Abstract: An inspection method by means of an inspection apparatus using nuclear magnetic resonance and having magnetic field generating apparatus for generating a static magnetic field, gradient magnetic fields and an RF magnetic field; magnetic field generating apparatus by means of additional shim coils, which vary homogeneity of the static magnetic field by varying current flowing therethrough; signal detecting apparatus for detecting nuclear magnetic resonance signals from an object to be inspected; an apparatus for processing signals detected by the signal detecting apparatus; and control apparatus for controlling currents flowing through the shim coils, which method using nuclear magnetic resonance comprises a step of storing shim currents corresponding to each of a plurality of slices, capable of improving homogeneity of the static magnetic field for each of the plurality of slices, and a step of switching over the shim currents to those corresponding to a relevant slice to be measured prior to measurements of

Abstract: Analysis of electromagnetics for an antenna analyzes a current on a conductor having a junction between a linear conductor and a planar conductor relying upon a moment method. A planar dipole segment 9 includes a planar monopole 91-2 in which the current flows in the same direction as the current flowing through part of a quadrangle 41-2-4 of a radial segment 41, and a planar monopole 91-1 in which the current flows in the same direction as the current flowing in a planar monopole 35-1 of a planar dipole segment 35. In the vicinity of the junction between the linear conductor and the planar conductor, currents are expressed that flow through the vicinity of the junction where three segments consisting of a radial segment and two planar dipole segments are overlapped one upon the other.

Abstract: A bolus of magnetized blood is formed by at least two radio frequency magnetic fields, and readout gradient magnetic fields are repeatedly applied at a proportion of 1:-2:1 along a blood vessel so as to continuously obtain a first echo signal whose phase change due to velocity is corrected, from the moving bolus. This first echo signal provides velocity information on the blood stream. The sequence of the readout gradient magnetic fields is repeatedly applied at a proportion of (.sqroot.2-1):-2:2:-(.sqroot.2-1) so as to continuously obtain a second echo signal whose phase change due to velocity and acceleration is corrected, from the moving bolus. Acceleration information of the blood stream is extracted by calculating the difference between the first echo signal and the second echo signal. The velocity information and/or the acceleration information is displayed in superposition with a specific blood vessel of an angiogram shot in advance.

Abstract: An inspection method by means of an inspection apparatus using nuclear magnetic resonance and having magnetic field generating apparatus for generating a static magnetic field, gradient magnetic fields and an RF magnetic field; magnetic field generating apparatus by means of additional shim coils, which vary homogeneity of the static magnetic field by varying current flowing therethrough; signal detecting apparatus for detecting nuclear magnetic resonance signals from an object to be inspected; an apparatus for processing signals detected by the signal detecting apparatus; and control apparatus for controlling currents flowing through the shim coils, which method using nuclear magnetic resonance comprises a step of storing shim currents corresponding to each of a plurality of slices, capable of improving homogeneity of the static magnetic field for each of the plurality of slices, and a step of switching over the shim currents to those corresponding to a relevant slice to be measured prior to measurements of

Abstract: An inspection apparatus using magnetic resonance includes magnetic field generators for generating a static magnetic field, a gradient magnetic field and a radio frequency magnetic field, respectively, a signal detector for detecting magnetic resonance signals from an inspected object, a computer for executing arithmetic operations for detection signals from the signal detector and an output device of the result of the arithmetic operations by the computer. The gradient magnetic field generator includes first and second gradient coils, the first gradient coil is a coil fixed to a magnet for generating a static magnetic field, the second gradient coil is a movable coil, and the magnetic field generated by the second gradient coil at a conducting portion of the magnet is offset by the magnetic field generated by the first gradient coil. According to this construction, an eddy current that occurs with the time change of the gradient magnetic field can be reduced.

