Patents by Inventor Christopher John Wiggins

Christopher John Wiggins 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: 7612560
    Abstract: A phantom for use in an MRI or MRS system includes an array of subresolvable compartments that are each connected to receive fluid from one of a plurality of fluid reservoirs. The array of compartments is divided into sub-arrays which differ from each other by the mix of compartments in each sub-array receiving fluids from the different reservoirs. Studies can be performed with the phantom by filling the compartments with selected fluids from the reservoirs, disconnecting the reservoirs and placing the phantom in the system bore. The phantom can be reused in other studies by replacing the fluids with different fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher John Wiggins
  • Patent number: 7495439
    Abstract: A method for magnetic resonance imaging includes performing a preparatory stage of a MR pulse sequence with an MRI system in which a non-selective RF preparatory pulse is used having a bandwidth such that any spin species having corresponding Larmor frequencies within that bandwidth are affected and the bandwidth is centered at a selected frequency which is offset from a nominal Larmor frequency of the desired spin species being imaged. A time period (TI) elapses during which longitudinal spin magnetization recovers; and then an imaging stage is performed in which an RF excitation pulse is generated to produce transverse spin magnetization of the desired spin species, and in which a set of NMR signals are acquired. An image is reconstructed using the acquired set of NMR signals, and the reconstructed image has reduced artifacts due to B0 field inhomogeneities caused by magnetic susceptibility effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher John Wiggins
  • Publication number: 20080265882
    Abstract: A phantom for use in an MRI or MRS system includes an array of subresolvable compartments that are each connected to receive fluid from one of a plurality of fluid reservoirs. The array of compartments is divided into sub-arrays which differ from each other by the mix of compartments in each sub-array receiving fluids from the different reservoirs. Studies can be performed with the phantom by filling the compartments with selected fluids from the reservoirs, disconnecting the reservoirs and placing the phantom in the system bore. The phantom can be reused in other studies by replacing the fluids with different fluids.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventor: Christopher John Wiggins
  • Publication number: 20080265883
    Abstract: A method for magnetic resonance imaging includes performing a preparatory stage of a MR pulse sequence with an MRI system in which a non-selective RF preparatory pulse is used having a bandwidth such that any spin species having corresponding Larmor frequencies within that bandwidth are affected and the bandwidth is centered at a selected frequency which is offset from a nominal Larmor frequency of the desired spin species being imaged. A time period (TI) elapses during which longitudinal spin magnetization recovers; and then an imaging stage is performed in which an RF excitation pulse is generated to produce transverse spin magnetization of the desired spin species, and in which a set of NMR signals are acquired. An image is reconstructed using the acquired set of NMR signals, and the reconstructed image has reduced artifacts due to B0 field inhomogeneities caused by magnetic susceptibility effects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventor: Christopher John Wiggins