Patents by Inventor Klaus-Dietmar Merboldt

Klaus-Dietmar Merboldt 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: 9529066
    Abstract: A method of collecting magnetic resonance data for imaging an object with a predetermined spin density being arranged in a static magnetic field, comprises the steps subjecting said object to at least one radiofrequency pulse and magnetic field gradients for creating spatially encoded magnetic resonance signals, including at least two settings of spatially encoding phase-contrast gradients differently encoding the phase of said magnetic resonance signals in at least one field of view in a predetermined spatial dimension, acquiring at least two magnetic resonance signals, each with one of said at least two settings of different spatially encoding phase-contrast gradients, and determining at least one mean spin density position of said object along said spatial dimension by calculating the phase difference between said signals. Furthermore, a control device and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device implementing the method are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften e.V.
    Inventors: Jens Frahm, Klaus-Dietmar Merboldt, Martin Uecker, Dirk Voit
  • Publication number: 20140043026
    Abstract: A method of collecting magnetic resonance data for imaging an object with a predetermined spin density being arranged in a static magnetic field, comprises the steps subjecting said object to at least one radiofrequency pulse and magnetic field gradients for creating spatially encoded magnetic resonance signals, including at least two settings of spatially encoding phase-contrast gradients differently encoding the phase of said magnetic resonance signals in at least one field of view in a predetermined spatial dimension, acquiring at least two magnetic resonance signals, each with one of said at least two settings of different spatially encoding phase-contrast gradients, and determining at least one mean spin density position of said object along said spatial dimension by calculating the phase difference between said signals. Furthermore, a control device and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device implementing the method are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften e.V.
    Inventors: Jens Frahm, Klaus-Dietmar Merboldt, Martin Uecker, Dirk Voit
  • Patent number: 4748409
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for a locally resolved investigation of a speci, wherein the specimen is exposed to a constant magnetic field and a variable combination of three gradient magnetic fields directed substantially perpendicularly to each other and to a sequence of high-frequency (RF) pulses which contains three successive pulses with flip angles not equal to .vertline.m Pi.vertline., and signals corresponding to a magnetic resonance of spin moments, in particular nuclear spin moments in said specimen are detected. The interval (tau) between the first and the second pulse is greater than T.sub.2eff and smaller than 5T.sub.2, and that the interval (T-tau) between the second and the third pulse is greater than T.sub.2eff and smaller than 5T.sub.1, whereinm is an integer,T.sub.1 is the spin-lattice relaxation time,T.sub.2 is the spin-spin relaxation time andT.sub.2eff is the effective spin-spin relaxation time of the spins to be determined in the specimen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1988
    Assignee: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften E.V.
    Inventors: Jens Frahm, Axel Haase, Wolfgang Haenicke, Klaus-Dietmar Merboldt, Dieter Matthaei
  • Patent number: 4707658
    Abstract: A fast low angle shot ("FLASH") NMR method is described, which uses radio frequency excitation pulses having a flip angle substantially less than 90 degrees, and subsequent reading gradient reversal for producing a gradient echo signal. The small flip angle pulses create an equilibrium state between longitudinal and transverse magnetization, which allows to apply the radio frequency pulses repeatedly with high repetition rate to produce gradient echo signals of essentially equal strength, without any intervening delay for magnetization restoration or recovery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1987
    Assignee: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften e.V.
    Inventors: Jens Frahm, Axel Haase, Dieter Matthaei, Wolfgang Haenicke, Klaus-Dietmar Merboldt