Patents by Inventor Christian Stehning

Christian Stehning has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9507000
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance system comprises a magnetic resonance scanner (10) including a main magnet (12) generating a static magnetic field biasing nuclear spins toward aligning along a direction of the static magnetic field, magnetic field gradient coils (14), a radio frequency coil (16), and a controller (20, 22) configured to: (a) drive the radio frequency coil to selectively tip spins predominantly of short T2* out of the direction of the static magnetic field; (b) drive at least one of the magnetic field gradient coils and the radio frequency coil to dephase said spins predominantly of short T2* tipped out of the direction of the static magnetic field; and (c) drive the magnetic field gradient coils and the radio frequency coil to acquire magnetic resonance data that is predominantly T2* weighted due to preceding operations (a) and (b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Christian Stehning, Jurgen Erwin Rahmer, Stefanie Remmele, Ulrike Blume, Tobias Richard Schaeffter
  • Publication number: 20160202334
    Abstract: A medical imaging system (10) includes a nuclear imaging system (62), a timing optimization unit (40), a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner (12), an MR reconstruction unit (38), and an attenuation map unit (50). The nuclear imaging system (62) receives nuclear decay data and generates at least one nuclear image (64) of a first resolution based on the received nuclear decay data of an imaged subject (16) and an attenuation map (52). The timing optimization unit (40) which selects a first and a second echo time for a modified Dixon (mDixon) pulse sequence and a sufficient number of repetition times (TRs) to generate an image of the subject (16) of at least a first resolution, with the phase angle difference between water and fat at the first and the second echo time being unequal to 0° and 180°. The MR scanner (12) applies the sequence to the subject (16) and receives MR data (32) from the subject. The MR reconstruction unit (38) reconstructs at least one MR image (44) based on the MR data (32).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Christian STEHNING, Holger EGGERS, Peter BORNERT, Lingzhi HU, Zhiqiang HU
  • Publication number: 20160169994
    Abstract: A medical imaging system (10) includes a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner (12), and a MR reconstruction unit (34). The MR scanner (12) applies a multi-echo ultra-short TE (UTE) with mDixon pulse sequence to a subject (16) and receives MR data (33) representing at least a portion of the subject. The MR reconstruction unit (34) reconstructs a Free Induction Decay (FID) image (120), and one or more echo magnitude images (122), one or more phase images (39), an in-phase image (39), a water image (39), and a fat image (39) from the received MR data (33).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Lingzhi HU, Christian STEHNING, Zhiqiang HU, Lingxiong SHAO
  • Publication number: 20160061921
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, system (200) for acquiring magnetic resonance data from a target volume in a subject (218), the MRI system (200) comprising a memory (236) for storing machine executable instructions; and a processor (230) for controlling the MRI system (200), wherein execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor (230) to use a first MRI sequence (401) containing a first selective RF pulse (413) followed by a first excitation RF pulse (415) to control the MRI system (200) to selectively excite and saturate exchangeable amide protons within a first frequency range in the target volume; irradiate said target volume with the first excitation RF pulse (415) that is adapted to excite bulk water protons in the target volume; and acquire first magnetic resonance imaging data from the target volume in response to the first excitation RF pulse (415); use a second MRI sequence (403) containing a second selective RF pulse (423) followed by a seco
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventors: ULRICH KATSCHER, MARIYA IVANOVA DONEVA, CHRISTIAN STEHNING, JOHAN SAMUEL VAN DEN BRINK, JOCHEN KEUPP
  • Publication number: 20160054416
    Abstract: The invention provides for a medical apparatus (300, 400, 500) comprising: a magnetic resonance imaging system (302) for acquiring magnetic resonance data (342) from an imaging zone (308); a processor (330) for controlling the medical apparatus; a memory (336) storing machine executable instructions (350, 352, 354, 356). Execution of the instructions causes the processor to: acquire (100, 200) the magnetic resonance data using a pulse sequence (340) which specifies an echo time greater than 400 ??; reconstruct (102, 202) a magnetic resonance image using the magnetic resonance data; generate (104, 204) a thresholded image (346) by thresholding the magnetic resonance image to emphasize bone structures and suppressing tissue structures in the magnetic resonance image; and generate (106, 206) a bone-enhanced image by applying a background removal algorithm to the thresholded image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: CHRISTIAN STEHNING, NICOLE SCHADEWALDT, MICHAEL GUNTER HELLE, STEFFEN RENISCH, HEINRICH SCHULZ
  • Publication number: 20150316635
