Patents by Inventor Shigehide Kuhara

Shigehide Kuhara 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).

  • Publication number: 20170127972
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, frames of section image data including a heart are acquired from an object by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Spatial positional information of a reference section of the heart is calculated based on the frames of section image data. A reference section image of the heart is displayed and positioning of an imaging part for diagnostic imaging is set using the displayed reference section image of the heart. Diagnostic imaging as defined by the set positioning information is then performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Inventors: Shigehide KUHARA, Shuhei NITTA, Tomoyuki TAKEGUCHI, Nobuyuki MATSUMOTO
  • Patent number: 9591988
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a MRI apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a reference section information calculating unit, a positioning unit and an imaging unit. The acquisition unit acquires frames of section image data including a heart from an object with use of magnetic resonance. The reference section information calculating unit calculates spatial positional information of a reference section of the heart based on the frames of the section image data. The positioning unit displays a reference section image of the heart on a display unit and performs positioning of an imaging part for imaging through the displayed reference section image of the heart. The reference section image is calculated from the frames of the section image data based on the positional information of the reference section. The imaging unit images the imaging part set by the positioning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigehide Kuhara, Shuhei Nitta, Tomoyuki Takeguchi, Nobuyuki Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9594138
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes a calculation unit and an imaging unit. The calculation unit calculates an inversion time for imaging by analyzing frames of image data or magnetic resonance signals acquired from an object. The frames of the image data or the magnetic resonance signals are acquired in response to inversion times which are different with each other and set based on a inversion recovery method. The imaging unit performs the imaging under the inversion recovery method using the inversion time calculated for the imaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shigehide Kuhara
  • Patent number: 9585576
    Abstract: An MRI apparatus includes an imaging data acquiring unit and a blood flow information generating unit. The imaging data acquiring unit acquires imaging data from an imaging region including myocardium, without using a contrast medium, by applying a spatial selective excitation pulse to a region including at least a part of an ascending aorta for distinguishably displaying inflowing blood flowing into the imaging region. The blood flow information generating unit generates blood flow image data based on the imaging data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsue Miyazaki, Shigehide Kuhara
  • Patent number: 9532728
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus stores data for a series of images associated with a range including a heart and diaphragm of an object. A temporal change in a moving amount of the diaphragm and a temporal change in a moving amount of the heart are generated from the series of images, and a ratio of (a) the moving amount of the heart to (b) the moving amount of the diaphragm is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigehide Kuhara, Ayako Ninomiya
  • Publication number: 20160334486
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes a sequence control unit, an image generating unit, and a deriving unit. The sequence control unit executes first imaging scan for acquiring data of a range including a target internal organ and second imaging scan for acquiring data for a diagnostic image by controlling execution of a pulse sequence. The image generating unit generates an image by using data acquired by the first imaging scan. The deriving unit derives an imaging scan area in which data for the diagnostic image are acquired in the second imaging scan and a related area set associated with the imaging scan area in the second imaging scan, based on image processing using the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventors: Shigehide KUHARA, Shuhei NITTA, Taichiro SHIODERA, Tomoyuki TAKEGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9474455
    Abstract: According to one of the aspects of an MRI apparatus of the present invention, the MRI apparatus includes an imaging data acquiring unit and a blood flow information generating unit. The imaging data acquiring unit acquires imaging data from an imaging region including myocardium, without using a contrast medium, by applying a spatial selective excitation pulse to a region including at least a part of an ascending aorta for distinguishably displaying inflowing blood flowing into the imaging region. The blood flow information generating unit generates blood flow image data based on the imaging data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsue Miyazaki, Shigehide Kuhara
  • Publication number: 20160238682
