Entries |
Document | Title | Date |
20080197840 | Non-Invasive Mri Measurement of Tissue Glycogen - In a method for deriving information about a selected monosaccharide or polysaccharide such as glucose or glycogen, a selected modification such as saturation is made of magnetic resonance at a magnetic resonance frequency of protons of hydroxyl groups of the selected monosaccharide or polysaccharide. Probative water proton magnetic resonance data are acquired while the selected modification is substantially in effect. Information is derived about concentration or density of the selected monosaccharide or polysaccharide based at least on the probative water proton magnetic resonance data. | 08-21-2008 |
20080197841 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING ACQUISTION PARAMETERS ASSOCIATED WITH MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING FOR A PARTICULAR MEASUREMENT TIME - An exemplary embodiment of system, computer-accessible medium and method for determining exemplary values for acquisition parameters for a given time (e.g., imaging time) can be provided, e.g., with the exemplary values being selectable to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, method, system and computer accessible medium can be provided for generating data (e.g., image data) associated with at least one portion of a target. For example, at least one first excitation pulse can be forwarded toward the target. A first signal from the target resulting from the at least one first excitation pulse may be acquired using a plurality of acquisition parameters having first values. Further, at least one second excitation pulse can be forwarded toward the target. A second signal from the target resulting from the at least one second excitation pulse may be acquired using a plurality of acquisition parameters having second values, with the second values being different from the first values. The data (e.g., image data) may be generated based on the first and second signals. | 08-21-2008 |
20080197842 | K-T SPARSE: HIGH FRAME-RATE DYNAMIC MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING EXPLOITING SPATIO-TEMPORAL SPARSITY - A method of dynamic resonance imaging is provided. A magnetic resonance imaging excitation is applied. Data in 2 or 3 spatial frequency dimensions, and time is acquired, where an acquisition order in at least one spatial frequency dimension and the time dimension are in a pseudo-random order. The pseudo-random order and enforced sparsity constraints are used to reconstruct a time series of dynamic magnetic resonance images. | 08-21-2008 |
20080204014 | Method for Enhancing the Nmr Signal of a Liquid Solution - The invention relates to an NMR analysis system and method for obtaining an NMR signal from a liquid solution enhanced in relation to the value that it would have on the basis of the thermodynamic equilibrium. It has been discovered in a surprising manner that if the spins of the cores of a highly-polarised polarisation source and the spins of the cores of the liquid solution are irradiated such that a polarisation transfer, such as a Hartmann-Hahn transfer, of the spins of the cores of the source to the spins of the cores of the liquid solution is carried out by means of a coherent coupling resulting from the dipolar field created by the cores of the source, an NMR signal of the liquid solution is obtained, said signal being significantly enhanced in relation to the value it would have on the basis of the thermodynamic equilibrium. | 08-28-2008 |
20080204015 | NMR SYSTEM - In NMR system, for preventing a temperature gradient which causes a decrease in S/N ratio from being created in a sample area while suppressing deterioration in homogeneity of a magnetic field, a thermal conductor having high thermal conductivity is disposed in a room-temperature shim coil. The thermal conductor is provided as a coil bobbin, the temperature of the thermal conductor being controlled by a temperature controller using a heat exchanger. Temperature control gas, which is adjusted to a temperature equal to that of the room-temperature shim coil, is fed from the downside of a sample tube, and it is possible to suppress a temperature gradient from being created in a sample area. According to the present invention, since the temperature distribution can be made to be uniform so as to avoid creating a temperature gradient in the sample area while suppressing deterioration of homogeneity in the magnetic field, the NMR spectrum is sharpened so as to improve the S/N ratio. | 08-28-2008 |
20080211496 | MRI APPARATUS - An MRI apparatus for performing an MRI examination to an object by sequentially applying an imaging method group, which is constituted by time-sequentially arranging a plurality of different imaging methods, to each of the imaging methods, has an imaging method group setting unit, a performing order setting unit and an imaging condition setting unit. The imaging method group setting unit sets the imaging method group. The performing order setting unit sets a performing order as a performing order of the imaging methods constituting the imaging method group. The imaging condition setting unit sets an imaging condition to each of the imaging methods. The workflow setting unit obtains an examination history data corresponding to the imaging method group, the performing order and the imaging condition from the examination history data previously stored to a storage unit, and sets a first workflow relating to the MRI examination by estimating an imaging time of each of the imaging methods in the performing order based on the obtained examination history data. | 09-04-2008 |
20080211497 | MRI APPARATUS - An MRI apparatus includes a navigator device for obtaining information of body motion produced by respiration of a subject by a navigator pulse sequence, and a respiration waveform display device for displaying a respiration waveform on the basis of the body motion information obtained by the navigator device. | 09-04-2008 |
20080218166 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETECTION OF THE POSITION OF AN EXAMINATION PERSON IN A MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM - In a method and arrangement for detection of the position of an examination person on a table in a magnetic resonance system, the examination person on the table is moved relative to the magnetic resonance system, RF pulses are radiated while the examination person is moved through the magnetic resonance system, the resulting magnetic resonance signals caused by the RF pulses are detected and the position of the examination person is determined using the acquired magnetic resonance signals. | 09-11-2008 |
20080224697 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENHANCED MAGNETIC PREPARATION IN MR IMAGING - The present invention provides a system and method of enhanced magnetic preparation in MR imaging. An imaging technique is disclosed such that k-space is segmented into a number of partitions, wherein the central regions of k-space is acquired prior to the periphery of k-space. The imaging technique also includes the application of magnetic preparation pulses at a variable rate. In this regard, the rate of application of magnetic preparations pulses is varied as a function of the distance from the center of k-space. The amplitude of the magnetic preparation pulses is also varied based on the incremental distance of a partition from the center of k-space. | 09-18-2008 |
20080231268 | Imaging Method Based on Fractal Surface-Filling or Space-Filling Curves - The present invention relates to an imaging method and device for nuclear magnetic resonance. On the one hand, the method provides an image coding by means of an additional field which has, for each point of a two-dimensional grating surface within the sample, a different field strength value that occurs only once, as is the case, e.g., in fields based on fractal, surface-filling and space-filling curves. On the other hand, the read-out of the resonance behavior of a sample along a space-filling and/or surface-filling curve can be provided. In the first variant, a magnetic resonance (MR) image with a single high-frequency excitation without a time-varying gradient can be recorded, which in turn advantageously prevents the sound generation associated therewith. In the second variant, the sounds generated during read-out are advantageously shifted to another frequency range in which the human hearing is less sensitive. Furthermore, the device is relieved and the technical requirements with regard to it are reduced. In addition, it can be executed with known and existing devices. | 09-25-2008 |
20080231269 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS, MAGNETIC-RESONANCE IMAGING MAINTENANCE APPARATUS, MAGNETIC-RESONANCE IMAGING MAINTENANCE SYSTEM, AND MAGNETIC-RESONANCE APPARATUS INSPECTING METHOD - A real-time system changes a combination of coil elements and channel assignations for each echo by using a pulse sequence, and collects data without performing phase encoding. A host system then calculates a correlation value of data reconstructed for each channel and reference data. When the correlation value is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the host system judges the coil element combination to be abnormal. The host system makes a level correction on the collected data and creates an alternative solution for the abnormal coil element combination, including a reduction of a number of channels. | 09-25-2008 |
20080231270 | METHOD FOR ADJUSTMENT OF A B1 FIELD OF A MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS - In a method for adjustment of a B1 field in a magnetic resonance apparatus, the position of the measurement subject relative to a coordinate system is determined from a plurality of measurement subjects with a morphological magnetic resonance measurement. Three-dimensionally associable measurement subject data are determined from the measurement subject. Respective tissue types of the measurement subject are determined using the three-dimensional measurement subject data and a segmentation of the measurement subject into regions is effected using the tissue types. Known dielectric properties are respectively associated with the tissue types. The segmentation and the association for all positions of the measurement subject are recorded in respective entries of a database, such that the database contains all entries of the measurement subjects. A radio-frequency simulation for an transmission coils is implemented with the entries of the database, with which electrical field distributions and/or B1 field distributions related to spatial elements are determined as a simulation result and are entered as results into the database. For further magnetic resonance examinations, the entries of the database are used for determination of an optimized current distribution for elements of a transmission coil with which the B1 field is ultimately adjusted. | 09-25-2008 |
20080231271 | Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and magnetic resonance imaging method - An MRI apparatus includes an imaging signal acquisition unit, a motion signal acquisition unit, a motion amount determination unit, a motion correction unit and an image reconstruction unit. The imaging signal acquisition unit acquires MR signals as imaging signals. The motion signal acquisition unit repetitively acquires MR signals having PE amount less than that of the imaging signals as motion signals. The motion amount determination unit obtains a motion amount using the motion signals. The motion correction unit performs correction processing of the imaging signals in accordance with the motion amount. The image reconstruction unit reconstructs an image using the imaging signals after the correction processing. | 09-25-2008 |
20080238421 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes an imaging condition setting unit and an image data acquisition unit. The imaging condition setting unit sets an imaging condition with applying first and second suppression pulses of which at least ones of types, center frequencies and frequency bands are different from each other. The first and the second suppression pulses frequency-selectively suppress at least one of fat and silicone. The image data acquisition unit acquires image data according to the imaging condition. | 10-02-2008 |
20080238422 | Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and magnetic resonance imaging method - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a data acquisition unit and an image data generating unit. The data acquisition unit acquires data according to a sequence derived by adding a coherent control pulse on a Steady-State Free Precession pulse sequence for repeating plural radio frequency excitations with a constant interval. The coherent control pulse has a center at a substantially center time between adjacent radio frequency excitations and a zero-order moment of which amount is zero. The image data generating unit generates image data based on the data. | 10-02-2008 |