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system (1) includes at least one processor (28) configured to receive (48) diffusion weighted imaging data based on a diffusion weighted imaging sequence with magnetic gradient fields applied in different directions and with different b-values. The at least one processor (28) is further configured to detect (50) motion corrupted data present in the received imaging data based on a comparison of data redundant in the received data, and substitute (52) alternative data for detected motion corrupted data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventors: CHRISTIAN STEHNING, THOMAS PERKINS, JULIEN SENEGAS, JOCHEN KEUPP
  • Publication number: 20150196222
    Abstract: A system (10) and method generate one or more MR data sets of an imaging volume (16) using an MR scanner (14). The imaging volume (16) includes one or more of a region of interest (ROI), the ROI including a metal element, and a local receive coil (18) of the MR scanner (14). At least one of an attenuation, confidence or density map accounting for the metal element is generated and the location of the local receive coil (18) within the imaging volume (16) is determined. The generating includes identification of the metal element within the ROI based on a phase map of the ROI generated from the MR data sets. The determining includes registering a known sensitivity profile of the local receive coil (18) to a sensitivity map of the local receive coil (18) generated from the MR data sets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Inventors: Christian Stehning, Steffen Renisch, Hannes Dahnke, Zhiqiang Hu
  • Patent number: 8929626
    Abstract: A multi nuclei RF antenna arrangement for use in a multi nuclei MRI system or an MR scanner, for transmitting RF excitation signals (B1 field) for exciting nuclear magnetic resonances (NMR), and/or for receiving NMR relaxation signals for multi nuclei MR (magnetic resonance) image reconstruction is disclosed, wherein the RF antenna arrangement is tuned to the Larmor frequencies of at least two different species of nuclei having at least two different gyromagnetic rations like 1H, 14N, 31P, 13C, 23Na, 39K, 17O and hyper polarized gases like 129Xe or other isotopes having a nuclear spin. Further, a method for reconstructing a multi nuclei MR image especially by means of the above RF antenna arrangement is disclosed. The method involves reducing back-folding artifacts of the species having the higher gyromagnetic ration by parallel MRI reconstruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Christian Stehning, Jurgen Rahmer, Peter Boernert
  • Publication number: 20150003703
    Abstract: A medical imaging system (5) includes a workstation (20), a coarse segmenter (30), a fine segmenter (32), and an enclosed tissue identification module (34). The workstation (20) includes at least one input device (22) for receiving a selected location as a seed in a first contrasted tissue type and a display device (26) which displays a diagnostic image delineating a first segmented region of a first tissue type and a second segmented region of a second contrasted tissue type and identified regions which include regions fully enclosed by the first segmented region as a third tissue type. The coarse segmenter (30) grows a coarse segmented region of coarse voxels for each contrasted tissue type from the seed location based on a first growing algorithm and a growing fraction for each contrasted tissue type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Astrid Ruth Franz, Stefanie Remmele, Christian Stehning, Jochen Keupp
  • Publication number: 20140035582
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging method includes acquisition of datasets of magnetic resonance data from an object. At least some of the datasets are undersampled in k-space. Each dataset relating to a motion state of the object. Images are reconstructed from each of the datasets by way of a compressed sensing reconstruction. Motion correction is applied to the reconstructed images relative to a selected motion state, so as to generate motion corrected images. A diagnostic image for the selected motion state is derived, e.g. by averaging from the motion corrected images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Peter Boernert, Mariya Ivanova Doneva, Christian Stehning
  • Publication number: 20130225978
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system (500) comprising: a magnet (502) for generating a magnetic field; a radio frequency system (516) for acquiring magnetic resonance data; a magnetic field gradient coil (510) for spatial encoding of the magnetic spins of nuclei within the imaging volume; a magnetic field gradient coil power supply (512) for supplying current to the magnetic field gradient coil; an anesthesia system interface (532) for sending control messages to an anesthesia system (524) for controlling the delivery of inhalation gases to a subject and a computer system comprising a processor (534) and a memory (538, 540), wherein the memory contains instructions (542, 544, 546, 548, 550, 552) for execution by the processor, wherein execution of the instructions causes the processor to: control (100, 200, 300, 400) the operation of the magnetic resonance imaging system to acquire magnetic resonance data, and to send (102, 202, 302, 402) control messages to the anesthesia system via the anesthesia system inte
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Stefanie Remmele, Christian Stehning
  • Publication number: 20120326721
    Abstract: The invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging method for simultaneous and dynamic determination of a longitudinal relaxation time T1 and a transversal relaxation time T2 of the nuclear spin system of an object, in the context of DCE or DSE MRI. In this respect, the invention makes use of a steady-state gradient echo pulse sequence comprising an EPI readout module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Stefanie Remmele, Wei Liu, Tobias Ratko Voigt, Christian Stehning