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes an acquiring unit, a detecting unit, a deriving unit, and an imaging controller. The acquiring unit acquires three-dimensional image data including a target organ. The detecting unit detects an upper end position and a lower end position of the target organ in the three-dimensional image data. The deriving unit derives an imaging range of subsequent imaging performed after acquisition of the three-dimensional image data based on the upper end position and the lower end position of the target organ. The imaging controller controls performance of the subsequent imaging in accordance with the imaging range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: Shuhei NITTA, Tomoyuki TAKEGUCHI, Nobuyuki MATSUMOTO, Shigehide KUHARA
  • Publication number: 20160232660
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a medical image processing apparatus includes a display and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to (a) calculate fluid information including flow-velocity vectors based on three-dimensional image data of plural time phases, which are acquired by a phase contrast method of magnetic resonance imaging, and in which fluid flowing inside a lumen is depicted, (b) identify a branching position where a second lumen branches from a first lumen, based on change in flow volume of fluid flowing inside the first lumen along an extending direction of the first lumen, and (c) cause the display to display an analysis result including fluid information of fluid flowing inside the second lumen, based on the branching position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Shuhei BANNAE, Shigeharu OHYU, Masashi YOSHIDA, Yoshihiro IKEDA, Fumiki NAKANO, Mitsukazu KAMATA, Tetsuya YOKOTA, Tatsuya KIMOTO, Masao YUI, Tomohisa FUKUNAGA, Shigehide KUHARA, Kota AOYAGI
  • Publication number: 20160155229
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to embodiments includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry configured to acquire layout information which defines a layout of cross-sectional images on a localizer screen, to detect cross-sectional positions of the cross-sectional images from MR data, and to generate the localizer screen according to the layout information, the localizer screen including all or a part of the plurality of cross-sectional images generated on the basis of the plurality of cross-sectional positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Kensuke SHINODA, Takuya FUJIMAKI, Shuhei NITTA, Syuhei TAKEMOTO, Shigehide KUHARA, Tomoyuki TAKEGUCHI, Yurika OGAWA
  • Publication number: 20160146914
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry generates a plurality of cross-sectional images for setting a sectional position to be collected in main imaging based on a characteristic portion of a target detected in three-dimensional data. The processing circuitry lists the cross-sectional images on a display and superimposes a mark corresponding to the characteristic portion on at least one of the cross-sectional images. The processing circuitry receives a setting operation to determine the sectional position. The processing circuitry causes, when the mark is selected in the setting operation, a cross-sectional image to be emphasized a sectional position of which is defined using the characteristic portion corresponding to the mark among the listed cross-sectional images. The processing circuitry performs main imaging based on the sectional position after the setting operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Shuhei NITTA, Tomoyuki TAKEGUCHI, Yurika OGAWA, Kensuke SHINODA, Takuya FUJIMAKI, Syuhei TAKEMOTO, Shigehide KUHARA
  • Patent number: 9348006
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes an acquiring unit, a detecting unit, a deriving unit, and an imaging controller. The acquiring unit acquires three-dimensional image data including a target organ. The detecting unit detects an upper end position and a lower end position of the target organ in the three-dimensional image data. The deriving unit derives an imaging range of subsequent imaging performed after acquisition of the three-dimensional image data based on the upper end position and the lower end position of the target organ. The imaging controller controls performance of the subsequent imaging in accordance with the imaging range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuhei Nitta, Tomoyuki Takeguchi, Nobuyuki Matsumoto, Shigehide Kuhara
  • Publication number: 20160109544
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance apparatus of the present embodiment includes: a gantry which includes a static field magnet, a gradient coil and an RF coil to image an object; processing circuitry; a memory that stores processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the p processing circuitry to detect at least one position of an aortic valve and a pulmonary valve from three-dimensional image data including a heart of the object, as at least one characteristic region inside the heart, specify a position of an imaging cross-section substantially orthogonal to a bloodstream path inside the heart based on the position of the aortic valve or the pulmonary valve, and cause the gantry to image the imaging cross-section of the object at the specified position of the imaging cross-section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Shigehide KUHARA, Shuhei NITTA, Taichiro SHIODERA, Yukinobu SAKATA, Tomoyuki TAKEGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160054417
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes a sequence control unit, an image generating unit, and a deriving unit. The sequence control unit executes first imaging scan for acquiring data of a range including a target internal organ and second imaging scan for acquiring data for a diagnostic image by controlling execution of a pulse sequence. The image generating unit generates an image by using data acquired by the first imaging scan. The deriving unit derives an imaging scan area in which data for the diagnostic image are acquired in the second imaging scan and a related area set associated with the imaging scan area in the second imaging scan, based on image processing using the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: Shigehide KUHARA, Shuhei NITTA, Taichiro SHIODERA, Tomoyuki TAKEGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20150355303
