Patents by Inventor Dean Darnell

Dean Darnell 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: 10948557
    Abstract: RF coil array assemblies include an RF coil array with a plurality of coil elements. The coil elements each have an RF conductor that defines an RF path. The coil elements operate in an RF mode for at least one of transmitting RF excitation signals or receiving MRI image signals on the RF conductors. The RF coil array assemblies also include at least one wireless module connected to the RF coil array, the at least one wireless module including a wireless transceiver operative at a wireless communication frequency band and attached to at least some of the coil elements to provide input and output signals to the at least one wireless module. At least some of the coil elements can concurrently transmit or receive wireless communication data and the RF excitation signals or the received MRI image signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Duke University
    Inventors: Dean Darnell, Allen W. Song, Trong-Kha Truong
  • Publication number: 20200033429
    Abstract: RF coil array assemblies include an RF coil array with a plurality of coil elements. The coil elements each have an RF conductor that defines an RF path. The coil elements operate in an RF mode for at least one of transmitting RF excitation signals or receiving MRI image signals on the RF conductors. The RF coil array assemblies also include at least one wireless module connected to the RF coil array, the at least one wireless module including a wireless transceiver operative at a wireless communication frequency band and attached to at least some of the coil elements to provide input and output signals to the at least one wireless module. At least some of the coil elements can concurrently transmit or receive wireless communication data and the RF excitation signals or the received MRI image signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Dean Darnell, Allen W. Song, Trong-Kha Truong
  • Patent number: 10185006
    Abstract: Systems, methods and devices are configured for integrated parallel reception, excitation, and shimming (iPRES) with RF coil elements with split DC loops. Parallel transmit/receive (which can include B1 shimming and/or parallel imaging capabilities) and B0 shimming employ the same set of localized coils or transverse electromagnetic (TEM) coil elements, with each coil or TEM element working in both an RF mode (for transmit/receive and B1 shimming) and a direct current (DC) mode (for B0 shimming) simultaneously. Both an RF and a DC current (in split DC loops) can flow in the same coil element simultaneously but independently with no electromagnetic interference between the two modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Duke University
    Inventors: Dean Darnell, Trong-Kha Truong, Allen W. Song
  • Publication number: 20180136296
    Abstract: Systems, methods and devices are configured for integrated parallel reception, excitation, and shimming (iPRES) with RF coil elements with split DC loops. Parallel transmit/receive (which can include B1 shimming and/or parallel imaging capabilities) and B0 shimming employ the same set of localized coils or transverse electromagnetic (TEM) coil elements, with each coil or TEM element working in both an RF mode (for transmit/receive and B1 shimming) and a direct current (DC) mode (for B0 shimming) simultaneously. Both an RF and a DC current (in split DC loops) can flow in the same coil element simultaneously but independently with no electromagnetic interference between the two modes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: Dean Darnell, Trong-Kha Truong, Allen W. Song
  • Patent number: 9880242
    Abstract: Systems, methods and devices are configured for integrated parallel reception, excitation, and shimming (iPRES) with RF coil elements with split DC loops. Parallel transmit/receive (which can include B1 shimming and/or parallel imaging capabilities) and B0 shimming employ the same set of localized coils or transverse electromagnetic (TEM) coil elements, with each coil or TEM element working in both an RF mode (for transmit/receive and B1 shimming) and a direct current (DC) mode (for B0 shimming) simultaneously. Both an RF and a DC current (in split DC loops) can flow in the same coil element simultaneously but independently with no electromagnetic interference between the two modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Duke University
    Inventors: Dean Darnell, Trong-Kha Truong, Allen W. Song
  • Publication number: 20160116556
    Abstract: Systems, methods and devices are configured for integrated parallel reception, excitation, and shimming (iPRES) with RF coil elements with split DC loops. Parallel transmit/receive (which can include B1 shimming and/or parallel imaging capabilities) and B0 shimming employ the same set of localized coils or transverse electromagnetic (TEM) coil elements, with each coil or TEM element working in both an RF mode (for transmit/receive and B1 shimming) and a direct current (DC) mode (for B0 shimming) simultaneously. Both an RF and a DC current (in split DC loops) can flow in the same coil element simultaneously but independently with no electromagnetic interference between the two modes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Dean Darnell, Trong-Kha Truong, Allen W. Song
  • Patent number: 8560262
    Abstract: A flex circuit may have test structures and antenna structures. The test structures may include test capacitors and transmission lines. The performance of the test structures may be measured using test equipment. Pass/fail criteria may be applied to the flex circuit based on the measured values. If the flex circuit is a failing circuit, flex circuit manufacturing settings may be adjusted. The performance of a radio-frequency (RF) cable may also be measured using the test equipment. Sample portions of the RF cable may be obtained and measured. Pass/fail criteria may be applied to the RF cable based on measured cable loss values. If the RF cable is a failing cable, RF cable manufacturing settings may be adjusted. Antenna structures associated with passing flex circuits and RF cable segments associated with passing sample RF cable segments may be incorporated into a wireless device during production device assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Nanbo Jin, Mattia Pascolini, Qingxiang Li, Dean Darnell, Robert W. Schlub, Ruben Caballero
  • Publication number: 20110313708
    Abstract: A flex circuit may have test structures and antenna structures. The test structures may include test capacitors and transmission lines. The performance of the test structures may be measured using test equipment. Pass/fail criteria may be applied to the flex circuit based on the measured values. If the flex circuit is a failing circuit, flex circuit manufacturing settings may be adjusted. The performance of a radio-frequency (RF) cable may also be measured using the test equipment. Sample portions of the RF cable may be obtained and measured. Pass/fail criteria may be applied to the RF cable based on measured cable loss values. If the RF cable is a failing cable, RF cable manufacturing settings may be adjusted. Antenna structures associated with passing flex circuits and RF cable segments associated with passing sample RF cable segments may be incorporated into a wireless device during production device assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Inventors: Nanbo Jin, Mattia Pascolini, Qingxiang Li, Dean Darnell, Robert W. Schlub, Ruben Caballero