20080246474 | MRI APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - An MRI apparatus which performs MR imaging in an SSFP pulse sequence in which RF excitation is accomplished by a phase cycling method is caused; to collect data regarding all the frequency regions in a k-space in an SSFP pulse sequence in a first phase series out of a plurality of phase series; to collect data regarding low frequency regions in the k-space in the SSFP pulse sequence in the remaining phase series out of the plurality of phase series; to reconstruct an image by Fourier transform of the data regarding all the frequency regions collected in the SSFP pulse sequence in said first phase series; to generate frequency data of the k-space by inverse Fourier transform of said image; to separate said frequency data into data of the low frequency regions in the k-space and data of high frequency regions; to add data whose value is 0 to said separated data of the low frequency regions as substitute for the data of the high frequency regions; to add data whose value is 0 to said separated data of the high frequency regions as substitute for the data of the low frequency regions; to add data whose value is 0 to the data of the low frequency regions collected in the SSFP pulse sequence in the remaining phase series as substitute for the data of the high frequency regions; to reconstruct low space frequency images based on the low frequency regions to which said substitute data have been added; to reconstruct high space frequency images based on the high frequency regions to which said substitute data have been added; and to totally add said low space frequency images and said high space frequency images multiplied by a scaling factor. | 10-09-2008 |
20080246475 | MRI apparatus and MRI method - An MRI apparatus includes an application unit that applies a readout gradient magnetic field in which magnetic field strength thereof varies with time and RF pulses to a subject placed in a static magnetic field in accordance with a predetermined pulse sequence; a receiving unit that receives an MR signal obtained from the subject to which the readout gradient magnetic field and the RF pulses are applied; an AD converter that converts the received MR signal from analog to digital, and samples discrete MR-signal values; a filtering control unit that performs filtering processing on the sampled discrete MR-signal values, including a filter-coefficient setting unit that sets a plurality of filter coefficients to be used for the filtering processing with respect to each point of sampling time at which the filtering processing is to be performed, based on time-shift amounts corresponding to variations in an MR-signal frequency arising from temporal variations in the magnetic field strength, and a product-sum operating unit that performs the filtering processing on the MR-signal values by performing a product-sum operation between the filter coefficients and the MR-signal values; and an image-data creating unit that creates image data based on the MR-signal values on which the filtering processing is performed. | 10-09-2008 |
20080246476 | SELF-FASTENING CAGE SURROUDING A MAGNETIC RESONANCE DEVICE AND METHODS THEREOF - The present invention discloses a novel self-fastening cage of a magnetic resonance device (MRD) ( | 10-09-2008 |
20080252290 | Rapid MRI dynamic imaging using MACH - An MRI includes at least a singular imaging channel which uses a smoothly varying sampling pattern to sparsely sample k-space as a series of parallel lines over time to acquire data of an object. The MRI includes a computer in communication with the imaging channel that performs a signal processing routine to interpolate the data and fill in points of k-space which were not sampled by the imaging channels and produce an image of the object. A method for using an MRI includes the steps of acquiring data of an object with at least a singular imaging channel of the MRI which uses a smoothly varying sampling pattern to sparsely sample k-space as a series of parallel lines over time. There is the step of performing a signal processing routine with a computer in communication with the imaging channel to interpolate the data and fill in points of k-space which were not sampled by the imaging channels. There is the step of producing an image of the object. | 10-16-2008 |
20080258723 | Magnetic Resonance Imaging Apparatus and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Method - Generation of an artifact in an image under a transition state up to a steady state is suppressed and image quality is improved by executing the following pulse sequence. In the coherent SSFP method, a gradient magnetic field is applied so that an integrated value of time of a gradient magnetic field in a slice selection direction becomes a predetermined value which is not zero in a repetition time. Specifically, a gradient magnetic field Gs | 10-23-2008 |
20080258724 | Magnetic resonance imaging visualization method and system - The present technique provides a system and method for processing an image. Particularly the method comprises acquiring image data in frequency space (k-space) of an imaged volume and obtaining a three-dimensional (3-D) k-space volume representative of the imaged volume based on the acquired k-space data. The method further comprises selecting a two-dimensional (2-D) plane from the 3-D k-space volume and applying an inverse Fourier transform to the selected 2-D plane to obtain a real 2-D X-ray-like (or enhanced rendering) projection of the imaged volume offering insights into the 3-D data. | 10-23-2008 |
20080258725 | Non iterative shimming in magnetic resonance imaging in the presence of high LIPID levels - For the brain, a variety of automated non-iterative shimming methods using phase evolution derived B | 10-23-2008 |
20080272775 | QUANTUM THEORY-BASED CONTINUOUS PRECISION NMR/MRI: METHOD AND APPARATUS - A method for spin magnetic resonance applications in general, and for performing NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) and MRI (nuclear magnetic resonance imaging) in particular is disclosed. It is a quantum theory—based continuous precision method. This method directly makes use of spin magnetic resonance random emissions to generate its auto-correlation function and power spectrum, from which are derived the relaxation times and spin number density. The method substantially reduces the NMR/MRI machine and data processing complexity, thereby making NMR/MRI machines much less-costly, much less-bulky, more accurate, and easier to operate than the current pulsed NMR/MRI. By employing extremely low transverse RF magnetic B | 11-06-2008 |
20080272776 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGE ACQUISITION WITH SUPPRESSION OF BACKGROUND TISSUES AND RF WATER EXCITATION AT OFFSET FREQUENCY - Background tissue signals such as water and/or fat are suppressed in an MR image by using an imaging agent that chemically shifts the tissue spins of interest. An imaging pulse sequence is used to acquire the image data using an RF excitation pulse that is tuned to the off-resonance tissue spins of interest with the saturation pulse sequences being interleaved with the imaging pulse sequences to selectively suppress signals from on-resonance background tissues such as water and/or fat. | 11-06-2008 |
20080278159 | TURBOSPIN ECHO IMAGING SEQUENCE WITH LONG ECHO TRAINS AND OPTIMIZED T1 CONTRAST - In a method in the form of a turbo spin echo imaging sequence with long echo trains and optimized T1 contrast for generation of T1-weighted images of an examination subject by magnetic resonance, magnetization in the examination subject is excited with an RF excitation pulse, a number N of RF refocusing pulses with variable flip angle are radiated to generate multiple spin echoes for an excitation pulse, a restoration pulse chain is activated after switching of the N refocusing pulses and before the next RF excitation pulse. The restoration pulse chain influences the magnetization such that the magnetization is aligned opposite to the direction of the basic magnetic field by the restoration pulse chain before the next RF excitation pulse. | 11-13-2008 |
20080278160 | Dynamic pMRI using GRAPPA-operator - Example systems, methods, and apparatus facilitate providing a k-space line that is missing in an under-sampled time frame. The missing line is computed by applying a GRAPPA-operator to a known k-space line in the under-sampled time frame. One example method includes controlling a dynamic parallel magnetic resonance imaging (DpMRI) apparatus to acquire a first under-sampled time interleaved frame having at least one first k-space line and controlling the DpMRI apparatus to acquire a second under-sampled time interleaved frame having at least one second k-space line that neighbors the first k-space line. The method includes assembling a reference data set from the first under-sampled time frame and the second under-sampled time frame and then determining the GRAPPA-operator from neighboring k-space lines in the reference data set. | 11-13-2008 |
20080278161 | Conjugate symmetry in parallel imaging - Example systems, methods, and apparatus associated with conjugate symmetry in parallel imaging are provided. One example method includes controlling a parallel magnetic resonance imaging (pMRI) apparatus to acquire a first magnetic resonance (MR) signal from a first point in k-space using a phased array of receiving coils. The method also includes identifying a second point in k-space that is related to the first point by a conjugate symmetry relation. The relation may be, for example, a reflection, a rotation, and so on. The method also includes determining a second MR signal associated with the second point based, at least in part, on the first MR signal and the conjugate symmetry relation and then reconstructing an MR image based, at least in part, on both the first MR signal and the second MR signal. | 11-13-2008 |
20080278162 | Cartesian continuous sampling with unequal gradients - Example methods and apparatus control ratios between a maximum gradient amplitude (MGA) of a readout lobe (G | 11-13-2008 |
20080284426 | WATER MAPPING USING SURFACE NMR - A method for selecting a location of a wellbore includes: using a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) instrument deployed on a surface of a production area, determining a location of ground water in the production area; and locating the wellbore according to the location of the ground water. A system and a computer program product are disclosed as well as a method for performing steam assisted gravity recovery. | 11-20-2008 |
20080284427 | Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer Based Mri Using Reporter Genes and Mri Methods Related Thereto - Featured are a new class of reporter genes including reporter compositions as well as methods, MRI systems and MRI imaging kits related thereto. The genes according to the present invention provide MR contrast when the sample/subject is irradiated at a specific off-resonance radio-frequency (RF frequency), where the contrast mechanism utilizes chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) technique for imaging. | 11-20-2008 |
20080284428 | Pet/Mr Scanner with Time-of-Flight Capability - In a combined scanner, a main magnet ( | 11-20-2008 |
20080284429 | Situ Hyperpolarization of Imaging Agents - The present invention generally relates to compositions, systems and methods for inducing nuclear hyperpolarization in imaging agents after they have been introduced into a subject. | 11-20-2008 |
20080284430 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE STAGE MICROSCOPE - A magnetic resonance (MR) microscope and a dual-mode optic and MR microscope system are disclosed, The MR microscope is provided with a horizontal stage above which a sample to be analyzed is located, a radiofrequency coil assembly located above the horizontal stage and below the sample, a magnetic field gradient module located under the horizontal stage, and a heat exchange unit thermally coupled to the magnetic field gradient module and located under the magnetic field gradient module. The dual-mode optic and MR microscope system is provided with an MR microscope and an optical microscope, the optical microscope comprising a mirror located above the sample | 11-20-2008 |
20080284431 | METHOD TO DETERMINE THE MEASUREMENT WORKFLOW OF A MAGNETIC RESONANCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS IN THE GENERATION OF SLICE IMAGES OF A SUBJECT - In a method for determination of the measurement workflow of a magnetic resonance tomography apparatus in the generation of slice images of a subject, a number of slice images to be generated is established. A total number of measurement regions is established for each of the slice images, with one measurement being necessary for the acquisition of the data of each of the measurement regions. An individual measurement sequence is determined for each slice image, comprising an excitation and a determined number of successive measurements of different measurement regions of the appertaining slice image, with a number of measurement sequences being necessary for acquisition of all measurement regions of the appertaining slice image. The individual measurement sequences are to be distributed to a determined number of measurement streams is determined. An order is established as to the distribution of the entirety of measurements of a respective slice image among the measurement streams. | 11-20-2008 |
