Patents by Inventor Qing X. Yang

Qing X. Yang 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: 11275132
    Abstract: An apparatus for transmitting and receiving radiofrequency (RF) signals in a magnetic resonance imaging system for proton and X-nuclear imaging includes at least one radiofrequency (RF) coil and an ultrahigh dielectric constant material incorporated within the at least one RF coil. The permittivity of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material depends on a temperature of the material and is tunable. The apparatus also includes a temperature controller that is thermally coupled to the ultrahigh dielectric constant material. The temperature controller is configured to control a temperature of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material to tune and optimize the permittivity of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material. A chemical structure and composition of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material is selected to control and optimize the permittivity and a dielectric loss of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material and a temperature dependence of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignees: REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, The Penn State Research Foundation
    Inventors: Wei Chen, Byeong-Yeul Lee, Xiao-Hong Zhu, Hannes M. Wiesner, Michael T. Lanagan, Qing X. Yang, Sebastian Rupprecht, Navid P. Gandji, Maryam Sarkarat
  • Publication number: 20200319275
    Abstract: An apparatus for transmitting and receiving radiofrequency (RF) signals in a magnetic resonance imaging system for proton and X-nuclear imaging includes at least one radiofrequency (RF) coil and an ultrahigh dielectric constant material incorporated within the at least one RF coil. The permittivity of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material depends on a temperature of the material and is tunable. The apparatus also includes a temperature controller that is thermally coupled to the ultrahigh dielectric constant material. The temperature controller is configured to control a temperature of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material to tune and optimize the permittivity of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material. A chemical structure and composition of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material is selected to control and optimize the permittivity and a dielectric loss of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material and a temperature dependence of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Wei Chen, Byeong-Yeul Lee, Xiao-Hong Zhu, Hannes M. Wiesner, Michael T. Lanagan, Qing X. Yang, Sebastian Rupprecht, Navid P. Gandji, Maryam Sarkarat
  • Publication number: 20190353735
    Abstract: A method for enhancing the performance of an imaging system that includes providing a magnetic resonance imaging system; providing an object to be imaged, wherein the object has a shape, includes a region of interest therein, and has a first dielectric constant; providing a pad that conforms to the shape of the object and contains a material having a second dielectric constant that is higher than the first dielectric constant; surrounding the pad and the object being imaged with at least one radio frequency coil; using the at least one coil to generate a magnetic field having an intensity of 3 T that extends through the material of the pad and into the region of interest of the object being imaged, and wherein positioning the at least one coil to surround the pad and the object increases the intensity of the magnetic field produced by the at least one coil within the region of interest of the object; using the at least one coil to detect the magnetic field generated in the region of interest of the object bei
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Inventor: Qing X. Yang
  • Publication number: 20150038831
    Abstract: Provided are a spectroscopic method and spectroscopic device for analyzing a region. Layers or coats of materials with high dielectric constant or permittivity with very low conductivity are inserted in between radiofrequency (RF) coil or coil's conductive elements and the sample to enhance the signal to noise ratio (SNR), improve image contrast, and reduce the specific absorption rate (SAR) of magnetic resonance imaging or magnetic resonance spectroscopy instruments. The embodiments of the present invention can be used as an auxiliary device to the standard pre-constructed RF coils or incorporated with RF coil constructions for enhancing RF coil performances in both transmission and reception.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventor: Qing X. YANG
  • Patent number: 8798719
    Abstract: Layers or coats of materials with high dielectric constant or permittivity with very low conductivity are inserted in between radiofrequency (RF) coil or coil's conductive elements and the sample to enhance the signal to noise ratio (SNR), improve image contrast, and reduce the specific absorption rate (SAR) of magnetic resonance imaging or magnetic resonance spectroscopy instruments. The embodiments of the present invention can be used as an auxiliary device to the standard pre-constructed RF coils or incorporated with RF coil constructions for enhancing RF coil performances in both transmission and reception.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Inventor: Qing X. Yang
  • Publication number: 20110152670
    Abstract: Layers or coats of materials with high dielectric constant or permittivity with very low conductivity are inserted in between radiofrequency (RF) coil or coil's conductive elements and the sample to enhance the signal to noise ratio (SNR), improve image contrast, and reduce the specific absorption rate (SAR) of magnetic resonance imaging or magnetic resonance spectroscopy instruments. The embodiments of the present invention can be used as an auxiliary device to the standard pre-constructed RF coils or incorporated with RF coil constructions for enhancing RF coil performances in both transmission and reception.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Inventor: Qing X. Yang