Abstract: A probe for an MRI apparatus in a vertical magnetic field system including: an array coil which is formed by arranging a plurality of unit coils, which can be driven independently of one another, in a direction perpendicularly intersecting a direction of a static magnetic field; and a compensating coil which forms a magnetic field in a direction perpendicularly intersecting both a direction of a magnetic field formed by the array coil and the direction of the magnetic field, a signal detected by the array coil and a signal detected by the compensating coil being composed so as to be in phase with each other, thereby to be outputted.

Abstract: In an inspection method which generates a static magnetic field, a gradient magnetic field and a radio frequency magnetic field, detects nuclear magnetic resonance signals from an inspection object, computes and processes the nuclear magnetic resonance signals so detected and outputs the result of computation processing, a gradient magnetic field for generating signal attenuation by diffusion and an oscillating gradient magnetic field for generating chemical shift information and spatial information of the materials contained in the inspection object are applied, separation and acquisition of spatial information of each material contained in the inspection object are simultaneously conducted, and a measurement time is shortened.

Abstract: An MRI RF coil including first and second ring elements having a plurality of peripheral segments connected in ring shape which are apart from each other along a common vertical axial line. The RF coil also includes a plurality of axial conductive segments for connecting the first and second ring elements electrically to each other at the contacts of the plurality of peripheral segments with a plurality of current loops being formed by neighboring axial conductive segments and two peripheral segments connected thereby. Further, at least one control signal feeding point is positioned at any one of the peripheral segments of the first or second ring elements.

Abstract: In magnetic resonance imaging, a first echo train is obtained by applying a readout gradient magnetic field to a region of interest to be imaged and periodically inverting the polarity of the readout gradient magnetic field, without applying an encoding gradient magnetic field to the region of interest. A periodic change of phase shift of the first echo train is detected from the first echo train. Information indicating phase shifts of all of the echoes in the first echo train is obtained using the periodic change of phase shift. A second echo train is obtained by applying a readout gradient magnetic field and an encoding magnetic field to the region of interest and periodically inverting the polarity of the readout gradient magnetic field. Phases of echoes in the second echo train are corrected using the information indicating phase shifts of all of the echoes in the first echo train.

Abstract: A pipelined A/D converter which minimizes differential non-linearity by preventing mismatching between converting stages. The A/D converter includes a plurality of converting stages connected in a cascade form wherein each of the converting stages includes an ADC unit for converting an analog input into a digital output. The digital outputs from said converting stages form a conversion output. Each preceding converting stage except a last converting stage further includes an amplifier for deriving and amplifying a conversion residue representing a quantization error resulting from the conversion performed by the preceding converting stage based on the digital output outputted by the ADC unit of the preceding converting stage and the analog input inputted to the preceding converting stage. The amplified conversion residue from the preceding converting stage is supplied as an analog input to a succeeding converting stage.

Abstract: A high-speed magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging method for obtaining information relating to an object placed in a space by irradiating the object placed in the space applied with a static magnetic field and field gradients in three different directions so as to excite a nuclear spin in the object. At least one of the field gradients is applied while inverting a sign thereof periodically and a magnetic resonance signal generated by excitation of the nuclear spin is measured. A Fourier transform is applied to the measured magnetic resonance signal thereby to obtain a chemical shift image and a measurement spectral bandwidth is set to a value not larger than a frequency difference between two different chemical shifts having frequencies remotest from each other among a plurality of chemical shifts intended to be measured, the measurement spectral bandwidth being determined by a reciprocal of an inversion period of the field gradient which is applied while inverting a sign thereof periodically.

Abstract: In a bird cage resonator, the axial length of rungs is changed between orthogonal elements. By doing this, the real view fields of orthogonal ports A and B in the sagittal direction are changed and the sensitivity difference between both view fields is reduced. For an object with an elliptical section to be inspected such as the human body, a remarkable difference in detection sensitivity between each orthogonal ports is eliminated and the receiving sensitivity of MRI apparatus employing the QD method is improved.