20080284432 | METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM - In a method for controlling a magnetic resonance system with a number of individually controllable transmission channels, a limited number of antenna control parameter sets are available that are associated with respective different examination situation classes that are defined with regard to specific examination situation parameters. The antenna control parameter sets include, for each of the transmission channels, a channel value or a channel value combination with which a relative amplitude and a relative phase of a radio-frequency signal emitted via the appertaining transmission channel are defined. Respective current examination situation parameter values to be associated with the examination situation parameters for the magnetic resonance measurement to be implemented are then detected and one of the examination situation classes is selected based on this. The magnetic resonance measurement is then implemented with the antenna control parameter set associated with the selected examination situation class. | 11-20-2008 |
20080297151 | MRI phantom and MRI system - It is intended to provide a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) phantom for | 12-04-2008 |
20080303519 | Automatic Selection of a Receiver Element in an Mri Apparatus - The magnetic resonance apparatus comprises a carrier ( | 12-11-2008 |
20080309333 | Motion-Dependent Data Acquisition in Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy - The invention relates to a magnetic resonance (MR) system for acquiring MR data from a subject ( | 12-18-2008 |
20080309334 | IMAGE GENERATING METHOD, POSITION CORRECTING METHOD AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS - A method for generating an image, based on a plurality of magnetic resonance signals received and obtained by a plurality of RF coils by scanning a subject lying within a static magnetic field space by the RF coils in accordance with a parallel imaging method, including: a first step for selecting a reference magnetic resonance signal used as a reference from the magnetic resonance signals, based on profiles of the magnetic resonance signals; a second step for calculating a frequency difference corresponding to a difference between a frequency maximum in signal intensity at the reference magnetic resonance signal selected at the first step, and a frequency at the center of a k space; a third step for setting the frequency difference calculated at the second step as a displacement for displacing all the magnetic resonance signals, and displacing the magnetic resonance signals, based on the displacement; and a fourth step for executing half echo processing on the magnetic resonance signals displaced at the third step. | 12-18-2008 |
20080315874 | PASSENGER INSPECTION SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR USING THE SAME - A passenger inspection system includes a metal detection sensor integrated with a quadrupole resonance sensor and configured to detect weapons and/or explosives that may be present proximate the feet and/or lower legs of a person. Additionally, a weapons detection sensor may include one or more pairs of transmit coils and receive coils that are vertically mounted to the interior sidewalls of the passenger inspection system and configured to detect symmetrical and nonsymmetrical threats present on a portion of a person's legs. Methods for operating embodiments of the passenger inspection system are also disclosed. | 12-25-2008 |
20080315875 | Biological detector and method - A biological detector includes a conduit for receiving a fluid containing one or more magnetic nanoparticle-labeled, biological objects to be detected and one or more permanent magnets or electromagnet for establishing a low magnetic field in which the conduit is disposed. A microcoil is disposed proximate the conduit for energization at a frequency that permits detection by NMR spectroscopy of whether the one or more magnetically-labeled biological objects is/are present in the fluid. | 12-25-2008 |
20080315876 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGE GENERATING METHOD - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus configured to scan a subject in order to collect magnetic resonance signals from the subject in a magnetostatic field space, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a scanning unit configured to execute an imaging pulse sequence after executing a preparation pulse sequence to transmit preparation pulses. The scanning unit, in executing the preparation pulse sequence, excites a spin of the subject by successively transmitting a first chemical saturation pulse, a T2 preparation pulse and a second chemical saturation pulse, which is a reversed pulse; transmits a first killer gradient pulse after transmitting the first chemical saturation pulse and before transmitting the T2 preparation pulse; transmits a second killer gradient pulse after transmitting the T2 preparation pulse and before transmitting the second chemical saturation pulse; and transmits a third killer gradient pulse after transmitting the second chemical saturation pulse and before executing the imaging pulse sequence. | 12-25-2008 |
20090001984 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR K-SPACE AND HYBRID-SPACE BASED IMAGE RECONSTRUCTION FOR PARALLEL IMAGING AND ARTIFACT CORRECTION - A method for performing correction in an autocalibrated, multi-shot MR imaging data acquisition includes performing correction on k-space data in an autocalibration region for each shot individually and then combining the corrected k-space data from each shot to form a corrected reference autocalibration region. Uncorrected source k-space data points are “trained to” the corrected k-space data from the corrected reference autocalibration region to determine coefficients that are used to synthesize corrected k-space data in the outer, undersampled regions of k-space. Similarly, acquired k-space lines in the outer, undersampled regions of k-space may also be replaced by corrected synthesized k-space data. The corrected k-space data from the corrected reference autocalibration region may be combined with the synthesized corrected k-space data for the outer, undersampled regions of k-space to reconstruct corrected images corresponding to each coil element. The corrected images corresponding to each coil element may be combined into a resultant image. | 01-01-2009 |
20090009166 | METHOD OF USING G-MATRIX FOURIER TRANSFORMATION NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE (GFT NMR) SPECTROSCOPY FOR RAPID CHEMICAL SHIFT ASSIGNMENT AND SECONDARY STRUCTURE DETERMINATION OF PROTEINS - The present invention presents a new approach to rapidly obtaining precise high-dimensional NMR spectral information, named “GFT NMR spectroscopy”, which is based on the phase sensitive joint sampling of the indirect dimensions spanning a subspace of a conventional NMR experiment. The phase-sensitive joint sampling of several indirect dimensions of a high-dimensional NMR experiment leads to largely reduced minimum measurement times when compared to FT NMR. This allows one to avoid the “sampling limited” data collection regime. Concomitantly, the analysis of the resulting chemical shift multiplets, which are edited by the G-matrix transformation, yields increased precision for the measurement of the chemical shifts. Additionally, methods of conducting specific GFT NMR experiments as well as methods of conducting a combination of GFT NMR experiments for rapidly obtaining precise chemical shift assignment and determining the structure of proteins or other molecules are disclosed. | 01-08-2009 |
20090009167 | Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging with Short Echo Times - Radio frequency (rf) pulses are applied to a sample to produce magnetic resonance (MR) echo signals from the sample at multiple different echo times. Magnetic field gradients are applied to the sample to select for acquisition components of each MR echo signal. The selected components correspond to groups of radial projections in k-space. Each group is associated with one of the echo times. Each group defines a different set of projection angles in the k-space, and the groups are interleaved to reduce streak artifacts in spectroscopic images associated with a resonance frequency. Images of the sample are generated based on acquired MR signals. In some implementations, an echo time of eight microseconds or less is included in the multiple different echo times. | 01-08-2009 |
20090009168 | System and method for minimizing MRI-imaging artifacts - Methods of, and systems for, simultaneously compensating for external-magnetic-field inhomogeneity as well as radiofrequency magnetic-field inhomogeneity in an MRI system. In one method embodiment, a pulse sequence is applied when the transmitter-reference frequency is delivered on resonance. The pulse sequence includes radiofrequency pulses which may be applied at arbitrary-excitation-flip angles that are not necessarily 90° degrees. The pulse sequence also includes spin-locking pulses applied in concert with a refocusing-composite pulse. In another method embodiment, a pulse sequence is applied when the transmitter-reference frequency is delivered off resonance. This off-resonance-pulse sequence includes radiofrequency pulses which may be applied at arbitrary-excitation-flip angles that are not necessarily 90° degrees. Sandwiched between the excitation-flip angles are at least two off-resonance-spin-lock pulses applied at an inverse phase and frequency from each other. | 01-08-2009 |
20090015255 | Demagnetized Implant for Magnetic Resonance Imaging - A method of operating a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system is described. A magnetic element in an implanted medical device is demagnetized by exposing it to an external demagnetizing magnetic field. Magnetic resonance imaging of the patient is performed. Then the magnetic element is remagnetized without removing it from the implanted medical device by exposing the magnetic element to an external remagnetizing magnetic field. | 01-15-2009 |
20090027050 | FREQUENCY SWEPT EXCITATION FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE - A method of magnetic resonance is provided that uses a frequency swept excitation wherein the acquired signal is a time domain signal is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises, applying a sweeping frequency excitation and acquiring a time domain signal. The sweeping frequency excitation has a duration and is configured to sequentially excite isochromats having different resonant frequencies. Acquisition of the time domain signal is done during the duration of the sweeping frequency excitation. The time domain signal is based on evolution of the isochromats. | 01-29-2009 |
20090033325 | Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Measuring Method for Solid Samples - In the IR (Inversion Recovery) method, to observe a phenomenon in which a nuclear spin returns to a steady state, a 90-degree pulse is irradiated after a lapse of time τ after finishing applying a 180-degree pulse. An FID signal starts being processed after a lapse of reception delay time Dd after finishing applying the 90-degree pulse. Among the FID signals from protons in a plurality of environments in a solid sample, an FID signal high in time-dependent attenuation rate almost disappears during the lapse of reception delay time Dd. Therefore, an FID signal of a proton in an environment intended to be measured can be easily selected and extracted from FID signals of other protons. | 02-05-2009 |
20090033326 | SIMULTANEOUSLY CYCLED NMR SPECTROSCOPY - The present invention relates to a method for simultaneously conducting multiple steps of a cycle of a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiment without the use of pulsed magnetic field gradients during signal detection in which one or more spatially selective radiofrequency pulses are applied to a sample under conditions effective to simultaneously spatially distribute the radiofrequency power associated with each of the cycle steps to a plurality of spatially discrete sections within the sample such that each section executes an individual step of the cycle and the resultant NMR signals from each of the cycle steps are produced simultaneously. | 02-05-2009 |
20090039882 | METHOD AND SYSTEM OF MR IMAGING WITH REDUCED FSE CUSP ARTIFACTS - Coil sensitivity of a receive coil to a gradient null location is measured and, from the measurements, a coil calibration value is determined and used to modify the MR data acquired with that receive coil to reduce the adverse effects of gradient nulling on MR images. Coil sensitivity values are determined for each coil of a coil array and the data for each coil is respectively weighted. An image that is substantially free of gradient null artifacts or ghosting is then reconstructed from the weighted data. | 02-12-2009 |
