Patents by Inventor Katrin Wohlfarth

Katrin Wohlfarth 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: 9651644
    Abstract: In a method and a magnetic resonance (MR) system, a marked area is determined that demarcates a predetermined volume segment of the subject relative to the regions adjacent thereto. Nuclei in the predetermined volume segment are excited, or nuclei in a region adjacent thereto are saturated with an RF excitation pulse at the same time a magnetic field gradient is activated. The center frequency of a frequency range of the RF excitation pulse and the direction of the magnetic field gradient are adjusted dependent on resonant frequencies of substances present within the predetermined volume segment in order, starting from the predetermined volume segment to shift an actual excitation volume segment excited by the RF excitation pulse toward the marked area, or to shift a saturation volume saturated by the RF excitation pulse away from the marked area. MR data are then acquired from the predetermined volume segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thorsten Feiweier, Christof Krellmann, Bernd Kuehn, Dominik Paul, Josef Pfeuffer, Elisabeth Preusche, Katrin Wohlfarth
  • Publication number: 20160038101
    Abstract: One or more embodiments provide a patient couch support for dissipating heat of the patient couch support. The patient couch support includes a surface to accept an examination object and at least one channel for carrying a fluid running at least partly inside the patient couch support. The at least one channel has at least one inlet opening for delivering the fluid and at least one outlet opening for taking away the fluid. One or more embodiments provide a corresponding patient couch and a system for dissipating heat of the patient couch support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas Benner, Katrin Wohlfarth
  • Patent number: 9055882
    Abstract: In a method and apparatus to generate a magnetic resonance (MR) image in a volume of interest of an examination subject, the magnetization is excited in an additional volume in the subject by at least one RF pulse, in order to achieve a desired magnetization in the volume of interest. The additional excitation volume differs at least partially from the volume of interest. For this purpose, at least one MR overview image of the examination subject is analyzed automatically to determine a position of at least one anatomical structure of the examination subject, from which the volume of interest is automatically determined. The additional excitation volume is automatically determined using the position of the at least one anatomical structure. The MR image in the volume of interest is acquired with excitation of the magnetization in the automatically determined additional excitation volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Thorsten Feiweier, Martin Harder, John Kirsch, Wilfried Landschuetz, Andreas Schmidt, Katrin Wohlfarth
  • Patent number: 8641493
    Abstract: An inventive cooling device for the air conditioning of an examination area of a medical examination device includes a temperature detection device for detecting a temperature in the examination area, an air conditioning device for producing air-conditioned air, an air discharge device arranged within the examination area, an opening directed toward the examination area to let out air-conditioned air and an air duct to transport air-conditioned air to the opening in the air discharge device and a control unit connected to the temperature detection device and the air-conditioning device to control the air-conditioning device based on data detected by the temperature detection device. The cooling device automatically determines and regulates a temperature in the examination area with fresh, air-conditioned air which has a positive influence on the well-being of the patient in the examination area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Katrin Wohlfarth
  • Publication number: 20130285654
    Abstract: In a method and apparatus to generate a magnetic resonance (MR) image in a volume of interest of an examination subject, the magnetization is excited in an additional volume in the subject by at least one RF pulse, in order to achieve a desired magnetization in the volume of interest. The additional excitation volume differs at least partially from the volume of interest. For this purpose, at least one MR overview image of the examination subject is analyzed automatically to determine a position of at least one anatomical structure of the examination subject, from which the volume of interest is automatically determined. The additional excitation volume is automatically determined using the position of the at least one anatomical structure. The MR image in the volume of interest is acquired with excitation of the magnetization in the automatically determined additional excitation volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: THORSTEN FEIWEIER, MARTIN HARDER, JOHN KIRSCH, WILFRIED LANDSCHUETZ, ANDREAS SCHMIDT, KATRIN WOHLFARTH
  • Publication number: 20130249550
    Abstract: In a method and a magnetic resonance (MR) system, a marked area is determined that demarcates a predetermined volume segment of the subject relative to the regions adjacent thereto. Nuclei in the predetermined volume segment are excited, or nuclei in a region adjacent thereto are saturated with an RF excitation pulse at the same time a magnetic field gradient is activated. The center frequency of a frequency range of the RF excitation pulse and the direction of the magnetic field gradient are adjusted dependent on resonant frequencies of substances present within the predetermined volume segment in order, starting from the predetermined volume segment to shift an actual excitation volume segment excited by the RF excitation pulse toward the marked area, or to shift a saturation volume saturated by the RF excitation pulse away from the marked area. MR data are then acquired from the predetermined volume segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Inventors: Thorsten Feiweier, Christof Krellmann, Bernd Kuehn, Dominik Paul, Josef Pfeuffer, Elisabeth Preusche, Katrin Wohlfarth
  • Patent number: 8280487
    Abstract: In a method for operation of a magnetic resonance apparatus having a patient positioning table with a tabletop as well as a control device by which the displacement of the tabletop relative to a homogeneous magnetic field (generated by a magnetic field generation device) and the acquisition of images of an anatomical subject of the patient in a field of view within the homogeneous magnetic field are controlled, the control device determines a suitable stepped displacement of the tabletop using information about the patient size, information about the subject to be acquired and information about the size of the homogeneous magnetic field and/or field of view present relative to the table displacement direction, and the control device controls the tabletop displacement as needed according to the determination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Katrin Wohlfarth