Abstract: In an image reconstruction method in a nuclear magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, the method comprises first and second steps to get detected data S.sub.I for at least about half of region inclusive of an origin and data S.sub.IV in a region symmetric with respect to a line passing through an origin on one of axes from the detected region in the acquired data space and parallel to the other axis, respectively, third and fourth steps to perform inverse Fourier transform on the data S.sub.I and S.sub.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging method and apparatus employing a pulse sequence including a periodically switched readout gradient and a phase encoding gradient to derive a series of echo signals. Prior to execution of the pulse sequence for acquiring data for imaging, a pulse sequence in which the phase encoding gradient is cancelled is executed to obtain information of deviation in position of echo peaks. Thereafter, a pulse sequence including the phase encoding gradient is executed and at this time, sampling start timings for echo data sampling in respective phase periods of the readout gradient are controlled according to the information of the echo peak deviation. Further, a phase difference between data of odd number echo signals and data of even number echo signals is compensated by rotating either of the data of the odd number echo signals or the even number echo signals by a suitable rotating angle to minimize artifacts.

Abstract: An RF probe for MRI, in which a plurality of unit coils including conductive loops having resonance capacitors and inductors connected with the conductive loops in series are arranged so as to be distant from each other with a predetermined distance, electromagnetic coupling being produced between at least two inductors to remove electromagnetic coupling between the unit coils.

Abstract: In an RF probe comprising a resonator and a pickup coil, the pickup coil is an 8-shaped coil, and a center portion of this pickup coil is constituted in such a manner that crossing coils become parallel to each other at the portion. The center portion where the coils of the pickup coil are parallel to each other is so disposed as to extend along, and in the vicinity of, a part of a conductor loop of the resonator.

Abstract: A bobbin for holding a gradient magnetic field coil, having a changeable size and sectional shape (a separable bobbin) is constituted by assembling coil supporters (a bobbin divided into a plurality of segments). The separable bobbin has coil supporters of an upper part a bottom part and a set of side surface parts and at least two supporting rods made of a nonmagnetic substance are fitted to the side surface parts of the coil supporters. Holes permitting the insertion of the supporting rods are bored in the upper and bottom parts of the coil supporters. The length d1 between both side surface parts can be made variable by adjusting the insertion length of the supporting rod into the upper and bottom parts. Accordingly, the distance between a patient and a gradient magnetic field can be reduced, and an intended gradient magnetic field intensity can be generated by a smaller current producing the gradient magnetic field than in the prior art.

Abstract: A probe for an MRI apparatus in a vertical magnetic field system including: an array coil which is formed by arranging a plurality of unit coils, which can be driven independently of one another, in a direction perpendicularly intersecting a direction of a static magnetic field; and a compensating coil which forms a magnetic field in a direction perpendicularly intersecting both a direction of a magnetic field formed by the array coil and the direction of the magnetic field, a signal detected by the array coil and a signal detected by the compensating coil being composed so as to be in phase with each other, thereby to be outputted.

Abstract: An RF probe for an MRI device including a plurality of hollow cylindrical resonators arranged in series such that the respective axes of the resonators align substantially in a z-axis direction of a three dimensional orthogonal coordinate system, radio frequency power signal supply/reception pickup coils to/from the respective resonators; and loop coils situated riding on two adjacent resonators in x- and y-axis directions, and an electromagnetic shield which surrounds the hollow cylindrical resonators, pickup coils and loop coils and grounded with respect to radio frequency.

Abstract: An active noise cancellation apparatus of an MRI apparatus, including a detector for detecting vibration of a bobbin or a driving signal of a magnetism generator as a noise source signal, error signal detectors for detecting actual noise near the ears of a patient, a circuit for generating a noise cancellation signal having an opposite phase to a phase of a noise signal generated by an MRI apparatus and having an amplitude proportional to the output of the error signal detectors, from the detected noise source signal and the output of the error signal detectors, and a sound generator for generating a sound wave by the noise cancellation signal.