20090039883 | Singlet-state exchange NMR spectroscopy for the study of very slow dynamic proceses - A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method for singlet-state exchange NMR-spectroscopy comprises steps of excitation of single-quantum in-phase coherences, generation of single-quantum anti-phase coherences, excitation of zero-quantum coherences ZQ | 02-12-2009 |
20090039884 | CONTINUOUS WAVE NUCLEAR QUADRUPOLE RESONANCE SPECTROMETER - Apparatus and methods for locating a nuclear quadrupole resonance are described. In an example method, a search frequency is adjusted using a blind search until a resonance absorption of an analyte is detected, and then an extremum seeking search to be used to locate an extremum frequency. | 02-12-2009 |
20090045811 | NOVEL METHOD FOR SEQUENCE DETERMINATION USING NMR - The invention relates to methods for analyzing polysaccharides. In particular, compositional and sequence information about the polysaccharides are derived. Some methods use NMR in conjunction with another experimental method, such as, capillary electrophoretic techniques for the analysis. | 02-19-2009 |
20090051360 | Method for the Acquisition of Data Relating to Multi-Dimensional NMR Spectra By Means of Frequency-Dependent Convolution - In a method for the acquisition of data relating to multi-dimensional NMR spectra (designated as the SHARC protocol—SHaped, ARrayed aCquisition Protocol), crossed signals are shifted at will in frequency space using selective pulses and frequency dependent folding. | 02-26-2009 |
20090058417 | Test object for use with diffusion MRI and system and method of synthesizing complex diffusive geometries using novel gradient directions - A test object for use with diffusion MRI and a system and methods of synthesizing complex diffusive geometries. The test object, which includes anisotropic structures, can be used to monitor DTI measures by providing a baseline measurement. Using measurements of the phantom, data characteristic of more complicated diffusive behavior can be “synthesized”, or composed of actual measurements re-arranged into a desired spatial distribution function describing diffusion. Unlike a typical DTI scan, the ADC measurements of the present invention are treated in a “reconstruction” phase as if the gradients were applied in different directions. Given a set of reconstruction directions, a judicious choice of acquisition directions for each reconstruction direction allows for the synthesis of any distribution. | 03-05-2009 |
20090079427 | MULTIPLY PHASE-CYCLED STEADY STATE FREE PRECESSION SEQUENCE AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS FOR IMPLEMENTATION THEREOF - A multiply phase-cycled steady state free precession sequence has at least two sub-sequences with alternating radio-frequency excitation pulses. An intermediate image data set is generated from raw data that are acquired with each sub-sequence. A resulting image data set is formed from the intermediate image data sets. Radio-frequency excitation pulses for different sub-sequences have supplementary phases differing from one another, such that successive radio-frequency excitation pulses cannot lead to a non-alternating excitation in any sub-sequence. A magnetic resonance apparatus has a corresponding apparatus controller that implements the sequence. | 03-26-2009 |
20090085562 | Method of Operating a Dynamic Nuclear Polarization System - A method of operating a DNP system comprising: a cryostat ( | 04-02-2009 |
20090085563 | Magnetic resonance imaging system - A magnetic resonance measurement technique is provided which shortens the measurement time while suppressing artifacts caused by body movement of a measuring object and enables high-speed imaging. An excitation pulse which excites a plurality of slice planes and an excitation pulse which excites slice planes perpendicular to the slice planes are applied and a plurality of substantially parallel linear crossing areas are simultaneously measured. Spatial information of a linear direction of the crossing areas is acquired by modulating a magnetic resonance signal from the crossing areas by a gradient magnetic field. A spatial information of a direction perpendicular to the linear direction is acquired by changing the position of the plane and an image is reconstructed. | 04-02-2009 |
20090085564 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER ACCESSIBLE MEDIUM FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROCOPIC IMAGING - An exemplary embodiment of system, method, and computer accessible medium for magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging for improving signal-to-noise ratio per unit time and optimizing duty cycle in MRSI and/or for reducing chemical-shift artifacts can be provided. One exemplary embodiment includes forwarding an excitation pulse to the target and acquiring a signal from the target by multiplexing in time and space. Multiplexing in time may involve segmenting a field of view of the at least one portion of the target into a predetermined number of slabs that are acquired sequentially during each repetition time. Multiplexing in space may involve acquiring multiple voxels. Data may be generated based on the acquired signal. A further exemplary embodiment includes providing an excitation pulse to the target and acquiring a signal from the target. The excitation pulse can be a series of cascaded Hadamard pulse components. Data may be generated based on the acquires signal. | 04-02-2009 |
20090085565 | Parametric Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance Spectroscopy System and Method - A system and method for probing a specimen to determine one or more components by utilizing a first signal to excite the specimen at a nuclear quadrupole resonant frequency and observing changes in a specimen property. One exemplary property may be dielectric constant. Another exemplary property may be magnetic permeability. In one embodiment, the first signal is unmodulated and a second signal is observed for the presence of modulation at the frequency of the first signal. Alternatively, the first signal may be modulated and the second signal may be observed for the presence of the modulation. A system is disclosed wherein the specimen is excited using the first frequency and a radar at the second frequency is used to observe changes in radar reflectivity of the specimen due to the excitation. | 04-02-2009 |
20090091321 | SELF NAVIGATING CARTESIAN TRAJECTORY - A method for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is provided. A magnetic resonance excitation is provided. A magnetic field is read out through k-space using winders, wherein some of the winders overlap for a length of the winders. Readout data from overlapping lengths of winders is used to estimate motion. The readout may use a two dimensional discrete Fourier transform acquisition. | 04-09-2009 |
20090091322 | Single-shot magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging with partial parallel imaging - The present invention has a magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) method that allows collecting a complete spectroscopic image with one spectral dimension and up to three spatial dimensions in a single signal excitation. The method employs echo-planar spatial-spectral encoding combined with phase encoding interleaved into the echo-planar readout train and partial parallel imaging to reconstruct spatially localized absorption mode spectra. This approach enables flexible tradeoff between gradient and RF encoding to maximize spectral width and spatial resolution. Partial parallel imaging (e.g. SENSE or GRAPPA) is employed with this methodology to accelerate the phase encoding dimension. A preferred implementation is with the recently developed superresolution parallel MRI method, which accelerates along both the readout and phase encoding dimensions and thus enables particularly large spectral width and spatial resolution. The symmetrical k-space trajectory of this methodology is designed to compensate phase errors due to convolution of spatial and spectral encoding. This method is suitable for hyperpolarized MRSI, spatial mapping of the diffusion coefficients of biochemicals and functional MRI using quantitative mapping of water relaxation. | 04-09-2009 |
20090091323 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprises static magnetic field generating means for generating a static magnetic field in an imaging space, a gradient magnetic field generating means for generating a gradient magnetic field in the imaging space, high-frequency magnetic field generating means for generating a high-frequency magnetic field so as to induce nuclear magnetic resonance in a subject placed in the imaging space, signal receiving means for detecting a nuclear magnetic resonance signal from the subject, signal processing means for reconstructing an image by using the detected nuclear magnetic resonance signal, display means for displaying the image, a table for placing the subject thereon to dispose the subject in the imaging means, and table moving means for moving the table on which the subject is placed. | 04-09-2009 |
20090096447 | ELECTRIC POTENTIAL SENSOR FOR USE IN THE DETECTION OF NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SIGNALS - The present invention provides nuclear magnetic resonance apparatus comprising means for applying a static magnetic field (H | 04-16-2009 |
20090108842 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND RADIO FREQUENCY PULSE WAVEFORM GENERATING METHOD - An MRI apparatus comprises a waveform controlling means for calculating a radio frequency pulse and applying the pulse to an irradiating means, and the waveform controlling means reads out a radio frequency pulse waveform vector from a first memory means which memorizes multiple radio frequency pulse waveform vectors, calculates a simulated irradiation pattern, and calculates a radio frequency pulse waveform which gives the minimum value of weighted sum of squares of differences of absolute values and squares of differences of phases for an ideal irradiation pattern and the simulated irradiation pattern. An RF pulse waveform showing superior ideal irradiation pattern reproducibility and providing reduced power of the RF waveform is formed, and safety of MRI subject is improved by performing imaging using such an RF pulse. | 04-30-2009 |
20090121712 | Dynamic nuclear polarization enhanced nuclear magnetic resonance of water under ambient conditions - A method and apparatus are provided for treating hydrated material in a fluid that contains water in which a stable nitroxide is attached to the hydrated material. A dynamic nuclear polarization process (DNP) is conducted on the hydrated material whereby to hyperpolarize the water. A polarization cell contains the hydrated material to obtain hyperpolarized water free from the nitroxide. The dynamic nuclear polarization process is conducted using components comprising a tunable, solid state high power X-band driver and an X-band resonator for microwave transmission to the hydrated material. The components can also include a radio-frequency nuclear magnetic resonance probe, a permanent magnet formed to receive the hydrated material, a portable nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, and an electron spin resonance detector. The components can be sized to be portable, and include electrical input and output and a lap-size hard-case with access to the electrical input and output. | 05-14-2009 |
20090128145 | Apparatus and method for obtaining magnetic resonance imaging or spectroscopy data from live tissue samples - Disclosed herein is a system useful for obtaining magnetic resonance imaging data of longterm tissue slice cultures that typically survive well beyond 12 hours after tissue procurement. The system comprises a first support member comprising a perimeter defining a first interior space and a second support member. The first and second support members are configured such that they can secure a substrate having a live tissue sample disposed thereon when said first and second support members are brought together. Further, the system comprises a chamber into which the first and second support members, when brought together, may be disposed. Also disclosed herein is a method of producing magnetic resonance imaging data from a live tissue sample, said method comprising obtaining a tissue sample comprising live cells, culturing said tissue sample under conditions to keep cells of said tissue alive for at least 12 hours, and subjecting said tissue sample to magnetic resonance imaging. | 05-21-2009 |
20090134868 | Magnet assembly - A magnet assembly for use in carrying out nuclear magnetic resonance experiments on a body or sample. The assembly comprises a set of superconducting coils ( | 05-28-2009 |
