Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090102484 | BANDWIDTH EXPANSION IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE - A magnetic resonance imaging system includes a primary magnet and a secondary magnet operable to produce magnetic fields within a sample being imaged. The MRI system further includes at least one RF coil that is operable to receive electromagnetic frequencies from the sample. The RF coil is formed from tubing that serves as a cooling conduit through which flows a cooling fluid provided by a cooling source. The cooling fluid cools the RF coils to improve imaging of the sample. | 04-23-2009 |
20100066371 | INTRABODY MRI STACKED FLAT LOOP ANTENNAS AND RELATED SYSTEMS - Elongate intrabody MRI-antenna probes include opposing distal and proximal portions. The distal portion includes at least one multi-turn conductor arranged as a stack of substantially flat loops, each with a substantially rectangular elongate shape. A flat loop can reside on each of a plurality of adjacent vertically stacked substantially planar layers, the flat loops cooperate to define a MRI receive antenna. | 03-18-2010 |
20100137704 | MEDICAL MATS WITH ELECTRICAL PATHS AND METHODS FOR USING THE SAME - The disclosure describes medical mats that provide electrical paths with connectors that connect to various electronic medical or surgical tools. The medical mats can reduce the lengths of cables and define routes that preventing cross-over, looping and/or bunching of loose lengths of long cables. | 06-03-2010 |
20100217113 | CABLE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR MRI SYSTEMS AND RELATED METHODS - The disclosure describes cable management systems that provide adjustable lengths of cables that connect to various electronic medical or surgical tools. The systems can reduce the lengths of loose or hanging cables and define routes that preventing cross-over, looping and/or bunching of loose lengths of long cables. | 08-26-2010 |
20100317961 | MRI-Guided Devices and MRI-Guided Interventional Systems that can Track and Generate Dynamic Visualizations of the Devices in near Real Time - An MRI-guided medical device includes an elongated sheath, an elongated dilator, and an elongated needle. The sheath has a distal end, an opposite proximal end, and a central lumen extending between the proximal and distal ends. The sheath comprises MRI-compatible material and includes a tracking member located adjacent to the sheath distal end that is visible in an MRI image. The dilator comprises MRI-compatible material and is movably disposed within the sheath lumen. A distal end of the dilator is configured to extend outwardly from the sheath distal end and dilator includes at least one tracking member that is visible in an MRI image. The needle is movably disposed within the dilator lumen and is movable between stored and operative positions relative to the dilator. An RF shield may be coaxially disposed within the elongated sheath so as to surround a portion of the sheath central lumen. | 12-16-2010 |
20100317962 | MRI-Guided Devices and MRI-Guided Interventional Systems that can Track and Generate Dynamic Visualizations of the Devices in near Real Time - An MRI-compatible catheter includes an elongated flexible shaft having opposite distal and proximal end portions. A handle is attached to the proximal end portion and includes an actuator in communication with the shaft distal end portion that is configured to articulate the shaft distal end portion. The distal end portion of the shaft may include an ablation tip and includes at least one RF tracking coil positioned adjacent the ablation tip that is electrically connected to an MRI scanner. The at least one RF tracking coil is electrically connected to a circuit that reduces coupling when the at least one RF tracking coil is exposed to an MRI environment. Each RF tracking coil is a 1-10 turn solenoid coil, and has a length along the longitudinal direction of the catheter of between about 0.25 mm and about 4 mm. | 12-16-2010 |
20100321020 | BANDWIDTH EXPANSION IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE - An apparatus for use in a magnetic resonance examination includes a radio frequency receive coil ( | 12-23-2010 |
20130116543 | MRI-GUIDED DEVICES AND MRI-GUIDED INTERVENTIONAL SYSTEMS THAT CAN TRACK AND GENERATE DYNAMIC VISUALIZATIONS OF THE DEVICES IN NEAR REAL TIME - An MRI-guided medical device includes an elongated sheath, an elongated dilator, and an elongated needle. The sheath has a distal end, an opposite proximal end, and a central lumen extending between the proximal and distal ends. The sheath comprises MRI-compatible material and includes a tracking member located adjacent to the sheath distal end that is visible in an MRI image. The dilator comprises MRI-compatible material and is movably disposed within the sheath lumen. A distal end of the dilator is configured to extend outwardly from the sheath distal end and dilator includes at least one tracking member that is visible in an MRI image. The needle is movably disposed within the dilator lumen and is movable between stored and operative positions relative to the dilator. An RF shield may be coaxially disposed within the elongated sheath so as to surround a portion of the sheath central lumen. | 05-09-2013 |
20130123598 | MRI-GUIDED DEVICES AND MRI-GUIDED INTERVENTIONAL SYSTEMS THAT CAN TRACK AND GENERATE DYNAMIC VISUALIZATIONS OF THE DEVICES IN NEAR REAL TIME - An MRI-compatible catheter includes an elongated flexible shaft having opposite distal and proximal end portions. A handle is attached to the proximal end portion and includes an actuator in communication with the shaft distal end portion that is configured to articulate the shaft distal end portion. The distal end portion of the shaft may include an ablation tip and includes at least one RF tracking coil positioned adjacent the ablation tip that is electrically connected to an MRI scanner. The at least one RF tracking coil is electrically connected to a circuit that reduces coupling when the at least one RF tracking coil is exposed to an MRI environment. Each RF tracking coil is a 1-10 turn solenoid coil, and has a length along the longitudinal direction of the catheter of between about 0.25 mm and about 4 mm. | 05-16-2013 |
