Patents by Inventor William Thomas Dixon
William Thomas Dixon 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).
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Publication number: 20130165767Abstract: Embodiments of systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media for automatic landmarking are presented. A coil including at least one marker is placed on a desired region on interest (ROI) of a subject. Further, a detector detects a position of the marker while translating the subject from a home position in an imaging system into a bore of a magnet in the imaging system. A positioning unit coupled to at least one of the coil, the marker and the detector is configured to initiate automatic translation of the subject from the home position into the magnet bore. Further, the positioning unit determines a distance between the detected marker position and a homogenous position of the magnet based at least on the detected marker position. The positioning unit then controls movement of the subject over the determined distance to the homogenous magnet position for automatically landmarking the desired ROI.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2011Publication date: June 27, 2013Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Robert David Darrow, Ileana Hancu, Eric William Fiveland, William Thomas Dixon
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Patent number: 8232801Abstract: Structural health monitoring using nuclear quadrupole resonance is disclosed. For example, in one embodiment, a method of monitoring stress is provided. The method includes scanning a composite using an NQR spectrometer, the composite having a polymer matrix and a microcrystalline material disposed in the matrix. The microcrystalline material includes molecules having nuclei with respective nuclear quadrupole moments. The method also includes determining microscopic strain distribution indices of the composite from the NQR scans to quantify stress and identify precursors to failure in the composite.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2011Date of Patent: July 31, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Nilesh Tralshawala, Thomas Alan Early, William Thomas Dixon, Waseem Ibrahim Faidi, Thomas Miebach
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Publication number: 20120025827Abstract: Structural health monitoring using nuclear quadrupole resonance is disclosed. For example, in one embodiment, a method of monitoring stress is provided. The method includes scanning a composite using an NQR spectrometer, the composite having a polymer matrix and a microcrystalline material disposed in the matrix. The microcrystalline material includes molecules having nuclei with respective nuclear quadrupole moments. The method also includes determining microscopic strain distribution indices of the composite from the NQR scans to quantify stress and identify precursors to failure in the composite.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2011Publication date: February 2, 2012Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Nilesh Tralshawala, Thomas Alan Early, William Thomas Dixon, Waseem Ibrahim Faidi, Thomas Miebach
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Patent number: 8049501Abstract: A multi-frequency imaging radio frequency (RF) coil operational at three or more different frequencies, with a shifting frequency loop structure proximate the coil and switchably coupled to provide different frequencies when the loop structure is coupled to the coil. In one embodiment one of the frequencies is a proton frequency, one is a sodium frequency, and one of the frequencies is a carbon frequency. One example involves imaging examinations using hyperpolarized compounds.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2009Date of Patent: November 1, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ileana Hancu, Joseph Edward Piel, William Thomas Dixon
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Publication number: 20090256569Abstract: A multi-frequency imaging radio frequency (RF) coil operational at three or more different frequencies, with a shifting frequency loop structure proximate the coil and switchably coupled to provide different frequencies when the loop structure is coupled to the coil. In one embodiment one of the frequencies is a proton frequency, one is a sodium frequency, and one of the frequencies is a carbon frequency. One example involves imaging examinations using hyperpolarized compounds.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2009Publication date: October 15, 2009Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ileana Hancu, Joseph Edward Piel, William Thomas Dixon
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Publication number: 20090253983Abstract: Provided is a method, including accessing or acquiring a phase image including a contrast agent enhanced region and determining a quantity of a contrast agent based on the phase image. Further provided is a computer program for determining the quantity of a substance in a region. The program is constructed and arranged to access or acquire a contrast enhanced image, to execute a fitting algorithm based on data contained in the contrast enhanced image, and to determine the quantity of the substance based on the output/result/outcome of the fitting algorithm.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 7, 2008Publication date: October 8, 2009Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Thomas Kwok-Fah Foo, Daniel James Blezek, William Thomas Dixon
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Patent number: 7009395Abstract: A method and system are provided for acquiring images using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. The method comprises the step of applying a plurality of steady-state free precession (SSFP) radio-frequency (RF) excitation pulses in a selected pattern of varying amplitudes and phases such that signals corresponding to the pattern of pulses are substantially immune to magnetic field inhomogeneity of the MRI system. The pulses have substantially equal spacing between all neighboring pulses and between successive groups of pulses. The method further comprises the step of reading a plurality of signals corresponding to the pulses.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2002Date of Patent: March 7, 2006Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: William Thomas Dixon, Christopher Judson Hardy
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Publication number: 20040265235Abstract: Magnetic resonance (“MR”) contrast-enhancing agents comprise poly(amino acid) backbone chain conjugated to chelating moieties that comprise a plurality of carboxylic acid groups that form coordination complexes with paramagnetic ions. A method for detecting atherosclerotic plaque areas comprises administering at least one of these contrast agents into a subject; and obtaining and comparing MR images of and MR signals from the plaque areas before and after administering the contrast agent. The method can be used to assess an effectiveness of a prescribed course of treatment for atherosclerosis.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 26, 2003Publication date: December 30, 2004Inventors: Egidijus Edward Uzgiris, Mohan Mark Amaratunga, William Thomas Dixon, Paritosh Jayant Dhawale, Ahmad Nadeem Ishague
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Publication number: 20030214293Abstract: A method and system are provided for acquiring images using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. The method comprises the step of applying a plurality of steady-state free precession (SSFP) radio-frequency (RF) excitation pulses in a selected pattern of varying amplitudes and phases such that signals corresponding to the pattern of pulses are substantially immune to magnetic field inhomogeneity of the MRI system. The pulses have substantially equal spacing between all neighboring pulses and between successive groups of pulses. The method further comprises the step of reading a plurality of signals corresponding to the pulses.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2002Publication date: November 20, 2003Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: William Thomas Dixon, Christopher Judson Hardy
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Patent number: 6608479Abstract: A method and system are provided for acquiring images with water and lipid separation using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system comprising applying a plurality of steady-state free precession (SSFP) radio-frequency (RF) excitation pulses to discriminate lipids from water, the pulses having respective inter-pulse gaps between the pulses, the inter-pulse gaps varying among different widths.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2002Date of Patent: August 19, 2003Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: William Thomas Dixon, Christopher Judson Hardy
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Patent number: 6586933Abstract: A method and system are provided for acquiring images with water and lipid separation using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system comprising applying a plurality of steady-state free precession (SSFP) radio-frequency (RF) excitation pulses having respective amplitudes that correspond substantially to a binomial distribution to discriminate lipids from water.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2002Date of Patent: July 1, 2003Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Christopher Judson Hardy, William Thomas Dixon