Patents by Inventor Masaaki Umeda

Masaaki Umeda 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: 11927655
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry sets a pulse sequence to collect plural echo signals by application of a refocusing pulse more than once after application of an excitation pulse once, and collects data on plural slices that are parallel to each other by executing the pulse sequence more than once. The processing circuitry sets the pulse sequence such that a slice thickness for the refocusing pulse becomes larger than a slice thickness for the excitation pulse, and collects the data on the plural slices by executing the pulse sequence without consecutively collecting data on adjacent ones of the plural slices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki Kondo, Masaaki Umeda, Masanori Ozaki
  • Patent number: 11693073
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry configured, on a basis of one or both of (A) a parameter related to applying one of inversion and flip pulses and (B) an intensity of a slice selecting gradient magnetic field applied together with the one of the pulses in relation to selecting a slice to which the one of the pulses is applied, to determine one or both of (A) a parameter related to applying the other of the inversion and (B) flip pulses; and an intensity of the slice selecting gradient magnetic field applied together with the other of the pulses in relation to selecting a slice to which the other of the pulses is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryohei Takayanagi, Hiroki Kondo, Masaaki Umeda, Naoyuki Furudate
  • Publication number: 20230059453
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry sets a pulse sequence to collect plural echo signals by application of a refocusing pulse more than once after application of an excitation pulse once, and collects data on plural slices that are parallel to each other by executing the pulse sequence more than once. The processing circuitry sets the pulse sequence such that a slice thickness for the refocusing pulse becomes larger than a slice thickness for the excitation pulse, and collects the data on the plural slices by executing the pulse sequence without consecutively collecting data on adjacent ones of the plural slices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Applicant: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki KONDO, Masaaki UMEDA, Masanori OZAKI
  • Patent number: 11360175
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes control circuitry that executes a pulse sequence divided into a plurality of first segments, and in which k-space is filled by radial scanning. In the first segment, a plurality of second segments are executed after application of a first preparation pulse. In the second segment, data acquisition along at least one line in k-space is performed after application of a second preparation pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masaaki Umeda
  • Publication number: 20220137171
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry configured, on a basis of one or both of (A) a parameter related to applying one of inversion and flip pulses and (B) an intensity of a slice selecting gradient magnetic field applied together with the one of the pulses in relation to selecting a slice to which the one of the pulses is applied, to determine one or both of (A) a parameter related to applying the other of the inversion and (B) flip pulses; and an intensity of the slice selecting gradient magnetic field applied together with the other of the pulses in relation to selecting a slice to which the other of the pulses is applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryohei TAKAYANAGI, Hiroki KONDO, Masaaki UMEDA, Naoyuki FURUDATE
  • Patent number: 11307279
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging method according to an embodiment is a method for implementing a multi-shot Fast Spin Echo method. The method includes acquiring, for a k-space divided into a plurality of segments with respect to a phase encode direction, one of the segments including a central region of the k-space with one shot, wherein, during the one-shot acquisition for the central region of the k-space, refocus pulses corresponding to a first time period among refocus pulses applied a plurality of times have a flip angle decreasing tendency, and refocus pulses corresponding to a second time period following the first time period among the refocus pulses applied the plurality of times have a flip angle maintaining or increasing tendency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki Kondo, Masanori Ozaki, Masaaki Umeda
  • Publication number: 20210278493
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging method according to an embodiment is a method for implementing a multi-shot Fast Spin Echo method. The method includes acquiring, for a k-space divided into a plurality of segments with respect to a phase encode direction, one of the segments including a central region of the k-space with one shot, wherein, during the one-shot acquisition for the central region of the k-space, refocus pulses corresponding to a first time period among refocus pulses applied a plurality of times have a flip angle decreasing tendency, and refocus pulses corresponding to a second time period following the first time period among the refocus pulses applied the plurality of times have a flip angle maintaining or increasing tendency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Applicant: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki KONDO, Masanori OZAKI, Masaaki UMEDA
  • Patent number: 10677861
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes processing circuitry and sequence control circuitry. The processing circuitry specifies a position of an imaging target of a subject in a bore, using an image collected by a first imaging protocol. The processing circuitry determines, in accordance with the specified position, a correction value for a phase of an RF pulse and/or a correction value for an amplitude of the RF pulse, the RF pulse being related to a transmit RF wave, so that non-uniformity in a magnetic field of the transmit RF wave transmitted to the imaging target can be corrected. The sequence control circuitry executes a second imaging protocol for the subject, using the determined correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Keiichiro Ishi, Hiroki Kondo, Masaaki Umeda
  • Patent number: 10359492
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes an acquiring part and an analysis part. The acquiring part is configured to acquire magnetic resonance signals for an analysis by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The analysis part is configured to perform correction processing of magnetic resonance signals for an eddy current correction and obtain a frequency spectrum of the magnetic resonance signals for the analysis by the eddy current correction using magnetic resonance signals after the correction processing. The correction processing removes an influence of a magnetic resonance signal component from a predetermined metabolite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masaaki Umeda
  • Patent number: 10353041
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an MRI apparatus, includes a static magnetic field magnet configured to generate a static magnetic field, a gradient coil configured to generate a gradient magnetic field, a transmission and reception coil configured to transmit an RF signal and receive a magnetic resonance signal, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry determines whether or not a prescan for calculating a correction value that corrects a phase error is skippable or reducible based on an imaging condition of a main scan, and executes a scan including at least the main scan in accordance with a result of the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Kondo, Shinya Ozawa, Masaaki Umeda, Yoshimori Kassai, Naoyuki Takabayashi
