Patent application number | Description | Published |
20140129248 | USAGE BASED SYSTEM FOR MONITORING A MEDICAL IMAGING DEVICE - A system for profiling operational usage associated with a plurality of medical imaging devices includes an information container processor, a database, a data analyzer module, and an output processor. The information container processor is configured to acquire operational data from each of a plurality of customer entities. The operational data acquired from each respective customer entity may include, for example, an identification of a imaging device used by a respective customer entity; a configuration setting associated with the imaging device; and an identification of one or more of an imaging scanning method utilized by the imaging device, an anatomical region imaged by the imaging device, and a medical condition investigated using the imaging device. The database is configured to store the operational data acquired from each respective customer entity. The data analyzer module is configured to generate one or more usage inquiries; using the database and the usage inquiries, derive one or more findings regarding the operational data acquired from each respective customer entity; and identify a significant finding included in the one or more findings. The output processor is configured to communicate data indicating the significant finding to a destination. | 05-08-2014 |
20140159720 | Methods and Systems for Improving SNR in Multi-Slice Multi-Segment Magnetic Resonance Imaging - A method for operating a Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging system includes generating radio frequency (RF) excitation pulses in patient anatomy to provide subsequent acquisition of associated RF echo data and generating slice select magnetic field gradients for phase encoding and readout RF data acquisition in the patient anatomy. The method also includes acquiring a plurality of slices of an image within a plurality of cycles, each of the plurality of slices being acquired within each of the plurality of cycles and causing, by a control processor, a RF signal generator and a gradient generator to change an order that each of the plurality of slices is acquired between consecutive cycles of the plurality of cycles. | 06-12-2014 |
20140180060 | Methods and Systems for Automated Functional MRI in Clinical Applications - A method for operating an automated functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) system includes controlling, by a control computer, a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) device to apply one or more pulse sequences to a portion of a brain of a patient and controlling, by the control computer, one or more stimulation devices to provide a stimulation of the patient. The method also includes acquiring, by the control computer, functional images of said portion of said brain of the patient in response to the applying of the one or more pulse sequences and during stimulation and receiving, by the control computer, one or more patient responses during the stimulating of the patient. The method further includes synchronizing, by the control computer, the stimulation of the patient, the acquiring of the functional images and the receiving of the one or more patient responses using at least one synchronization signal. | 06-26-2014 |
20140314289 | Methods and Systems for Automatically Determining Magnetic Field Inversion Time of a Tissue Species - A computer-implemented method for determining magnetic field inversion time of a tissue species includes generating a T1-mapping image of a tissue of interest, the T1-mapping image comprising a plurality of T1 values within an expected range of T1 values for the tissue of interest. An image mask is created based on predetermined identification information about the tissue of interest. Next, an updated image mask is created based on a largest connected region in the image mask. The updated image mask is applied to the T1-mapping image to yield a masked image. Then, a mean relaxation time value is determined for the largest connected region. The mean relaxation time value is then used to determine a time point for nulling longitudinal magnetization. | 10-23-2014 |