20090140734 | READOUT ORDERING IN COLLECTION OF RADIAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING DATA - In a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, a sensor ( | 06-04-2009 |
20090140735 | TEMPERATURE-CONTROLLED MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD AND APPARATUS - A method for improving the imaging quality of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment and MRI equipment, include obtaining a corresponding relationship between a deterioration factor of imaging quality and the cumulative energy of gradient pulses applied by successive scanning MRI sequences, then determining a predicted value of a current deterioration factor of imaging quality according to the currently applied cumulative energy of the gradient pulses and said corresponding relationship, adopting a corresponding method to carry out dynamic regulation or compensation using the predicted value of said deterioration factor of imaging quality as a reference, so as to cancel the influence produced by the heating effect of the gradient system to the imaging quality, thereby effectively improving the imaging quality of the MRI equipment. | 06-04-2009 |
20090146657 | Method for processing a distortion-corrected 2d or 3d reconstruction image recorded by a magnetic resonance device - In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for processing a 2D or 3D reconstruction image is disclosed which is recorded by a magnetic resonance device, including a gradient coil that generates a gradient field, and is distortion—corrected with regard to a given non-linearity—leading to an image distortion—of the gradient field using an algorithm that processes the measurement signals at different measurement points lying in the imaging volume, which algorithm, with respect to each signal processed by it, processes the first input value describing the real gradient field given at the real measurement point of the signal, in which method, for inverse transformation of the distortion-corrected reconstruction image into a distortion-uncorrected reconstruction image, use is made of the first algorithm or a second algorithm corresponding to the first algorithm, which, with respect to each signal processed by it, is given as second input value such a value which describes a fictitious gradient field at the respective distorted measurement point at which the processed signal appears, which is increased or decreased by the non-linear field component of the real gradient field compared with the linear ideal gradient field. | 06-11-2009 |
20090160439 | Susceptibility-Matched Multi-Well Sample Holders for High-Throughput Screening by Magnetic Analysis - A method of performing high throughput magnetic sensing of one or more samples. The method comprises selecting a first sample having a first bulk magnetic susceptibility, selecting an assay plate having a second bulk magnetic susceptibility matched to the first bulk magnetic susceptibility, the assay plate including multiple wells, introducing the first sample into a plurality of the wells, and performing magnetic sensing on the plurality of wells containing the first sample. Assay plates, caps, kits, and other devices and methods relating to high throughput magnetic sensing are also disclosed. | 06-25-2009 |
20090160440 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes an input unit, a data acquisition unit and an image generating unit. The input unit inputs information indicating a matter of which resonance frequency is a center frequency of an excitation pulse. The data acquisition unit acquires magnetic resonance data with obtaining a steady state free precession. Each of the plural excitation pulses has a transmission phase varying by a variation amount determined based on a difference between a resonance frequency and the center frequency. The image generating unit generates an image of the desired matter based on the magnetic resonance data. | 06-25-2009 |
20090174403 | FIELD MAP ESTIMATION FOR SPECIES SEPARATION - A method for mapping field inhomogeneity for forming a magnetic resonance image is provided. A magnetic resonance excitation is applied. A plurality of k-space echoes signals is acquired. A periodic cost function is calculated from the acquired plurality of k-space echo signals. A period of the calculated periodic cost function is divided into multiple regions. A search algorithm is used to locate a local minimum in each region. Located local minimums are chosen to provide global smoothness. | 07-09-2009 |
20090174404 | Split-echo with fractional temporal-interpolation - An MRI to form an image of a patient includes at least one emitting coil which produces RF pulses and gradients. The MRI includes a controller in communication with the emitting coil for obtaining a steady-state image of the patient, where gradient areas balance to zero for each time repetition (TR) interval, and for causing the emitting coil to produce the RF pulses without interruption during the time repetition interval. The MRI includes at least one receiving coil in communication with the controller which receives the RF pulses and provides the RF pulses to the controller for the controller to obtain the image. A method to form an image of a patient with an MRI. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium to form an image of a patient with an MRI. | 07-09-2009 |
20090184710 | Capacitor switches for nmr - NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) capacitor switches allow for adjusting the resonant frequency ranges of NMR measurement circuits by inserting or removing capacitors having different values into the circuits. A change of position of a single switching member is used to change the contact state of at least two capacitors. In some embodiments, at least two pairs of external contacts are disposed at distinct longitudinal levels along a channel, and a slider including multiple longitudinally-spaced capacitors is moved longitudinally within the channel to establish electrical contact between the external contact pairs and different capacitors along the slider. In other embodiments, two capacitor columns are disposed along the channel, and a movable longitudinal member establishes electrical contact between the two columns at different longitudinal levels along the columns. In some embodiments, capacitor covers or intracapacitor blocks are provided to protect the capacitors. An auxiliary inductor may also be inserted into the circuits. | 07-23-2009 |
20090184711 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MR IMAGING IN INHOMOGENEOUS MAGNETIC FIELDS - An apparatus and method for MR imaging in inhomogeneous magnetic fields includes acquisition of a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) MR data sets, each data set having a central transmit frequency and a central receive frequency set to a frequency offset that is distinct for each 3D MR data set. A composite image is generated based on the plurality of 3D MR data sets. | 07-23-2009 |
20090195247 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DYNAMIC DISTORTION CORRECTION IN EPI MEASUREMENTS IN MEDICAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING - In a magnetic resonance tomography method and apparatus (MRT), as employed in medicine for examination of patients, for dynamic distortion correction in EPI measurements, image acquisitions are acquired that are adjacent in a periodic/alternating manner differ with regard to phase information, phase coding direction or with regard to the echo time, and based on this difference a field map and/or a displacement map is calculated with which at least one distorted result image is corrected. | 08-06-2009 |
20090201019 | MR INVOLVING HIGH SPEED COIL MODE SWITCHING BETWEEN I-CHANNEL LINEAR, Q-CHANNEL LINEAR, QUADRATURE AND ANTI-QUADRATURE MODES - Hybrid circuitry ( | 08-13-2009 |
20090201020 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS UTILIZING TIME-VARYING RATE OF MAGNETIC RESONANT FREQUENCY - The present invention provides a magnetic resonance imaging system capable of performing spectrum measurement even when a magnetic resonant frequency changes during MRS measurement. A time-varying rate of a water magnetic resonant frequency is measured in advance before the MRS measurement. The amount of change in water magnetic resonant frequency during the MRS measurement is predicted from the measured time-varying rate. With the predicted value as the reference, a transmission frequency of an RF magnetic field irradiated in a signal suppression pulse sequence, a transmission frequency of an RF magnetic field for excitation and inversion and a received frequency at the detection of a magnetic resonance signal in a sequence of the MRS measurement are respectively set. A high-precision spectrum measurement is hence enabled. | 08-13-2009 |
20090206835 | Magnetic Resonance Imaging Apparatus and Method - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprises a plurality of high-frequency reception coils, sensitivity distribution information obtaining means for calculating sensitivity distribution information of each of the high-frequency reception coil, sensitivity distribution storage means for storing the sensitivity distribution information, measuring means for acquiring magnetic resonance signals by thinning out encode steps of a k-space, image reconstructing means for reconstructing images using the magnetic resonance signals, and means for performing unfolding calculation using the sensitivity distribution information and the image, thereby to acquire the unfolded image. | 08-20-2009 |
20090206836 | Detection unit including an RF transceiver system and a pet detector - A detection unit is disclosed for arrangement in the main magnet of an MR device, which has both an RF transceiver system and a PET detector. In at least one embodiment the RF transceiver system is divided into two parts and the two parts are arranged upstream and downstream of the PET detector in the longitudinal direction of the patient tunnel. The RF transceiver system and PET detector are applied to the same image volume. In at least one other embodiment, an MR device is equipped with the detection unit, and in at least one other embodiment, a method operates the detection unit. | 08-20-2009 |
20090230956 | SWITCHABLE MANUAL/MOTOR-DRIVEN NMR TUNING SYSTEMS AND METHODS - According to some embodiments, motor-tuned nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) probes may be tuned manually without overcoming the tuning motor holding force. An NMR probe includes a switchable manual-mode/motor-driven mode capacitance-adjustment assembly for adjusting the capacitance of a variable capacitor connected to an NMR RF coil. The capacitance-adjustment assembly includes a tuning shaft coupled to the variable capacitor through a gear assembly, and a mode-switching coupler coupled to the tuning shaft. The mode-switching coupler includes a first terminal coupled to a piezoelectric motor, and a second terminal coupled to the tuning shaft. In the manual mode, a user pushes up the tuning shaft, decoupling the two terminals of the mode-switching coupler and thus decoupling the motor from the tuning shaft. The user then manually rotates the tuning shaft. In the motor-driven mode, a spring tensioner presses the two terminals of the mode-switching coupler together, coupling the motor to the tuning shaft. | 09-17-2009 |
20090237076 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS, A METHOD AND A COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR COMPENSATION OF A FIELD DRIFT OF THE MAIN MAGNET - In accordance with the technical measure of the invention in order to counteract the positive feedback between the superconducting magnet and the shim iron a pair of superconducting shunts ( | 09-24-2009 |
20090237077 | RF COIL FOR IMAGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF OPERATION - An RF coil system for magnetic resonance applications includes a multi-channel RF coil transceiver and a multi-channel RF coil. The RF coil system is structured for reconfiguration between a plurality of operational modes. | 09-24-2009 |
20090251140 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING T2* WEIGHTED MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGES - A method for generating a susceptibility (or T2*) weighted magnetic resonance (MR) image includes defining a pulse sequence having a plurality of gradient echoes and acquiring MR data for each of the plurality of gradient echoes. A weighting function is applied to image data for each gradient echo such as MR data (e.g., k-space data) or magnitude images associated with each gradient echo. A susceptibility weighted image is generated by combining the image data for each gradient echo based on at least the application of the weighting function. | 10-08-2009 |