20130131496 | MRI-GUIDED CATHETERS - An MRI-compatible catheter that reduces localized heating due to MR scanner-induced currents includes an elongated flexible shaft having a distal end portion and an opposite proximal end portion. A handle is attached to the proximal end portion and includes an electrical connector interface configured to be in electrical communication with an MRI scanner. One or more RF tracking coils are positioned adjacent the distal end portion of the shaft. Each RF tracking coil includes a conductive lead, such as a coaxial cable, that extends between the RF tracking coil and the electrical connector interface and electrically connects the RF tracking coil to an MRI scanner. In some embodiments of the present invention, the conductive lead has a length sufficient to define an odd harmonic/multiple of a quarter wavelength of the operational frequency of the MRI Scanner, and/or includes a series of pre-formed back and forth segments along its length. | 05-23-2013 |
20140024909 | MRI-GUIDED CATHETERS - An MRI-compatible catheter reduces localized heating due to MR scanner-induced currents and includes a shaft having opposite distal and proximal end portions. One or more RF tracking coils are positioned adjacent the distal end portion and each includes a conductive lead that electrically connects the RF tracking coil to an MRI scanner. Each lead includes a series of back and forth segments along its length. The catheter includes one or more sensing electrodes at the shaft distal end portion, each electrically connected to a resistor having high impedance. A sheath surrounds a portion of the elongated shaft and includes at least one RF shield coaxially disposed therewithin. Each RF shield includes elongated inner and outer conductors and an elongated dielectric layer of MRI compatible material sandwiched between the inner and outer conductors. The inner and outer conductors are electrically connected at one end and electrically isolated at an opposite end. | 01-23-2014 |
20140034377 | THIN-SLEEVE APPARATUS FOR REDUCING RF COUPLING OF DEVICES IN MRI ENVIRONMENTS - An RF shield for medical interventional devices includes elongated inner and outer conductive tubes, and an elongated dielectric layer of MRI compatible material sandwiched between the inner and outer conductive tubes and surrounding the inner conductor. The inner and outer conductive tubes are electrically connected to each other at only one of the adjacent end portions thereof. The opposite respective end portions are electrically isolated from each other. | 02-06-2014 |
20140046167 | FIBER OPTIC SYSTEMS FOR MRI SUITES AND RELATED DEVICES AND METHODS - Fiber optic systems with an MR compatible mouse in an MR scanner room that connects to a fiber optic computer mouse interface that is attached to a fiber optic cable that connects to a USB port of a computer in the MR control room to allow the mouse in the MR scanner room to move a cursor on a monitor in communication with the computer in the control room of an MRI suite during an MRI guided surgical procedure. The fiber optic cable(s) can be routed though a conventional RF wall waveguide and avoids the need for additional holes in the penetration panel for connectors. The fiber optic systems can also include up converters and down converters for providing fiber optic video signals from cameras in the MR scanner room to display video signal on the monitor. | 02-13-2014 |
20140257086 | MRI COMPATIBLE INTRABODY STYLETS AND RELATED METHODS AND SYSTEMS - Intrabody MRI-compatible medical devices with a rigid stylet body with opposing distal and proximal ends with a wall enclosing at least one cavity extending therebetween. The stylet body has first and second laterally spaced apart and opposing external longitudinally extending recessed surfaces and at least one pair of transversely spaced apart apertures extending through the wall and at least one conductor having a length that extends through the cavity then exits the cavity to define at least one external loop extending between the distal end of the stylet body and the pair of transversely spaced apart apertures. First and second legs of each loop snugly abut a respective first and second recessed surface of the stylet body to thereby cooperate with the stylet body to define a substantially cylindrical shape. The at least one conductor with the at least one loop is configured to act as an MRI antenna. | 09-11-2014 |
20140266205 | INTRA-BODY MEDICAL DEVICES FOR USE IN MRI ENVIRONMENTS - An MRI-compatible intrabody device includes an elongated flexible shaft having a distal end portion, an opposite proximal end portion, an electrical connector interface configured to be in electrical communication with an MRI scanner, and a tracking coil assembly adjacent the shaft distal end portion. The tracking coil assembly includes a first spool having opposing first and second end walls and a second spool having opposing third and fourth end walls. The second spool is in end-to-end relationship with the first spool such that the second and third end walls are in adjacent, spaced-apart relationship. A tracking coil is wound around the first spool, and a coaxial cable is wound around the second spool. An outer conductor of the coaxial cable is connected to one end of the tracking coil and the inner conductor of the coaxial cable is connected to an opposite end of the tracking coil. | 09-18-2014 |