Abstract: A vacuum tool configured to be removably coupled to hose or wand of a vacuum includes a body including a first end, a second end, and a first longitudinal axis extending between the first end and the second end. The vacuum tool also includes a head coupled to the first end of the body, a connection portion coupled to the second end of the body and configured to couple the body to a hose or wand of a vacuum cleaner, and a brush coupled to the head. The brush includes an elongate support defining a second axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body and configured to couple the brush to the head, and a plurality of bristles positioned on the elongate support.

Abstract: The actuating nail file assembly includes a housing, a controller, a circuit board, a powertrain, a slider, a head, and a power supply. The assembly is configured to selectively induce actuation of the head in one or more directions. The head is configured to engage a nail of a user, such as fingernail or toenail, and work a surface or edge of the nail to a desired condition. The head may be configured to file the nail by containing an abrasive surface configured to removed portions of the nail. Alternatively, the head may be configured to polish the nail by containing a polishing surface texture. The controller regulates the operation of the powertrain. The powertrain selectively induces radial and linear movement of the head in a plurality of directions so as to repetitively alternate between at least two opposing directions.

Abstract: A system and method for calculating a quantitative metric of adipose tissue using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system are provided. The MRI system is used to acquire k-space data by sampling echo signals that are formed at a plurality of different echo times. From the acquired k-space data, a fat-concentration map, such as a fat-fraction map is produced. A maximum fat-concentration value is estimated from the fat-concentration map, and is used to threshold the fat-concentration map to produce an adipose mask. From the adipose mask, a quantitative metric of adipose tissue can be calculated.

Abstract: A system and method for calculating a quantitative metric of adipose tissue using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system are provided. The MRI system is used to acquire k-space data by sampling echo signals that are formed at a plurality of different echo times. From the acquired k-space data, a fat-concentration map, such as a fat-fraction map is produced. A maximum fat-concentration value is estimated from the fat-concentration map, and is used to threshold the fat-concentration map to produce an adipose mask. From the adipose mask, a quantitative metric of adipose tissue can be calculated.

Abstract: A series of image frames are acquired in which an MR parameter such as echo time (TE) is changed and the resulting image frames are employed to produce an MRS image of a metabolite. Scan time is reduced without sacrificing image quality by reconstructing a composite image from data acquired for a plurality of the image frames and using a highly constrained image reconstruction method with the composite image to produce each image frame.

Abstract: A method for generating a self-calibrating parallel multiecho magnetic resonance image is provided. A magnetic resonance imaging excitation is applied. A first echo at a first echo time in a first pattern is acquired. A second echo at a second echo time different from the first echo phase in a second pattern different from the first pattern is acquired. The acquired first echo and acquired second echo are used to generate an image in an image pattern, wherein none of the acquired echoes for generating the image have the same pattern as the image pattern.

Abstract: A method for generating dynamic magnetic resonance images is provided. A cyclical magnetic resonance imaging excitation is applied for a plurality of cycles at a cycle rate. A plurality of magnetic resonance image echoes is acquired for each cycle. A plurality of frames of images is generated from the acquired plurality of magnetic resonance echoes at a frame rate that is at least twice the cycle rate, wherein each frame of the plurality of frames is generated from a plurality of echoes and wherein some of the plurality of frames are generated from magnetic resonance image echoes of adjacent cycles.

Abstract: A method of separating signals from at least two species in a body using echo-coherent time magnetic resonance imaging is provided. A plurality of echo signals is acquired at acquisition times optimized based on the noise properties of images with different variance with possibly correlated noise resulting in possibly asymmetrically positioned images with respect to an echo time. The plurality of echo signals is combined iteratively by using a maximum likelihood decomposition algorithm for non-identically distributed noise.

Abstract: A method for generating a magnetic resonance images is provided. A first species signal for a first species is generated from magnetic resonance data. A second signal is generated from the magnetic resonance data. The first species signal is combined with the second signal to provide a recombined image. The recombined image may be displayed.

Abstract: A method for generating a magnetic resonance images is provided. A magnetic resonance imaging excitation is applied. A plurality of magnetic resonance image signals is acquired. The plurality of image signals is combined iteratively by using a regularized decomposition algorithm. An image created from combining the plurality of image signals iteratively is displayed.

Abstract: The acquisition of multiple images at slightly different time shifts from the spin echo (or from TE=0 for gradient echo sequences), allows the separation of on-resonance spins from off-resonance spins by encoding this information in the received signal. The excitation pulse can be a standard broadband excitation that will excite all spins. The separation of on- and off-resonance spins is then performed on the received signal. The polar and equatorial lobes of a magnetic particle such as SPIO produce signals from excited water molecules near the particle which are frequency offset above and below the frequency of signals from water molecules unaffected by the particle.

Abstract: A method for generating a magnetic resonance image is provided. A magnetic resonance imaging excitation is applied for a plurality of cycles at a cycle rate. A plurality of magnetic resonance image echoes is acquired for each cycle. A decay map is estimated from the plurality of magnetic resonance image echoes for each cycle. The estimated decay map is used to generate an image for at least two different species.

Abstract: A method for generating a calibrated parallel magnetic resonance image is provided in a manifestation of the invention. A magnetic resonance imaging excitation is applied. A plurality of echoes at different echo times (TE) is acquired. The acquired plurality of echoes from different echo times is used to create a chemical shift corrected calibration map.

Abstract: A series of image frames are acquired in which an MR parameter such as echo time (TE) is changed and the resulting image frames are employed to produce an MRS image of a metabolite. Scan time is reduced without sacrificing image quality by reconstructing a composite image from data acquired for a plurality of the image frames and using a highly constrained image reconstruction method with the composite image to produce each image frame.

Abstract: A method of separating signals from water and lipid in a body using spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging comprising steps of acquiring image signals at three acquisition times asymmetrically positioned with respect to a spin-echo time, the three acquisition times being separated by 2?/3 and the middle signal acquisition is centered at ?2+?k where k is an integer, and combining the plurality of image signals iterative using a least squares decomposition method.

Abstract: Homodyne image reconstruction is combined with an iterative decomposition of water and fat from MR signals obtained from a partial k-space signal acquisition in order to maximize the resolution of calculated water and fat images. The method includes asymmetrical acquisition of under-sampled MRI data, obtaining low resolution images, and then estimating a magnetic field map and phase maps of water and fat image signals from the low resolution images. The acquired data is again filtered and Fourier transformed to obtain an estimate of combined fat and water signals using the estimated magnetic field map and phase maps. Water and fat images are then estimated from which phases of the water and fat images are determined. The real parts of the water and fat images are then used in calculating water and fat images using a homodyne process.

Abstract: A multi-point chemical species (e.g., water, fat) separation process which is compatible with rapid gradient echo imaging such as SSFP uses an iterative least squares method that decomposes water and fat images from source images acquired at short echo time increments. The single coil algorithm extends to multi-coil reconstruction with minimal additional complexity.