Patents by Inventor James Akao

James Akao 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).

  • MRI method and apparatus for adaptive channel reduction in parallel imaging
    Patent number: 7576536
    Abstract: The subject invention pertains to method and apparatus for parallel imaging. The subject method can be utilized with imaging systems utilizing parallel imaging techniques. In a specific embodiment, the subject invention can be used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A specific embodiment of the subject invention can reduce parallel reconstruction CPU and system resources usage by reducing the number of channels employed in the parallel reconstruction from the M channel signals to a lower number of channel signals. In a specific embodiment, sensitivity map information can be used in the selection of the M channel signals to be used, and how the selected channel signals are to be combined, to create the output channel signals. In an embodiment, for a given set of radio-frequency (RF) elements, an optimal choice of reconstructed channel modes can be made using prior view information and/or sensitivity data for the given slice. The subject invention can utilize parallel imaging speed up in multiple directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Invivo Corporation
    Inventors: James Akao, G. Randy Duensing, Feng Huang
  • Method and apparatus for adaptive channel reduction for parallel imaging
    Publication number: 20070013375
    Abstract: The subject invention pertains to method and apparatus for parallel imaging. The subject method can be utilized with imaging systems utilizing parallel imaging techniques. In a specific embodiment, the subject invention can be used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A specific embodiment of the subject invention can reduce parallel reconstruction CPU and system resources usage by reducing the number of channels employed in the parallel reconstruction from the M channel signals to a lower number of channel signals. In a specific embodiment, sensitivity map information can be used in the selection of the M channel signals to be used, and how the selected channel signals are to be combined, to create the output channel signals. In an embodiment, for a given set of radio-frequency (RF) elements, an optimal choice of reconstructed channel modes can be made using prior view information and/or sensitivity data for the given slice. The subject invention can utilize parallel imaging speed up in multiple directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Inventors: James Akao, G. Duensing, Feng Huang