Abstract: In a shift lever to which operating force for changing a transmission by a driver is applied, a basal end thereof is inserted in a hole formed in a lever holder. Movement of the shift lever in the axial direction is prevented by an elastic member. When large force acts in the axial direction of the shift lever, the elastic member deflects and the shift lever moves in the axial direction, thereby allowing absorption of the load applied to the shift lever.

Abstract: An RF pulse is applied to an object lying in an imaging region to which a static field is also applied. By applying a read-out gradient field to the object, gradient echoes are generated so that image reconstruction echo data are acquired. In addition to the image reconstruction echo data, two kinds of correction echo data are acquired at the same echo time but with the opposite read-out gradient field. These correction echo data have the same phase error component due to the inhomogeneity of the static field since the echo time is the same. These correction echo data have the opposite phase error component due to the eddy magnetic field in polarity. Therefore, a phase error caused by the eddy magnetic field can be corrected on the basis of these correction data.

Abstract: There is a method of correcting an imaging pulse sequence magnetically applied by an imaging scan to an object. The method comprises a step of performing a first prescan to the object with a first preliminary pulse sequence including an RF excitation pulse and a plurality of RF refocusing pulses each having an application phase set to a specified phase value (for example, 90.degree.) and a step of performing a second prescan to the object with a second preliminary pulse sequence including an RF excitation pulse and a plurality of RF refocusing pulses of which even-numbered RF refocusing pulse has an application phase set to another specified phase value (for example, 270.degree.) differed by 180.degree. from the specified phase value. The method further comprises a step of correcting the imaging pulse sequence on the basis of first and second echo data groups provided by the first and second prescan, prior to the imaging scan.

Abstract: A method of acquiring MR echo data and MRI system to reconstruct a three or more dimensional image of an object use a "hybrid echo volume imaging (EVI)" technique. In the hybrid EVI, applied to the object at predetermined timings are one RF excitation pulse concurrently with a slice-selective pulse, a readout gradient pulse, and a plurality of RF refocusing pulses. After each of the plurality of RF refocusing pulses, applied to the object is a slice-encoding gradient pulse having a first encoding value changed at every application of each of the RF refocusing pulses. After the slice-encoding gradient pulse, applied are a plurality of further readout magnetic gradient pulses whose polarities are alternately inverted, thereby a plurality of echoes are generated from the object in response to inversion of the polarities.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprises a static magnetic field forming magnet, gradient coils, a transmitter for transmitting an excitation pulse directed at a phantom, with the phantom having a non-magnetic material containing candidate nuclear species for magnetic resonance and having a periodic structure along the phase encoding direction. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus further has a receiver for receiving echo signals from the non-magnetic material with the echo signals being outputted as echo data, a sequencer for controlling the gradient coils, the transmitter and the receiver thereby generating a plurality of echo signals of varying echo times at each excitation pulse while varying the strength of the phase-encoding gradient magnetic field pulses. The sequencer further controls the acquisition of the echo data required to reconstruct a MR image in split scans on the Fourier space.

Abstract: An excitation pulse, a first refocusing pulse, and a second refocusing pulse are sequentially applied, a flow encode pulse for producing a phase shift in accordance with the velocity of a fluid is applied before the second refocusing pulse, an echo signal is observed after the application of the second refocusing pulse, and a velocity image is reconstructed on the basis of the echo signal. The application phases of the excitation pulse, the first refocusing pulse, and the second refocusing pulse, and the flip angles of the first and second refocusing pulses, are so adjusted that the intensity of the echo signal from the fluid changes in accordance with the velocity. In a stationary part, the absolute value of a spin echo component and the absolute value of a stimulated echo component are equal, and the phase difference between them is 180.degree.. That is, the signal in the stationary part is essentially 0.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus is provided which generates a plurality of echoes by applying a 90.degree. RF pulse for magnetically exciting spins and subsequently repetitively applying a 180.degree. RF pulse for inverting the phase of the magnetized spin. In this apparatus, a pulse sequence is so performed as to enable any specific interval, out of an interval from the application of a 90.degree. RF pulse until a first echo is obtained and intervals each-between sequential adjacent two echoes, to be made to correspond to a 3 or more odd multiple of any other intervals.

Abstract: A mirror angle adjusting device for a door mirror assembly for use in motor vehicles has an operating lever, and first and second connecting members for sequentially transmitting to a mirror holder vertical and horizontal movements of the lever for angle adjustment. Smooth operation of the angle adjustment of a mirror can be performed by a connection between the lever and the first connecting member, and between the first connecting member and the second connecting member. The first connecting member can include a first joint for connecting with the lever, and a second joint for connecting the first joint with the second connecting member.