Patents by Inventor Franz Hebrank

Franz Hebrank 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: 10321853
    Abstract: A method for evaluating positioning of an examination object on a patient-positioning apparatus in a magnetic resonance unit, a magnetic resonance unit, and a computer program product are provided. The method includes acquiring positioning data relating to the examination object using an acquisition unit. Using the acquired positioning data, positioning information relating to the examination object is determined using an analysis unit. Evaluation information is determined using the positioning information, using an evaluation unit. Using the evaluation information, an evaluation signal is transmitted using an output unit. Monitoring of a specific absorption rate may be adjusted using the evaluation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Brinker, Franz Hebrank, Patrick Sieber
  • Patent number: 10126383
    Abstract: An RF pulse alignment method for determining transmit scaling factors used in the control of a magnetic resonance system having a number of radiofrequency transmit channels, via which RF pulse trains are transmitted in parallel during operation, is provided. A common reference pulse train is specified for a number of the radiofrequency transmit channels in the course of the control function. A plurality of candidate images of an object that is to be examined are acquired using different candidate sets of transmit scaling factors. Optimal transmit scaling factors with respect to a predefined criterion are selected for each of the radiofrequency transmit channels based on the acquired candidate images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Mathias Blasche, Franz Hebrank, Wilfried Schnell
  • Patent number: 9846208
    Abstract: In a method and apparatus for acquiring a magnetic resonance image data set of a scan area of an examination subject, the image data are acquired with a magnetic resonance apparatus having a transmitter coil that emits a radio-frequency signal having at least two transmission channels so that different polarizations of the radio-frequency signal are produced, and a magnetic resonance sequence is used to acquire raw data for the magnetic resonance image data set, wherein raw data are acquired during at least two scanning operations with the magnetic resonance sequence, with different polarizations of the radio-frequency signals being used for at least two of the at least two scanning operations, following which the magnetic resonance image data set is determined by averaging the raw data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Franz Hebrank, Wilhelm Horger, Michael Koehler
  • Publication number: 20170205478
    Abstract: A method for evaluating positioning of an examination object on a patient-positioning apparatus in a magnetic resonance unit, a magnetic resonance unit, and a computer program product are provided. The method includes acquiring positioning data relating to the examination object using an acquisition unit. Using the acquired positioning data, positioning information relating to the examination object is determined using an analysis unit. Evaluation information is determined using the positioning information, using an evaluation unit. Using the evaluation information, an evaluation signal is transmitted using an output unit. Monitoring of a specific absorption rate may be adjusted using the evaluation signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Inventors: Gerhard Brinker, Franz Hebrank, Patrick Sieber
  • Publication number: 20150219733
    Abstract: An RF pulse alignment method for determining transmit scaling factors used in the control of a magnetic resonance system having a number of radiofrequency transmit channels, via which RF pulse trains are transmitted in parallel during operation, is provided. A common reference pulse train is specified for a number of the radiofrequency transmit channels in the course of the control function. A plurality of candidate images of an object that is to be examined are acquired using different candidate sets of transmit scaling factors. Optimal transmit scaling factors with respect to a predefined criterion are selected for each of the radiofrequency transmit channels based on the acquired candidate images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventors: Mathias Blasche, Franz Hebrank, Wilfried Schnell
  • Publication number: 20150212171
    Abstract: In a method and apparatus for acquiring a magnetic resonance image data set of a scan area of an examination subject, the image data are acquired with a magnetic resonance apparatus having a transmitter coil that emits a radio-frequency signal having at least two transmission channels so that different polarizations of the radio-frequency signal are produced, and a magnetic resonance sequence is used to acquire raw data for the magnetic resonance image data set, wherein raw data are acquired during at least two scanning operations with the magnetic resonance sequence, with different polarizations of the radio-frequency signals being used for at least two of the at least two scanning operations, following which the magnetic resonance image data set is determined by averaging the raw data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Franz Hebrank, Wilhelm Horger, Michael Koehler
  • Patent number: 8054079
    Abstract: In one embodiment a method for processing a reconstruction image is disclosed. The method includes recording the reconstruction image by a magnetic resonance device having a gradient coil to generate a gradient field. The method further includes distortion-correcting the reconstruction image. The method further includes back-transforming the distortion-corrected reconstruction image, by an image processing device, into a distortion-uncorrected reconstruction image, the back-transforming uses an algorithm having a first input value describing a real gradient field given at a real measuring point of the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Franz Hebrank, Thorsten Speckner, Axel vom Endt
  • Publication number: 20100266186
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for processing a 2D or 3D reconstruction image is disclosed which is recorded by a magnetic resonance device, including a gradient coil that generates a gradient field, and is distortion-corrected with regard to a given non-linearity—leading to an image distortion—of the gradient field using an algorithm that processes the measurement signals at different measurement points lying in the imaging volume, which algorithm, with respect to each signal processed by it, processes the first input value describing the real gradient field given at the real measurement point of the signal, in which method, for inverse transformation of the distortion-corrected reconstruction image into a distortion-uncorrected reconstruction image, use is made of the first algorithm or a second algorithm corresponding to the first algorithm, which, with respect to each signal processed by it, is given as second input value such a value which describes a fictitious gradient field at th
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Inventors: Franz Hebrank, Thorsten Speckner
  • Patent number: 7772843
