Patents by Inventor Stephan Biber

Stephan Biber 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: 20210341556
    Abstract: At least one example embodiment provides a magnetic resonance imaging system comprising a field generation unit and a supporting structure for providing structural support for the field generation unit, wherein the field generation unit comprises at least one magnet for generating a B0 magnetic field and an opening configured to provide access to an imaging volume positioned in the B0 magnetic field along at least one direction and wherein the at least one direction is angled with respect to a main direction of magnetic field lines of the B0 magnetic field in the imaging volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Michael MALLETT, Stefan POPESCU, Adrian Mark THOMAS, Stephan BIBER, Matthias GEBHARDT, Thorsten SPECKNER, Thomas BECK, Andreas GREISER
  • Publication number: 20210325525
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method and system for detecting movement of a subject inside a magnetic resonance imaging device. The method includes: providing at least one input signal; using the at least one input signal to generate a higher pilot tone signal having a transmission frequency at least twice as high as the Larmor frequency of the magnetic resonance imaging device; transmitting the higher pilot tone signal towards the subject using a transmitting antenna; receiving the transmitted higher pilot tone signal using a receiving antenna; using the at least one input signal to convert the frequency of the transmitted higher pilot tone signal to an intermediate frequency equal to or lower than the frequency of the input signal; and forwarding the transmitted pilot tone signal to an analysis system to detect changes in the transmitted pilot tone signal caused by movement of the subject.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Inventor: Stephan Biber
  • Publication number: 20210325494
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance tomography system has an interference suppression transmitter and an interference suppression antenna. The interference suppression transmitter is configured to output an interference suppression signal via the interference suppression antenna as a function of a transmission interference suppression parameter determined from a patient property. In a predetermined region of an environment of the magnetic resonance tomography system, a field strength of the excitation pulse is reduced by destructive interference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Inventors: Stephan Biber, Jürgen Nistler, Rainer Schneider, Markus Vester
  • Patent number: 11137469
    Abstract: A calibration method for calibrating a measuring element for determining an electric current flowing through a basic-field magnet of a magnetic resonance imaging system includes performing a measurement with the measuring element, and performing a frequency measurement in the magnetic field of the basic-field magnet with a frequency measuring unit. The measurement of the measuring element and the frequency measurement are corresponding to the same magnetic field of the basic-field magnet. The calibration method also includes calculating a calibration factor based on a deviation between the measurement with the measuring element and the frequency measurement, and calibrating the measuring element or the electric current in the basic-field magnet based on the calibration factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Adrian Bampton, Stephan Biber, Adam Paul Johnstone, Jürgen Nistler, Andreas Potthast, Markus Vester, Andre de Oliveira
  • Patent number: 11119164
    Abstract: A method for operating a magnetic resonance facility is provided herein. The facility has a main magnet unit with a patient-receiving area, a movable, controllable patient table for positioning a patient in the patient-receiving area, a table control unit for controlling the patient table, and, on the main magnet unit, an operating facility that communicates with the table control unit, for operation of the patient table by a user. The operating facility has a first, electronic operating device for setting control parameters for a movement of the patient table to be performed, and a second, mechanical operating device for triggering the movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Stephan Biber, Lennart Kilian
  • Patent number: 11105870
    Abstract: A coil arrangement is for transmitting high frequency radiation. In an embodiment, the coil arrangement includes a transmission coil with a planar design and a passive, tubular part-body coil. The part-body coil is designed to radially enclose an examination volume relative to a direction. The examination volume includes a part of a patient's body. Furthermore, the part-body coil and the transmission coil are galvanically decoupled, and at the same time the part-body coil and the transmission coil are inductively coupled. The transmission coil is designed, by way of an emitted first high frequency radiation, to excite the part-body coil inductively, causing an enforced electromagnetic oscillation. The part-body coil emits second high frequency radiation in the event of an enforced electromagnetic oscillation. The coil arrangement of an embodiment can be used in a magnetic resonance unit without an integrated high frequency unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: SIEMENS HEALTHCARE GMBH
    Inventors: Stephan Biber, Markus Vester
  • Publication number: 20210255267
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a magnetic resonance tomography system and to a method for operation of the magnetic resonance tomography system. The magnetic resonance tomography system has a magnetic unit, which is configured to change a homogeneous magnetic field B0 with a magnetic field strength, which may vary between a first predetermined value on exciting nuclear spins and a second predetermined value on receiving magnetic resonance signals, in a measuring volume in a short, predetermined time, controlled by the magnetic resonance tomography system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Stephan Biber, Markus Vester
  • Publication number: 20210186352
    Abstract: A method is used to operate an MR system having at least one MR body coil and a control device connected to the at least one MR body coil. At least one radiometer is used to measure a body temperature of a body region, which body region can be illuminated by the respective radiometer, of a patient to be examined by the MR system. The measured body temperature is compared with a limit temperature, and an MR transmit power directed at the patient is brought closer to the limit temperature on the basis of a result of the comparison. The radiometer operates, in particular, in a frequency band that differs from the MR band. An MR body coil for performing the method has at least one radiometer antenna and an amplifier connected downstream of the radiometer antenna. The MR body coil can also have an input blocking filter connected downstream of the radiometer antenna and designed to block the MR band.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventor: Stephan Biber
  • Publication number: 20210190890
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a local coil, a magnetic resonance tomography scanner, a system including local coil and magnetic resonance tomography scanner, and a method for operating the system. The local coil has an active detuning facility and a passive detuning facility with substantially separate circuits. The magnetic resonance tomography scanner includes a local coil actuation for actuating the active detuning facility and a local coil monitoring for the detuning facilities, which likewise have substantially separate circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Stephan Biber, Nikolaus Demharter, Franz Eiermann, Klaus Porzelt
