Patents by Inventor Cynthia F. Maier

Cynthia F. Maier 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).

  • Publication number: 20160203263
    Abstract: Computer-implemented methods for automatically analyzing a patient's medical images and creating at least one report that provides quantitative metrics related to the patient's current health status and their risks for future health outcomes are provided. In at least one embodiment, the method comprises acquiring at least a first image from an imaging system; obtaining data based on the first image and a set of patient characteristic data; automatically analyzing the first image based on the patient characteristic data and displaying data in a user readable format.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Cynthia F. Maier, Can E. Akgun, Philip S. Ives, Shannon Kojasoy
  • Patent number: 8010179
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for on-the-fly optimization of the timing of suppression pulses and a k-space filling scheme for user-prescribed imaging parameters. The invention also minimizes total data acquisition time for the sequence tailored to the particular user-prescribed imaging parameters. A pulse sequence uses a 180° pulse to invert the magnetization corresponding to the suppressed tissue so that a maximum amount of time is provided to play out alpha or imaging pulses after each inversion. The pulse sequence optimizes the number of alpha pulses played out after each inversion pulse based on a specific protocol or imaging parameters selected by the user. This pulse sequence allows for a modified k-space filling scheme that places, at the center of k-space, the echo that most closely corresponds to the null point of the suppressed tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Baldev S. Ahluwalia, Cynthia F. Maier
  • Patent number: 7386338
    Abstract: An assembly of RF coils for bilateral imaging of a first and a second breast of the same person is disclosed. The assembly includes a first pair of coils having a first coil juxtaposed and underlapping a second coil, thereby defining juxtaposed edges of the first and second coils, and a second pair of coils having a third coil juxtaposed and underlapping a fourth coil, thereby defining juxtaposed edges of the third and fourth coils. The first coil has a first opening for receiving the first breast, the second coil has a second opening for receiving the second breast, the third coil substantially opposes the first coil, defining therebetween a first region for receiving the first breast, and the fourth coil substantially opposes the second coil, defining therebetween a second region for receiving the second breast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bernice E. Hoppel, LeRoy R. Blawat, John Lorbiecki, Cynthia F. Maier, Elisabeth Carol Angelos, Eddy Benjamin Boskamp
  • Patent number: 7034530
    Abstract: An MR imaging pulse sequence provides a method for simultaneous data acquisition from more than one independently prescribed volume while providing optimized field uniformity during both the magnetization preparation and data acquisition parts of the acquisition. The method is based on the use of a multi-element array coil where individual RF coil elements are more sensitive to one of the separate volumes of interest than to the other volumes. In the example of breast imaging, one scenario would have two coil elements that are designed to be most sensitive to the signal from the left breast, and two coil elements that are designed to be most sensitive to the signal from the right breast. An optimized pulse sequence and reconstruction technique is used to simultaneously acquire two separate sagittal imaging volumes corresponding to the left and right breasts with optimized fat suppression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Baldev S. Ahluwalia, Cynthia F. Maier, Elisabeth C. Angelos
  • Publication number: 20040000907
    Abstract: An MR imaging pulse sequence provides a method for simultaneous data acquisition from more than one independently prescribed volume while providing optimized field uniformity during both the magnetization preparation and data acquisition parts of the acquisition. The method is based on the use of a multi-element array coil where individual RF coil elements are more sensitive to one of the separate volumes of interest than to the other volumes. In the example of breast imaging, one scenario would have two coil elements that are designed to be most sensitive to the signal from the left breast, and two coil elements that are designed to be most sensitive to the signal from the right breast. An optimized pulse sequence and reconstruction technique is used to simultaneously acquire two separate sagittal imaging volumes corresponding to the left and right breasts with optimized fat suppression.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Publication date: January 1, 2004
    Inventors: Baldev S. Ahluwalia, Cynthia F. Maier, Elisabeth C. Angelos