  • Patent number: 7990141
    Abstract: In a method for operation of a magnetic resonance system, at least one control device is fashioned for image data acquisition and corresponding components, and only three first control parameters defining primary boundary conditions are selected by an operator of the system, namely the contrast response, the spatial orientation of the at least one image data set to be acquired and the examination organ. Additional, second control parameters, required to control the components for image acquisition and defining secondary boundary conditions, are automatically determined by the control device using the first control parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Katrin Wohlfarth
  • Publication number: 20100052680
    Abstract: In a method for operation of a magnetic resonance system, at least one control device is fashioned for image data acquisition and corresponding components, and only three first control parameters defining primary boundary conditions are selected by an operator of the system, namely the contrast response, the spatial orientation of the at least one image data set to be acquired and the examination organ. Additional, second control parameters, required to control the components for image acquisition and defining secondary boundary conditions, are automatically determined by the control device using the first control parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventor: Katrin Wohlfarth
  • Publication number: 20090215384
    Abstract: An inventive cooling device for the air conditioning of an examination area of a medical examination device includes a temperature detection device for detecting a temperature in the examination area, an air conditioning device for producing air-conditioned air, an air discharge device arranged within the examination area, an opening directed toward the examination area to let out air-conditioned air and an air duct to transport air-conditioned air to the opening in the air discharge device and a control unit connected to the temperature detection device and the air-conditioning device to control the air-conditioning device based on data detected by the temperature detection device. The cooling device automatically determines and regulates a temperature in the examination area with fresh, air-conditioned air which has a positive influence on the well-being of the patient in the examination area. A clean copy of the abstract that incorporates the above amendments is provided herewith on a separate page.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2009
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Inventor: Katrin Wohlfarth
  • Patent number: 7397245
    Abstract: A surface coil arrangement of a gradient system for an MR tomography apparatus has coil elements mounted on a first antenna, the antenna being extendable by at least one further antenna that likewise includes an arrangement of at least one coil element, and which is detachably or movably fastened to the first antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Katrin Wohlfarth
  • Publication number: 20070232895
    Abstract: In a method for operation of a magnetic resonance apparatus having a patient positioning table with a tabletop as well as a control device by which the displacement of the tabletop relative to a homogeneous magnetic field (generated by a magnetic field generation device) and the acquisition of images of an anatomical subject of the patient in a field of view within the homogeneous magnetic field are controlled, the control device determines a suitable stepped displacement of the tabletop using information about the patient size, information about the subject to be acquired and information about the size of the homogeneous magnetic field and/or field of view present relative to the table displacement direction, and the control device controls the tabletop displacement as needed according to the determination result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventor: Katrin Wohlfarth
  • Publication number: 20070040555
    Abstract: A surface coil arrangement of a gradient system for an MR tomography apparatus has coil elements mounted on a first antenna, the antenna being extendable by at least one further antenna that likewise includes an arrangement of at least one coil element, and which is detachably or movably fastened to the first antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Publication date: February 22, 2007
    Inventor: Katrin Wohlfarth
  • Patent number: 7145338
    Abstract: In a method for implementation of a magnetic resonance examination of a patient with an imaging medical magnetic resonance apparatus with a movable patient bed, for of an examination volume of the patient that is larger than an acquisition volume of the magnetic resonance apparatus, anatomical patient information and second technical information for setting the magnetic resonance apparatus are acquired dependent on the position of the patient bed from magnetic resonance signals acquired in a low-resolution calibration measurement (scan). A first group of measurement protocol parameters is generated from the patient information and a second group of measurement protocol parameters is generated from the technical information, to generate a measurement protocol for a subsequent high-resolution magnetic resonance examination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Swen Campagna, Martin Harder, Peter Heubes, Rainer Kaim, Stephan Kannengiesser, Berthold Kiefer, Cecile Mohr, Katrin Wohlfarth
  • Publication number: 20050264288
    Abstract: In a method for implementation of a magnetic resonance examination of a patient with an imaging medical magnetic resonance apparatus with a movable patient bed, for of an examination volume of the patient that is larger than an acquisition volume of the magnetic resonance apparatus, anatomical patient information and second technical information for setting the magnetic resonance apparatus are acquired dependent on the position of the patient bed from magnetic resonance signals acquired in a low-resolution calibration measurement (scan). A first group of measurement protocol parameters is generated from the patient information and a second group of measurement protocol parameters is generated from the technical information, to generate a measurement protocol for a subsequent high-resolution magnetic resonance examination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2005
    Publication date: December 1, 2005
    Inventors: Swen Campagna, Martin Harder, Peter Heubes, Rainer Kaim, Stephan Kannengiesser, Berthold Kiefer, Cecile Mohr, Katrin Wohlfarth