    Abstract: In one embodiment a method for processing a reconstruction image is disclosed. The method includes recording the reconstruction image by a magnetic resonance device having a gradient coil to generate a gradient field. The method further includes distortion-correcting the reconstruction image. The method further includes back-transforming the distortion-corrected reconstruction image, by an image processing device, into a distortion-uncorrected reconstruction image, the back-transforming uses a first algorithm or a second algorithm including a second input value associated with the measurement signal, the second input value being a fictitious gradient field value associated with a distorted measuring point at which the measurement signal is processed, and the second input value is raised or lowered by a nonlinear field component of the real gradient field compared with a linear ideal gradient field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Franz Hebrank, Thorsten Speckner, Axel vom Endt
  • Patent number: 7603157
    Abstract: In a method and magnetic resonance apparatus for compensation of contrast inhomogeneities in magnetic resonance images caused by spatial distributions of the radio frequency field associated with the radio frequency pulses that are emitted in order to acquire magnetic resonance (MR) data, multiple individual MR images of a particular region of a subject are recorded with different radio frequency pulse sequences leading to different flip angles. A common contrast-homogenized image for the affected region then is generated based on the different individual images, so that within the contrast-homogenized image, intensity variations due to a distribution of the flip angle are smaller than in the individual images, at least in some areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thorsten Feiweier, Franz Hebrank
  • Publication number: 20090146657
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for processing a 2D or 3D reconstruction image is disclosed which is recorded by a magnetic resonance device, including a gradient coil that generates a gradient field, and is distortion—corrected with regard to a given non-linearity—leading to an image distortion—of the gradient field using an algorithm that processes the measurement signals at different measurement points lying in the imaging volume, which algorithm, with respect to each signal processed by it, processes the first input value describing the real gradient field given at the real measurement point of the signal, in which method, for inverse transformation of the distortion-corrected reconstruction image into a distortion-uncorrected reconstruction image, use is made of the first algorithm or a second algorithm corresponding to the first algorithm, which, with respect to each signal processed by it, is given as second input value such a value which describes a fictitious gradient field at th
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Inventors: Franz Hebrank, Thorsten Speckner, Axel vom Endt
  • Patent number: 7146033
    Abstract: In a the method for determining distortions in an image that can be generated with an imaging system from a subject arranged in an imaging volume of the imaging system, a first region of the imaging volume is presented undistorted in the image and a second region of the imaging volume is presented distorted in the image. Using the imaging system, an image of at least three markings that have a known spatial position relative to one another is produced. A first and a second of the three markings are arranged in the first region and a third of the three markings is arranged in the second region. The position of the imaged markings in the image is determined. An ideal position of the third marking in the image is determined from its known spatial arrangement with respect to the first and second markings. A positional difference of the imaged third marking from its ideal position is identified. The positional difference represents a criterion for the distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gerhard Brinker, Georg Frese, Franz Hebrank
  • Publication number: 20050083054
    Abstract: In a method and magnetic resonance apparatus for compensation of contrast inhomogeneities in magnetic resonance images caused by spatial distributions of the radio frequency field associated with the radio frequency pulses that are emitted in order to acquire magnetic resonance (MR) data, multiple individual MR images of a particular region of a subject are recorded with different radio frequency pulse sequences leading to different flip angles. A common contrast-homogenized image for the affected region then is generated based on the different individual images, so that within the contrast-homogenized image, intensity variations due to a distribution of the flip angle are smaller than in the individual images, at least in some areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Publication date: April 21, 2005
    Inventors: Thorsten Feiweier, Franz Hebrank
  • Publication number: 20020110268
    Abstract: In a the method for determining distortions in an image that can be generated with an imaging system from a subject arranged in an imaging volume of the imaging system, a first region of the imaging volume is presented undistorted in the image and a second region of the imaging volume is presented distorted in the image. Using the imaging system, an image of at least three markings that have a known spatial position relative to one another is produced. A first and a second of the three markings are arranged in the first region and a third of the three markings is arranged in the second region. The position of the imaged markings in the image is determined. An ideal position of the third marking in the image is determined from its known spatial arrangement with respect to the first and second markings. A positional difference of the imaged third marking from its ideal position is identified. The positional difference represents a criterion for the distortion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2002
    Publication date: August 15, 2002
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gerhard Brinker, Georg Frese, Franz Hebrank
  • Patent number: 6169403
    Abstract: A method or apparatus for the simulation of electrical stimulations in an examination subject which are generated by rapidly switched gradient fields of an MR device, and wherein aborting of the executed measuring sequence occurs given the crossing of a threshold value in an online monitoring, wherein the crossing of the threshold value is signaled prior to the execution of the measuring sequence in a look-ahead monitoring, at least one gradient signal G(t) is determined which is defined by the time characteristic of the gradient pulses, at least one first filtered gradient signal GF1(t) is formed by filtering the gradient signal G(t) with a first filtering function fF1(t) a stimulation signal Stim(t) is formed which describes the stimulation of the examination subject, from the first filtered gradient signal GF1(t), and the stimulation signal Stim(t) is compared to a definable stimulation threshold value Stimlim. If Stimlim is exceeded an indicator indicating that a stimulation has occurred is emitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Franz Hebrank, Matthias Gebhardt, Helmut Lenz