding direction in a frequency domain. The acquired MRI data and auto-calibration signal data are used to determine reconstruction coefficients for each receiver coil using a weighted or a robust least squares method. The reconstruction coefficients vary spatially with respect to at least the spatial coordinate that is orthogonal to the undersampled, phase-encoding direction(s) (e.g., a frequency encoding direction).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation
    Inventors: Evgueni G. Kholmovski, Dennis Lee Parker
  • Patent number: 7884609
    Abstract: To provide an RF coil of an MRI apparatus and improve the irradiation efficiency and the reception sensitivity of a circular polarized magnetic field with a simple structure. An RF coil has a set of input/output terminals and two loops. The two loops are disposed and capacitors in the loops are adjusted so that the linearly polarized magnetic fields generated and detected by the loops are perpendicular to each other, and the combined magnetic field of the linearly polarized magnetic fields is a circular polarized magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Soutome, Hideta Habara, Yoshitaka Bito