Abstract: A patient handling system for an NMR imaging system includes a portable patient table having a bottom portion and a top portion. The table is docked adjacent to the magnet of an NMR system. The top portion may be elevated to align the top portion with the magnet bore. A patient pallet, located on the top portion of the table, is then moved into and out of the magnet bore. The pallet includes a number of modules upon which the patient reclines. At least one module includes a radio frequency coil for NMR imaging. The other modules are dummy modules which do not contain r.f. coils and support other parts of the patients's body.

Abstract: In a magnetic resonance imaging system, the same reference signal is used for both radio frequency transmission and phase sensitive detection. The use of the same reference signal for both transmission and reception prevents phase unlock between the two events. However, this technique results in variation in the demodulated, frequency encoded information, which is corrected by digitally filtering the received signal information as a function of the demodulation frequency used.

Abstract: The invention relates to a video display device which includes a memory for storing intensity values for each pixel of the video display. Connected with the memory is a persister which decreases the intensity values as a selectable function of time such that a displayed image will appear to fade. Also connected with the memory is an input for increasing specific intensity values in response to the receipt of input data corresponding to that specific display pixel. The invention further relates to a scintillation camera in combination with the video display device in which input data indicates the occurrence of a radiation caused scintillation at some corresponding coordinate position and in which the rate of image fading is consonant with the rate of data acquisition, whereby a real-time display of the passage of a radioisotope through a patient may be produced.

Abstract: An ultrasonic scanner is disclosed for examining a planar region of a patient. The scanner has a transducer for emitting ultrasonic waves into the planar region of a patient which is defined by an array of subregions separated by subregion boundaries and for transforming echoes received from the planar region into electronic diagnostic values, and an electromechanical device for producing an indication of the position and the angular orientation of the transducer. The scanner also has a main memory having a plurality of addresses corresponding to the subregions for storing such diagnostic value at an address corresponding to the represented subregion, and a CRT display for displaying the diagnostic values stored in the memory. The position indication and angular orientation indication are used for generating the memory address for the diagnostic values corresponding to each echo. The addresses are generated with an analog processor, accumulator and buffer.

Abstract: The process of this invention includes detecting gamma radiation with a radiation sensing device, converting the gamma radiation to light radiation, viewing the light radiation with photomultiplier tubes and giving electrical impulses in response thereto. The impulses are operated on to correct for any distortion and to give an indication of the relation to location of the radiation. An area of interest, for the purpose of scanning, is selected and electronically masked. During a first pass, initial scanning is done electronically without physical movement of the radiation sensing device head. After initial electronic scanning, a detector head passes over the radiation of interest while sensing radiation. At the end of the mechanical movement, an area of radiation is again electronically scanned. A cot supporting the section of radiation is moved transverse to the longitudinal movement of the head after the first pass. A scan in the opposite direction occurs similar to that in the first direction.