  • Publication number: 20120308111
    Abstract: A multi nuclei RF antenna arrangement for use in a multi nuclei MRI system or an MR scanner, for transmitting RF excitation signals (B1 field) for exciting nuclear magnetic resonances (NMR), and/or for receiving NMR relaxation signals for multi nuclei MR (magnetic resonance) image reconstruction is disclosed, wherein the RF antenna arrangement is tuned to the Larmor frequencies of at least two different species of nuclei having at least two different gyromagnetic rations like 23Na, 39K, 17O and hyper polarized gases like 129Xe or other isotopes having a nuclear spin. Further, a method for reconstructing a multi nuclei MR image especially by means of the above RF antenna arrangement is disclosed. The method involves reducing back-folding artifacts of the species having the higher gyromagnetic ration by parallel MRI reconstruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Christian Stehning, Jurgen Rahmer, Peter Boernert
  • Publication number: 20120169333
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motion monitoring system (1) for monitoring motion within a region of interest (2). The motion monitoring system (1) comprises a magnetic induction tomography detection data acquisition unit (3) for acquiring MIT detection data of the region of interest (2), and a motion determining unit (4) for determining motion within the region of interest (2) based on the acquired MIT detection data. The invention relates further to an imaging system for imaging a region of interest comprising the motion monitoring system (1). The determined motion can be used for reducing motion artifacts in reconstructed images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Ulrich Katscher, Peter Boernert, Christian Stehning, Ingmar Graesslin
  • Publication number: 20080309333
    Abstract: The invention relates to a magnetic resonance (MR) system for acquiring MR data from a subject (105), the MR system comprising a monitoring module (117) for monitoring a characteristic of a motion of the subject, the characteristic of the motion having a pre-determined or dynamically adjusted limit (119), and a pulse sequencer (108) for applying a pulse sequence to acquire data from the subject (105) when the characteristic of the motion is within the limit (119), the pulse sequence comprising at least one pulse waveform, wherein the pulse sequencer (108) is further arranged to regulate a characteristic of the at least one pulse waveform when the characteristic of the motion surpasses the limit (119).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N. V.
    Inventors: Christian Stehning, Peter Boernert
  • Publication number: 20080205730
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, wherein a plurality of independent signal acquisition channels, defined by spatially separated coil elements (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, 14e, 14f) is provided. The signals received by each of the channels are individually motion corrected before image reconstruction, so that non-uniform, non-affine motion across the imaging volume can be corrected locally. Motion correction may be prospective or retrospective.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2006
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N. V.
    Inventors: Christian Stehning, Kay Nehrke, Peter Boernert
  • Publication number: 20080004518
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a magnetic resonance scanner configured to apply a navigation pulse exciting a navigation region, and a saturation or inversion pulse saturating or inverting a region of interest but not saturating or inverting a portion or all of the navigation region, and to read navigation magnetic resonance data excited by the navigation pulse and informational magnetic resonance data in the saturated or inverted region of interest. A processor is configured to process the informational magnetic resonance data based at least in part on the navigation magnetic resonance data. The apparatus is suitable for performing an imaging method including: saturating or inverting an imaging region while leaving a navigation region unsaturated or non-inverted; generating navigation data from the navigation region; generating saturation or inversion recovery data from the imaging region; and creating a T1 map from the saturation or inversion recovery data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Christian STEHNING, Tobias R. SCHAEFFTER
  • Publication number: 20020157470
    Abstract: To make available to the vehicle control systems more information on the forces and directions of the forces which act on the individual tires, in order to determine these forces, the displacements between the outer ring and inner ring in the wheel bearings are measured in a contactless fashion using ultrasound. Displacements are measured by one or more sets of an ultrasound transmitter and a receiver on the stationary ring and a reflection surface on the rotating ring for reflecting back the ultrasound energy. The measured time until the signal is received enables displacement to be determined. It is possible to use these displacements to calculate the forces acting from a knowledge of the spring characteristic of the wheel bearings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2000
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Inventors: Jens Noetzel, Josef Binder, Oliver Ahrens, Andreas Buhrdorf, Christian Stehning, Dennis Hohlfeld, Rainer Breitenbach, Jens Heim, Heinrich Hofmann, Roland Werb, Vasilis Hassiotis