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes sequence controlling circuitry and image generating circuitry. The sequence controlling circuitry is configured to continuously apply, after application of an excitation pulse, a readout gradient magnetic field while inverting polarity to control execution of a pulse sequence that continuously generates multiple echo signals and configured to collect echo signals for multiple channels by parallel imaging. The image generating circuitry is configured to extract at least one of an even-number-th collected echo signal group and an odd-number-th collected echo signal group from multiple echo signals continuously collected and configured to generate at least one of an even-number-th image and an odd-number-th image using the extracted echo signal group for the multiple channels and sensitivity distribution for the multiple channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventor: Shigehide KUHARA
  • Publication number: 20150309143
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a data acquiring part and a processing circuit. The data acquiring part is configured to acquire a magnetic resonance signal after applying an inversion recovery pulse or a saturation pulse. The processing circuit generates magnetic resonance examination data based on the magnetic resonance signal, by data processing including processing for compensating an incomplete inversion of a longitudinal magnetization resulting from an inversion efficiency of the inversion recovery pulse or processing for compensating an incomplete saturation of a longitudinal magnetization resulting from a saturation efficiency of the saturation pulse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2015
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventor: Shigehide KUHARA
  • Publication number: 20150238149
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a controller and a deriving unit. The controller performs first imaging for acquiring first image data on a region including a target and the diaphragm, second imaging for acquiring, with application of motion detection pulses for detecting a respiratory phase, second image data including the target at a first respiratory phase and third image data including the target at a second respiratory phase different from the first respiratory phase, and third imaging for acquiring fourth image data. The deriving unit detects the position of the diaphragm from the first image data and derives a region to which the motion detection pulses are applied. In the performing of the second imaging, the controller detects a respiratory phase by the application of the detection pulses and controls timings at which the second image data and the third image data are acquired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Shuhei NITTA, Tomoyuki TAKEGUCHI, Taichiro SHIODERA, Shigehide KUHARA
  • Publication number: 20150185302
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores processor-executable instructions that cause the processor to detect cross-sectional positions of a plurality of cross-sectional images to be acquired in an imaging scan from volume data; acquire the cross-sectional images in sequence based on the cross-sectional positions by executing the imaging scan; and after the first cross-sectional image is acquired in the imaging scan, generate a display image, and display the display image on a display, the display image being an image in which a cross-sectional position of a second cross-sectional image which is detected from the volume data is superimposed on the first cross-sectional image, the second cross-sectional image being a cross-sectional image before being acquired and intersecting with the first cross-sectional image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Inventors: Shuhei NITTA, Shigehide KUHARA, Tomoyuki TAKEGUCHI, Taichiro Shiodera, Yukinobu SAKATA
  • Patent number: 8971992
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a collection unit which applies a uniform static magnetic field to a subject and also applies a radio-frequency magnetic field and a gradient magnetic field to the subject in accordance with a predetermined pulse sequence to collect a magnetic resonance signal from the subject, a imaging unit which images the subject based on the magnetic resonance signal collected by the collection unit, a detection unit which detects a respiratory level of the subject, an informing unit which informs the subject of whether the detected respiratory level falls within an allowable range, and a unit which controls the collection unit and the imaging unit in such a manner that the magnetic resonance signal for imaging is collected and the subject is imaged based on the thus collected magnetic resonance signal for imaging when the detected respiratory level falls within the allowable range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Shigehide Kuhara
  • Patent number: 8818487
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus controls image reconstruction based on magnetic resonance signals collected when a peak of detected respiration level falls within an allowable range which changes based on a change in a plurality of peak values of a plurality detected respiration levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Shigehide Kuhara