20090251141 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM AND OPERATING METHOD THEREFOR - A magnetic resonance system has a number of components including a basic magnetic field generation unit, gradient coils as well as a radio-frequency coil arrangement. The components are respectively controllable according to a control sequence via at least one digital module and at least one analog module. The analog modules are arranged external to a control computer that controls the digital modules. The digital modules are likewise arranged external to the control computer and are associated with the analog module or modules controlled via the control computer. The digital modules are networked via the following networks for communication of the digital modules among one another and/or with the control computer: a synchronous first network to synchronize the digital modules, an isochronous or semi-isochronous second network, a third network, wherein the digital modules are connected with the control computer via serial peripheral component interfaces and a signal transmission between the peripheral component interface of the respective digital module and the associated peripheral component interface of the control computer thereby occurs on optical paths. | 10-08-2009 |
20090261823 | METHOD FOR WATER-FAT SEPARATION AND T2* ESTIMATION IN AN MRI SYSTEM EMPLOYING MULTIPLE FAT SPECTRAL PEAKS AND FAT SPECTRUM SELF-CALIBRATION - NMR signal contributions from water and fat are separated using a model of the fat resonant frequency spectrum that has multiple resonant peaks. The relative frequencies of the multiple fat spectrum peaks are known a priori and their relative amplitudes are determined using a self-calibration process. With the determined relative amplitudes of the fat spectrum peaks, acquired NMR signals are modeled. Using this model and NMR signal data acquired at a plurality of echo times (TE), the signal contribution from multiple fat spectrum peaks is separated from the acquired NMR signal data. A combined image is alternatively produced from weighted contributions of the separated water and fat images. Additionally, a more accurate estimation of the apparent relaxation time and rate (T | 10-22-2009 |
20090261824 | Geometry Based Field Prediction Method for Susceptibility Mapping and Phase Artifact Removal - The present invention provides a method of handling rapid phase aliasing in magnetic resonance images arising from local magnetic susceptibility differences. The methods of the present invention can be used to estimate the field effects within an object arising from the interfaces of regions having differences in magnetic susceptibilities, and to subtract out the resulting phase from the original or source phase data prior to any further phase processing. The methods of the present invention also include a process of accurately determining the susceptibility values of multiple voxel regions based on the geometry of such regions. | 10-22-2009 |
20090261825 | DARK BLOOD BALANCED STEADY STATE FREE PRECESSION IMAGING - Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with controlling a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus to perform a balanced steady state free precession (bSSFP) technique that includes magnetization preparation with differentiated velocity encoding and spoiling residual transverse magnetization are described. The example systems, methods, and other embodiments are also associated with acquiring a dark blood image in response to the bSSFP technique. A dark blood image is one in which NMR signal acquired from an object subjected to the bSSFP technique and magnetization preparation includes NMR signal from flowing spins and NMR signal from non-flowing spins in a desired ratio. | 10-22-2009 |
20090267599 | MRI Display with Contrast Navigation Window - In a method of displaying settings for a Magnetic Resonance (MR) image, a visual marker is displayed in a window. The coordinates of the visual marker correspond to T1 weighting of the MR image along a first axis of a display and correspond to T2 weighting of the MR image along a second axis of a display window. | 10-29-2009 |
20090267600 | Array coil and magnetic resonance imaging apparatus - ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An array coil including at least three conductive elements arranged at predetermined intervals, each of the conductive elements being in the form of a loop, and a plurality of switches that enable the conductive elements to be connected together according to a plurality of connecting patterns. | 10-29-2009 |
20090273343 | REDUCING IMAGING-SCAN TIMES FOR MRI SYSTEMS - Provided are methods and systems for rapid MRI imaging-scanning that provides 2D or 3D coverage, high precision, and high-temporal efficiency, without exceeding SAR limits. In one embodiment, a pulse sequence process is performed that includes a T | 11-05-2009 |
20090273344 | METHOD FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY MEASURING T2* AND DIFFUSION WITH MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING - A method for measuring the apparent transverse relaxation time (“T | 11-05-2009 |
20090284257 | Motion corrected tensor magnetic resonance imaging - In tensor MRI, a set of k-space MRI data points is acquired that includes one or more k-space subsets of MRI data points. An object orientation (or spatial transformation) corresponding to each of the k-space subsets is determined. Because the object orientation (or spatial transformation) can differ from subset to subset, the overall set of k-space data can be inconsistent with respect to object orientation (or spatial transformation). This possible inconsistency can be addressed by providing a k-space tensor model that includes object orientation and/or spatial transformation information corresponding to each of the subsets. A tensor MRI image can be reconstructed from the set of k-space MRI data points by using the k-space tensor model to account for object orientation and/or spatial transformation. | 11-19-2009 |
20090289630 | INDUCTIVE DECOUPLING OF A RF COIL ARRAY - An apparatus for imaging includes: a radio frequency (RF) coil array having a first RF coil and at least one additional RF coil, where the RF coil array is adapted to generate an image signal; a preamplifier having an input impedance, where the preamplifier is adapted to receive the image signal from the first RF coil; and a transformer to couple the first RF coil to the preamplifier, where impedance of the transformer is adapted to match the input impedance of the preamplifier. | 11-26-2009 |
20090302838 | MR method for selective excitation - A magnetic resonance method for using radio frequency pulses for spatially selective and frequency selective or multidimensionally spatially selective excitation of an ensemble of nuclear spins with an initial distribution of magnetization in a main magnetic field aligned along a z-axis, wherein a spin magnetization with a given target distribution of magnetization is generated, and for refocusing the spin magnetization, is characterized in that the radio frequency pulse is used as a sequence of sub-pulses of independent duration, courses of gradients and spatial and/or spectral resolution, comprising one or more large angle RF pulses with tip angles greater than or approximately equal to 15°, which generate a gross distribution of magnetization approximating the target distribution of magnetization or a desired modification of the distribution of magnetization with a mean deviation less than or approximately equal to 15°, wherein the actual effect of the LAPs on the distribution of spin magnetization before the radio frequency pulse is used is calculated by integration of the Bloch equations without small angle approximation, and one or more small angle RF pulses=SAPs with tip angles less than or approximately equal to 15° reducing the difference between the target distribution of magnetization and the gross distribution of magnetization caused by the LAPs. | 12-10-2009 |
20090302839 | COIL ELEMENT SELECTION DEVICE FOR SELECTING ELEMENTS OF A RECEIVER COIL ARRAY OF A MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING DEVICE - The present invention provides a sensor selection device for selecting sensor elements of a magnetic resonance imaging device, the sensor selection device comprising a provider for providing a first characteristic property ( | 12-10-2009 |
20090309593 | MICELLE SOLUTION TO REDUCE DIELECTRIC RESONANCE EFFECTS IN MRI PHANTOMS - A micelle solution for use in MRI phantoms ( | 12-17-2009 |
20090315556 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ELECTRICALLY CONTACTING LOCAL COILS WITH A SIGNAL PROCESSOR REMOTE THEREFROM IN A MAGNETIC RESONANCE SCANNER - In a contacting system and method for contacting magnetic resonance local coils with a unit for additional signal processing of a magnetic resonance data acquisition unit, a number of coil coupler elements are electrically connected with the magnetic resonance local coils and apparatus coupler elements are mounted at the magnetic resonance tomograph, and are electrically connected with a unit for signal processing. The coil coupler elements and the apparatus coupler elements are fashioned so that, given a movement of the local coils along a movement path in the magnetic resonance data acquisition unit, a successive contacting of at least a portion of the coil coupler elements with apparatus coupler elements ensues at least over a specific path segment of the movement. | 12-24-2009 |
20090322327 | NANOPARTICLE-AMPHIPOL COMPLEXES FOR NUCLEIC ACID INTRACELLULAR DELIVERY AND IMAGING - Nanoparticle-amphiphilic polymer complexes for nucleic acid delivery and real-time imaging. | 12-31-2009 |
20100001724 | IC Microfluidic Platform With Integrated Magnetic Resonance Probe - An integrated hybrid microfluidic-IC platform for single cell manipulation and microscopy and method for making the platform. In particular, the integrated platform can incorporate a planar microcoil embedded in a silicon substrate that is subsequently used to fabricate a CMOS IC for the platform. The CMOS IC circuitry provides a two dimensional array of microsites that can incorporate an electrode (microelectrode), sensors, and control logic. A direct conversion receiver (DCR) can also be embedded within the CMOS circuitry to create an integrated IC platform. A microfluidic chamber can be formed on the integrated IC platform. The integrated hybrid platform can provide an increased sensitivity for mass limited samples and high resolution manipulation of biological cells. In addition, individual cell manipulation can be performed via dielectrophoresis (DEP). | 01-07-2010 |
20100001725 | MRI SYSTEM WITH DIRECT DIGITAL RECEIVER USING RESAMPLING - The present invention relates to magnetic resonance imaging system and to a direct digital receiver ( | 01-07-2010 |
20100007346 | Method for determining attenuation values of an object - A method for determining attenuation values of an object is disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the method includes stationary positioning of the object, irradiation of the object via a radiation source, measurement of the object's transmission data via a detection system, determination of at least one geometric property of the object on the basis of the transmission data, and assignment of attenuation values to the object on the basis of the geometric property. | 01-14-2010 |
20100013472 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COIL ARRAY COMPRESSION - A method of processing magnetic resonance imaging signals from a plurality of receiver coils of a magnetic resonance imaging system, comprises the steps of receiving from said plurality of receiver coils a corresponding plurality of original signals in the time-domain forming an n-dimensional signal vector ν | 01-21-2010 |
20100013473 | MAGNET ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A MAGNETIC FIELD IN A SENSITIVE VOLUME - A magnet arrangement includes (a) a first and a second head ring magnet each having a substantially circular geometry with respect to a centre axis and (b) a central ring magnet having a substantially circular geometry with respect to a centre axis. The central ring magnet is disposed between the first and second head ring magnet in direction of the centre axis. At least one of the magnets includes a first number of first magnets having at least one trapezoidal cross section and a second number of second magnets having at least one rectangular cross section. The second magnets are disposed in between the first magnets in circumferential direction. With this geometrical arrangement, magnets having a trapezoidal cross section include a guidance for a magnet having a rectangular cross section allowing the movements in radial direction of these last magnets. | 01-21-2010 |
20100013474 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A SENSITIVE VOLUME FOR SINGLE-SIDED NMR - An apparatus for providing a sensitive volume for single-sided NMR includes: (i) at least one first permanent magnet for providing a first magnetic field at the sensitive volume; and (ii) at least one of the following means for superimposing at least one second magnetic field for homogenizing the first magnetic field in the sensitive volume: (A) at least one shim magnet, (B) at least one pair of shim magnets, and (C) at least one electrical conductor being connectable to an electric current source. The at least one second magnetic field is adjusted such that the magnetic field homogeneity in the sensitive volume is corresponding to a line width of hydrogen (1H) of less than 10 ppm. | 01-21-2010 |