  • Publication number: 20210156938
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system can include a magnetic field generator, an image acquisition region and a radiofrequency system including at least one radiofrequency antenna. The radiofrequency system can emit a radiofrequency excitation pulse into the image acquisition region and receive magnetic resonance signals from the image acquisition region. The magnetic field generator can include at least one magnet to generate a magnetic field in the image acquisition region, a magnet holder to carry the at least one magnet and a rotation system to position the magnet holder along a rotation trajectory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Greiser, Rene Kartmann, Stephan Biber
  • Patent number: 11016163
    Abstract: In an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system and a method for controlling a magnetic field gradient applied in the MRI system during an imaging sequence, a first gradient parameter representing a first maximum value of the applicable magnetic field gradients applied over time is determined in view heat generated by the applied magnetic field gradients. A second gradient parameter representing a second maximum value of the applicable magnetic field gradients applied over time is also determined in view heat generated by the applied magnetic field gradients, the second maximum value being different from the first maximum value. A current operating parameter of the MRI system is determined, and either the first gradient parameter or the second gradient parameter is selected for the imaging sequence, dependent on the determined current operating parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Stephan Biber, David Grodzki, Katharina Hesels
  • Publication number: 20210137405
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance tomography scanner and a method for testing the magnetic resonance tomography scanner are provided. The magnetic resonance tomography scanner has a transmitter that is configured to transmit two-tone signals at different levels and to acquire intermodulation products of the two-tone signal with the receiver. A status of a receive path is inferred via a behavior of odd-order intermodulation products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventor: Stephan Biber
  • Publication number: 20210121131
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for monitoring a motion of a subject, as well as to a corresponding system and computer program product. As part of the method, a monitoring signal is emitted towards a corresponding receiver. The motion of the subject is then detected based on a change in the received monitoring signal. Therein, the monitoring signal is emitted using a spread-spectrum technique and/or using an M-to-N and multi-antenna emitter-receiver system with a set of M transmitting antennas and a set of N receiving antennas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2020
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Inventor: Stephan Biber
  • Patent number: 10989782
    Abstract: A method and a magnetic resonance imaging device, and a corresponding computer readable storage medium. The method includes acquiring a distortion function describing a frequency dependence of an amplitude or phase of an MR-signal received by a receiver part of the MRI-device, Fourier transforming K-space data acquired using this receiver part to image space data, generating compensated image space data by compensating for the frequency dependence by dividing the image space data or image space data derived therefrom in image space by the distortion function, and providing the MR-image as the compensated image space data or reconstructed therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: David Grodzki, Stephan Biber, Kun Zhou, De He Weng
  • Publication number: 20210103018
    Abstract: A line for an electrical connection in a magnetic resonance tomography apparatus and a magnetic resonance tomography apparatus with a corresponding line are provided. The line includes an electrical interference conductor that may pick up an electromagnetic interference signal from an environment and/or irradiate the electromagnetic interference signal into the environment. The line also includes a sensor that is electrically and/or magnetically coupled to the interference line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Inventors: Stephan Biber, Markus Vester
  • Publication number: 20210088608
    Abstract: A method for checking a detuning facility of an antenna coil of a magnetic resonance tomography unit, and a magnetic resonance tomography unit for carrying out the method are provided. In the method, a detuning facility of the antenna coil is activated. A first receive signal and a second receive signal are received. The first receive signal and the second receive signal are compared, and a warning signal is output depending on a result of the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventor: Stephan Biber
  • Publication number: 20210080526
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for determining an item of evaluation information from a reception signal received by a magnetic resonance apparatus, a computer program product for carrying out such a method and a magnetic resonance apparatus. The method provides that a useful signal having a first frequency band is generated. The magnetic resonance apparatus is configured to generate a magnetic resonance signal in a second frequency band. The first frequency band lies at least partially, (e.g., completely), within the second frequency band. A reception signal is received by a receiving unit of the magnetic resonance apparatus. From the reception signal, an item of evaluation information is determined which characterizes the useful signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventor: Stephan Biber
  • Publication number: 20210025954
    Abstract: A method for suppressing interference signals during an image acquisition with a magnetic resonance tomography scanner that has an antenna and an interference signal sensor is provided. The magnetic resonance tomography scanner receives a reference interference signal via the interference signal sensor, receives a magnetic resonance signal via the antenna, and reduces a portion of an interference signal in the magnetic resonance signal as a function of the reference interference signal. During the reduction of the interference signal, the method takes into account the fact that the reference interference signal also has a signal portion of the magnetic resonance signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Stephan Biber, David Grodzki
  • Publication number: 20200393527
    Abstract: A method for operating a magnetic resonance facility is provided herein. The facility has a main magnet unit with a patient-receiving area, a movable, controllable patient table for positioning a patient in the patient-receiving area, a table control unit for controlling the patient table, and, on the main magnet unit, an operating facility that communicates with the table control unit, for operation of the patient table by a user. The operating facility has a first, electronic operating device for setting control parameters for a movement of the patient table to be performed, and a second, mechanical operating device for triggering the movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Inventors: Stephan Biber, Lennart Kilian
  • Publication number: 20200396112
    Abstract: A pilot tone device for acquiring physiological data of a patient and a magnetic resonance tomography system with a corresponding pilot tone device are provided. The pilot tone device has a pilot tone transmitter that is designed to transmit a pilot tone in an ISM band.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2020
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Inventors: Stephan Biber, David Grodzki