  • Patent number: 10254363
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a data acquiring part and a data processing part. The data acquiring part is configured to acquire magnetic resonance signals for a magnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis from an object. The data processing part is configured to obtain a frequency spectrum of magnetic resonance signals whose first magnetic resonance signal component from a first metabolite and second magnetic resonance signal component from a second metabolite have been suppressed by data processing of the magnetic resonance signals acquired by said data acquiring part. The data processing suppresses the first magnetic resonance signal component and the second magnetic resonance signal component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masaaki Umeda
  • Patent number: 10241183
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes a calculation unit, a collecting unit, and an execution unit. The calculation unit calculates, based on a pulse sequence used in data collection by fast spin echo method, a phase shift amount on at least one echo component included in each of a plurality of echo signals. The correcting unit corrects, based on the calculated phase shift amount, phases of refocusing pulses applied in the pulse sequence such that phases match at least one of between spin echo components, between stimulated echo components, and between a spin echo component and a stimulated echo component. The execution unit executes the pulse sequence in which the refocusing pulses of the corrected phases are applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Masaaki Umeda
  • Patent number: 10197655
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a data acquisition unit and an image generation unit. The data acquisition unit is configured to acquire magnetic resonance signals from an object in a data acquisition order having a first regularity and a data acquisition order having a second regularity different from the first regularity. The magnetic resonance signals correspond to a sampling region asymmetric in a wave number direction in a k-space. The image generation unit is configured to generate magnetic resonance image data by data processing including image reconstruction processing based on the magnetic resonance signals and a signal filling to a non-sampling region using a phase conjugate symmetry in the k-space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaaki Umeda, Naotaka Sakashita
  • Publication number: 20190004136
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes control circuitry that executes a pulse sequence divided into a plurality of first segments, and in which k-space is filled by radial scanning. In the first segment, a plurality of second segments are executed after application of a first preparation pulse. In the second segment, data acquisition along at least one line in k-space is performed after application of a second preparation pulse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventor: Masaaki UMEDA
  • Patent number: 10067209
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes a controller and an image reconstruction unit. The controller executes a pulse sequence having spare time during the time after transient of a gradient magnetic field for dephasing, applied in a readout direction after a radio frequency (RF) pulse for excitation is applied, until the first RF pulse for refocusing is applied in the case where imaging based on a fast spin echo method is performed. The image reconstruction unit reconstructs an image from magnetic resonance data collected by executing the pulse sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masaaki Umeda
  • Publication number: 20180113180
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes processing circuitry and sequence control circuitry. The processing circuitry specifies a position of an imaging target of a subject in a bore, using an image collected by a first imaging protocol. The processing circuitry determines, in accordance with the specified position, a correction value for a phase of an RF pulse and/or a correction value for an amplitude of the RF pulse, the RF pulse being related to a transmit RF wave, so that non-uniformity in a magnetic field of the transmit RF wave transmitted to the imaging target can be corrected. The sequence control circuitry executes a second imaging protocol for the subject, using the determined correction value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Applicant: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Keiichiro ISHI, Hiroki KONDO, Masaaki UMEDA
  • Patent number: 9869742
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a phase image generating unit, an image value acquisition unit and a frequency shift calculation unit. The phase image generating unit executes a sequence including an application of a bipolar gradient pulse and thereby generates a first phase image. The image value acquisition unit acquires an image value of the first phase image. The frequency shift calculation unit determines an amount of frequency shift per unit amount of gradient magnetic field based on magnetic field strength of the bipolar gradient pulse and on the image value of the first phase image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsukazu Kamata, Masaaki Umeda
  • Patent number: 9835700
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to carry out magnetic resonance imaging of a patient using a transmitting QD coil that allows at least one of phase and amplitude of a radio-frequency transmit pulse on at least one input channel of the transmitting QD coil to be adjusted independently of each other, and an adjustment unit arranged to adjust at least one of the phase and the amplitude of the radio-frequency transmit pulse according to imaging conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaaki Umeda, Takahiro Ishihara
  • Publication number: 20170315187
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to carry out magnetic resonance imaging of a patient using a transmitting QD coil that allows at least one of phase and amplitude of a radio-frequency transmit pulse on at least one input channel of the transmitting QD coil to be adjusted independently of each other, and an adjustment unit arranged to adjust at least one of the phase and the amplitude of the radio-frequency transmit pulse according to imaging conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Masaaki UMEDA, Takahiro ISHIHARA
  • Patent number: 9770187
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes a controller and a generator. The controller divides a plurality of slice regions that are sequentially arranged into a first group including two non-sequential slice regions and a second group including a slice region positioned between the two non-sequential slice regions and acquires data from the slice regions for each of the groups. When acquiring data from at least one of the two non-sequential slice regions, the controller acquires the data after applying a pre-sat pulse to a position between the two non-sequential slice regions. When acquiring data from the slice region positioned between the two non-sequential slice regions, the controller acquires the data after applying a pre-sat pulse to a position of at least one of the two non-sequential slice regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Masaaki Umeda, Satoshi Sugiura, Naoyuki Furudate, Hiroshi Kusahara, Masaaki Nagashima