20100013475 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a data acquisition unit and an image data generating unit. The data acquisition unit acquires plural pieces of magnetic resonance data for generating plural species of image data of which contrasts are mutually different from a same object with mutually different data amounts by setting parameters for controlling the contrasts to mutually different values. The image data generating unit generates the plural species of the image data by image reconstruction processing and composition processing of the plural pieces of the magnetic resonance data or plural pieces of data derived from the plural pieces of the magnetic resonance data. | 01-21-2010 |
20100026294 | BLIP DESIGN FOR RANDOM SAMPLING COMPRESSED SENSING OF FLYBACK 3D-MRSI - A method of providing a magnetic resonance spectral image (MRSI) is provided. A magnetic resonance imaging excitation is applied. Data is acquired, comprising applying an oscillating gradient in a first dimension and applying blips in at least a second dimension in a pseudo-random order to acquire pseudo-random temporally undersampled spectral data in at least two planes. The pseudo-random order is used to reconstruct a magnetic resonance spectral image in at least two dimensions. | 02-04-2010 |
20100026295 | Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and method - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a movement unit which moves a subject placed in a static magnetic field, a collector which collects data corresponding to a magnetic resonance signal emitted from the subject, a detector which detects a position of a particular section of the subject in the static magnetic field, a reconstruction unit which reconstructs an image, based on the collected data, when the detected position falls within an allowable area, and a controller which controls the movement unit to compensate for a deviation of the detected position from a reference position. | 02-04-2010 |
20100033177 | Inspection Apparatus using Magnetic Resonance and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Signal Receiver Coil - An MRI apparatus capable of selecting an optional direction as a phase encoding direction and achieving a preferable S/N, when an imaging time shortening technique is applied. A receiver coil, used as a receiver coil of a vertical magnetic field MRI apparatus, is a combination of a first coil (solenoid coil) forming a current loop around the outer circumference of a test object, second coils forming even-numbered current loops, and third coils forming odd-numbered current loops, in the direction intersecting the plane of the current loop of the first coil. The second coil and the third coil are arranged in such a manner that, as for the current loops in the array direction thereof, a position where a sensitivity of one coil is minimized approximately coincides with a position where the sensitivity of the other coil is maximized, whereby electromagnetic coupling is suppressed. | 02-11-2010 |
20100033178 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING OR TRANSMITTING MAGNETIC FIELD USING DETACHABLE MAGNETIC RESONATOR - An apparatus for detecting a magnetic field includes a coil type magnetic resonator having a resonant frequency with respect to a magnetic field varying at a particular frequency and a loop antenna inductively coupled to the coil type magnetic resonator. | 02-11-2010 |
20100045288 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING DIFFERENT WEIGHTED IMAGES FROM THE SAME MAGNETIC RESONANCE ECHO SIGNAL EVOLUTION - In a method and an apparatus for acquiring magnetic resonance data, a region of a subject is exposed to a spin echo magnetic resonance pulse sequence that includes a refocusing radio-frequency pulse flip angle evolution that causes magnetic resonance signals to be emitted from the region with a signal evolution following each excitation radio-frequency pulse. The signal evolution is sampled to extract two or more sets of sampled data therefrom respectively with different contrast weightings of tissues in the region. The multiple sets of sampled data are made available as respective outputs in a form allowing multiple different images of the region to be generated therefrom, respectively with said different contrast weightings. For example, a spin density-weighted image and a T2-weighted image, or a T2-weighted image and a heavily T2-weighted image, thus can be generated by sampling from the same variable-flip-angle echo train. | 02-25-2010 |
20100045289 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTRACORPOREAL ELASTOGRAPHY - A system and method for intracorporeal elastography include an intra-luminal vibratory member configured to be positioned within a lumen of an imaging subject and configured to impart mechanical energy into tissue of the lumen. In a preferred embodiment, an external piezoelectric energy source is included and coupled to the vibratory member and configured to cause the vibratory member to longitudinally vibrate, thereby generating shear waves for use with magnetic resonance elastography. | 02-25-2010 |
20100052673 | Efficient heteronuclear decoupling by quenching rotary resonance in solid-state NMR - A method for heteronuclear decoupling in fast magic-angle spinning NMR measurements comprises application of a decoupling RF-pulse sequence with a decoupling-field amplitude ν | 03-04-2010 |
20100072994 | NMR SYSTEMS FOR IN VIVO DETECTION OF ANALYTES - This invention relates generally to NMR systems for in vivo detection of analytes. More particularly, in certain embodiments, the invention relates to systems in which superparamagnetic nanoparticles are exposed to a magnetic field and radio frequency (RF) excitation at or near the Larmor frequency, such that the aggregation and/or disaggregation of the nanoparticles caused by the presence and/or concentration of a given analyte in a biological fluid is detected in vivo from a monitored RF echo response. | 03-25-2010 |
20100072995 | NMR Measurement Method - An NMR measurement method adapted for measurements on solid mixture samples starts with irradiating a pulse sequence to the sample in order to measure the longitudinal magnetization relaxation times of nuclei possessing homogeneous longitudinal magnetization relaxation times (step 1). After a lapse of a given period of time t, a high-resolution NMR spectrum is acquired by nullifying spin diffusion across the nuclei (step 2). The steps 1 and 2 are repeated while varying the period of time t. The high-resolution NMR spectra are classified according to value of longitudinal magnetization relaxation time by inverse Laplace transform. | 03-25-2010 |
20100079139 | CIRCUIT AND APPARATUS FOR DECOUPLING RF SURFACE COILS - A decoupling circuit for a radio frequency (RF) surface coil having a plurality of tuning capacitors includes at least two decoupling points and a DC source coupled to the at least two decoupling points. Each decoupling point is associated with one of the plurality of tuning capacitors. Each decoupling point includes a decoupling inductor connected in parallel with a tuning capacitor, a diode connected in series with the decoupling inductor and in parallel with the tuning capacitor, a resistor connected in parallel with the diode and at least one isolating inductor connected between the resistor and the diode to RF isolate the resistor. The value of the resistor in each decoupling point is selected to maintain a high quality factor (Q) of the RF surface coil and to reduce the switching speed of the decoupling circuit. | 04-01-2010 |
20100079140 | FIBRE TRACKING ON THE BASIS OF MACROSCOPIC INFORMATION - A diffusion data processing apparatus comprising a segmenter arranged to segment the diffusion tensor data according to at least one segmentation model representing at least part of a fiber bundle. The segmentation model may comprise macroscopic and/or microscopic information. This leads to a segmentation of the fiber bundle that is robust and less influenced by non-perfections of the data set, such as low signal-to-noise ratio, partial voluming, or other imaging artifacts. | 04-01-2010 |
20100085046 | HYPERPOLARIZED DYNAMIC CHEMICAL SHIFT IMAGING WITH TAILORED MULTIBAND EXCITATION PULSES - A method for performing magnetic resonance spectroscopy is described. The method generally includes applying a tailored multiband spectral-spatial radio frequency excitation pulse to a sample including a first species and at least a second species having a different resonant frequency than the first species. The multiband excitation pulse excites the first species according to a first amplitude and excites the second species according to a second amplitude that is substantially greater than the first amplitude. Data is acquired from the sample. The acquired data is then utilized to generate a spectroscopic output. By way of example, the spectroscopic output is a spectroscopic image. In particular embodiments, the data for the first and second species is acquired dynamically over an observation window of time. | 04-08-2010 |
20100085047 | METHOD FOR DETECTING PARAFFIN WAX AND ASPHALTENE CONTENT IN OIL - This invention relates to geology, geochemistry, oil refinery and petroleum chemistry and can be implemented for determination of paraffin and asphaltene concentration in oil, in particular, for analysis of heavy oils and bitumens. To determine concentration of paraffins and asphaltenes in oil, three crude oil samples are extracted; two extracted samples are dissolved in a solvent and the solvent alongside with light oil fractions is then removed; meanwhile, asphaltenes are removed from one of the solvent-treated samples. A nucleic magnetic resonance method is employed for measuring free inductance drop-down curves for all three samples; thereafter, a ratio of solid hydrogen-containing fractions suspended in oil, to liquid hydrogen-containing fractions is defined. The paraffin concentration is judged by the content of solid hydrogen-containing fractions in the solvent-treated sample, from which asphaltenes have been removed. The asphaltene concentration is judged by the content of solid hydrogen-containing fractions in the other solvent-treated sample, with the consideration of the defined concentration of paraffins. The concentration of paraffins and asphaltenes in original oil is determined based on the defined paraffin-to-asphaltene ratio in solid hydrogen-containing fractions. | 04-08-2010 |
20100085048 | ROTATING-FRAME GRADIENT FIELDS FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING AND NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN LOW FIELDS - A system and method for Fourier encoding a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal is disclosed. A static magnetic field B | 04-08-2010 |
20100090693 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING T1 RECOVERY PROCESS IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE MEASUREMENTS - Radiation damping (RD) is employed to hasten the recovery of longitudinal magnetization after RF excitation and signal readout in a magnetic resonance measurement cycle. A switch driven by the pulse sequence that performs the measurement cycle energizes a feedback RF coil driven by an amplified and phase shifted portion of the received MR signal. The recovery of longitudinal magnetization is thus under direct control of the MR system and enables the reduction of the otherwise inefficient waiting times that are required for natural T1 recovery of the excited spin magnetization. This enables shortened acquisition times, improved sensitivity, better spatial and temporal resolution, and reduction of motion artifacts that result from long acquisition times. | 04-15-2010 |
20100097060 | Apparatus for and method of determining an angle between an element and a magnetic field - An apparatus comprising a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field of a predetermined orientation, an element provided in the apparatus at a location that, in use, is within a region of the magnetic field having the predetermined orientation generated by the generator, and a device for determining an angle between the element and the magnetic field, the device comprising a Hall Effect sensor. | 04-22-2010 |
20100117642 | SINUSOIDALLY RESONANT RADIO FREQUENCY VOLUME COILS FOR HIGH FIELD MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPLICATIONS - A radio frequency coil assembly includes an annular conductor ( | 05-13-2010 |
20100117643 | UPCONVERSION STAGE - An upconversion stage for a wireless magnetic resonance imaging system local coil array has a number of upconversion circuits. Each upconversion circuit includes a parametric amplifier, an antenna and a delay line between the amplifier and the antenna. The path length of the delay line in one upconversion circuit differs from the path length of the delay line in an adjacent upconversion circuit by a predetermined amount. | 05-13-2010 |
20100134102 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING METALLIC OBJECTS IN SHOES - An inspection system positions a balancing shim to asymmetrically balance a magnetic field generated by an inductive sensor, which forms part of the inspection system. Additionally, relays and capacitors used to tune the inductive sensor to a desired resonance frequency are geometrically arranged to minimize electrical interference generated by operation of the relays and capacitors. A shielding device, which may be formed on a printed circuit board, protects a magnetic field generated by the inductive sensor from external electromagnetic interference. A slot positioned in the inductive sensor may be used to tune a resonant mode of the inductive sensor to accurately and particularly detect metallic shanks and/or other metallic objects in shoes, socks, and/or clothing. | 06-03-2010 |
20100141252 | METHOD TO DETERMINE A PREDETERMINED SIGNAL AMPLITUDE IN MR MEASUREMENTS - In a method and apparatus to determine a predetermined signal amplitude of an examination subject in an MR measurement in which multiple RF pulses are radiated into the examination subject in a pulse sequence in a pulse series with a repetition time TR that is smaller than the T | 06-10-2010 |
20100156410 | GAS NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS - An NMR apparatus is provided, which is capable of being used for mass spectrometry and structure determination of a gas sample. The NMR apparatus includes: a sample vaporization unit | 06-24-2010 |
20100156411 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING SPECTRAL-SPATIAL PARALLEL RF EXCITATION PULSES FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING - A method for producing a spatially and spectrally selective radiofrequency (“RF”) excitation pulse includes establishing a desired spatial RF excitation pattern and establishing a desired spectral RF excitation pattern. The method also includes estimating an RF transmission profile map indicative of the transmission characteristics of an RF coil and determining, from the desired spatial and spectral excitation patterns and the estimated RF transmission profile map, at least one magnetic field gradient waveform indicative of locations in k-space to which RF energy is to be deposited. The method further includes determining, from the established spatial and spectral excitation patterns, the estimated RF transmission profile map, and the determined at least one gradient waveform, at least one RF excitation pulse waveform that will produce the desired spatial and spectral excitation patterns. | 06-24-2010 |
20100156412 | LOCAL COIL ARRANGEMENT FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPLICATIONS WITH ACTIVATABLE MARKER - A local coil arrangement for magnetic resonance applications has a base body in which at least one local coil is arranged. An excitation signal to excite an examination subject to emit a magnetic resonance signal can be emitted by the local coil and/or a magnetic resonance signal emitted by the examination subject can be received by means of said local coil. At least one volume region is present in the base body, in which an amount of a substance is located that can be excited by means of the coil or another coil so as to emit a magnetic resonance signal. A shielding is arranged in the base body. The shielding can be controlled so as to either shield or not shield the volume region depending on the control state, so that the volume region is occluded or visible with regard to magnetic resonance applications. | 06-24-2010 |
20100156413 | CORRECTED NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING USING MAGNETIZATION TRANSFER - Techniques for corrected nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data include applying a presaturation radio frequency (RF) magnetic field different from a fat molecule resonance for a particular time to a target tissue; and applying a first measurement RF magnetic field within a first time after the particular time. Correction nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data from the target tissue is determined based on first NMR data received in response to applying the first measurement RF magnetic field. In some embodiments, a second measurement RF magnetic field is also applied in a second time different from both the particular time and the first time. Corrected NMR data is determined by subtracting the correction NMR data from second NMR data received in response to applying the second measurement RF magnetic field. Among other applications, these techniques allow distinguishing either fat or proteins in edemas, or both, from proteins in other tissues. | 06-24-2010 |
20100164492 | SHIELDED MULTIX COIL ARRAY FOR PARALLEL HIGH FIELD MRI - A coil arrangement ( | 07-01-2010 |
20100182005 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS WITH A LOCAL COIL AND METHOD TO DETECT THE POSITION OF THE LOCAL COIL - A magnetic resonance tomography device has a local coil that is fashioned to receive a magnetic resonance signal. This device has a detector system that is fashioned to detect a position of the local coil on the basis of electromagnetic waves that are affected by the position of the local coil and can be differentiated from the magnetic resonance signal. A method to detect a position of a local coil in a magnetic resonance tomography device Is implemented in this manner as well. | 07-22-2010 |
20100188082 | THERMALLY STABILIZED PET DETECTOR FOR HYBRID PET-MR SYSTEM - In a hybrid PET-MR system, PET detector elements ( | 07-29-2010 |
20100188083 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR STABILIZING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MAIN MAGNET THEREIN - A magnetic resonance imaging system includes a display device and a host. The host includes a power cabinet having a gradient driver including a gradient controller and a gradient amplifier, and a radio frequency (RF) driver including a RF controller and a RF amplifier. The host also includes a magnetic field generating device including a pair of main magnets with opposite polarities that face each other and are spaced apart from each other, a magnet column that forms a magnetic circuit for the main magnets, and a gradient coil unit, wherein the power cabinet is provided adjacent to the outside of the magnet column of the magnetic field generating device, and wherein the power cabinet is configured to heat said main magnets by transferring heat produced in the power cabinet to the main magnets. | 07-29-2010 |
20100207626 | METHOD, SYSTEM AND SOFTWARE ARRANGEMENT FOR MEASURING MAGNETIC FIELD CORRELATION - Methods, systems, software arrangements and storage medium for measuring the magnetic field correlation function (“MFC”), and more particularly, to methods for measuring the magnetic field correlation function utilizing asymmetric spin echoes. Asymmetric Dual Spin Echo Sequences (“ADSE”) and Echo Planar Imaging Asymmetric Dual Spin Echo Sequences (“EPI-ADSE”) may be employed to apply multiple echoes to a sample and acquire data from which the MFC may be determined. | 08-19-2010 |
20100213936 | MRI SPATIAL ENCODING USING HYPERCOMPLEX NUMBERS - The disclosure relates to a method of processing a complex signal comprising acquisition of a signal in the form of complex numbers; determination on the basis of the complex signal acquired of the associated hypercomplex components, said components corresponding to at least derivatives with respect to time of the phase of the complex signal acquired; processing of the hypercomplex signal thus determined in such a way that the signal resulting from the processing comprises a greater number of components than the number of components of the signal acquired. | 08-26-2010 |
20100219825 | POSITION DETECTION SYSTEM AND POSITION DETECTION METHOD - A position detection system and a position detection method in which the accuracy of position measurement of a device is not decreased after a change in the resonant frequency of a magnetic induction coil are provided. The position detection system includes a device having a magnetic induction coil; a driving coil that generates an alternating magnetic field, to be applied to the magnetic induction coil, having a position-calculating frequency in the vicinity of a resonant frequency of the magnetic induction coil; a plurality of magnetic sensors that detects an induced magnetic field generated by the magnetic induction coil when the alternating magnetic field is applied thereto; a measurement-reference-value calculating section ( | 09-02-2010 |
20100219826 | HYPERPOLARITZATION OF COMPOUNDS FOR NMR, IN PARTICULAR BY MEANS OF PHIP - An NMR method is presented having enhanced sensitivity on a compound comprising hyperpolarizable nuclei, in particular applying enhanced PHIP. Polarization is thereby transferred from a prepared fluid, which is enriched with symmetric molecules of a particular spin state (e.g. para-hydrogen enriched), directly to the hyperpolarizable nuclei of a compound, without altering the chemical identity of the compound in this process. Spin transfer is achieved using a template having sites of ordered environment, and the fluid and the compound are brought together in the presence of the template. Polarization transfer to the hyperpolarizable nuclei of the compound is thereby easier to perform and can be applied to a broader scope of compounds. | 09-02-2010 |
20100219827 | ULTRA-LOW FIELD NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING TO DISCRIMINATE AND IDENTIFY MATERIALS - Method comprising obtaining an NMR measurement from a sample wherein an ultra-low field NMR system probes the sample and produces the NMR measurement and wherein a sampling temperature, prepolarizing field, and measurement field are known; detecting the NMR measurement by means of inductive coils; analyzing the NMR measurement to obtain at least one measurement feature wherein the measurement feature comprises T1, T2, T1ρ, or the frequency dependence thereof; and, searching for the at least one measurement feature within a database comprising NMR reference data for at least one material to determine if the sample comprises a material of interest. | 09-02-2010 |
20100225314 | NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE MEASURING METHOD - The present invention provides a method for measuring nuclear magnetic resonance that employs a compound in which a plurality of nuclei is labeled with isotopes as a probe agent, highly selectively and highly sensitively obtains a nuclear magnetic resonance signal of the above described probe agent, and can attach a spatial positional information to the above described nuclear magnetic resonance signal, and an apparatus therefore. | 09-09-2010 |
20100225315 | Tuning Low-Inductance Coils at Low Frequencies - A method and apparatus for tuning and matching extremely small sample coils with very low inductance for use in magnetic resonance experiments conducted at low frequencies. A circuit is disclosed that is appropriate for performing measurements in fields where magnetic resonance is beneficially utilized. The circuit has a microcoil, an adjustable tuning capacitance, and added inductance in the form of a tuning inductor. The microcoil is an electrical coil having an inductance of about 25 nanohenries (nH) or less. Because additional inductance is purposefully added, the capacitance required for resonance and apparatus function is proportionally and helpfully reduced. The apparatus and method permit the resonant circuit and the magnet to be made extremely small, which is crucial for new applications in portable magnetic resonance imaging, for example. | 09-09-2010 |
20100231215 | Superconductor Magnetic Resonance Imaging System and Method (SUPER-MRI) - Methods and apparatuses for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or magnetic resonance spectroscopy comprising a superconducting main magnet operable to generate a uniform magnetic field in an examination region, at least one superconducting gradient field coil operable to apply a respective at least one magnetic field gradient within the examination region, and at least one RF coil that is operable to transmit and receive radio frequency signals to and from the examination region, and that is configured for cooling and comprises at least one of (i) a non-superconducting material that when cooled to a temperature below room temperature has a conductivity higher than that of copper at that temperature and (ii) a superconducting material. The main magnet, the gradient coils, and each of the at least one RF coil of a given system may each be implemented as high temperature superconductor materials. | 09-16-2010 |
20100237861 | Method for mapping of the radio frequency field amplitude in a magnetic resonance imaging system using adiabatic excitation pulses - A method for determining the spatial distribution of the magnitude of the radio frequency transmission field B1 in a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, wherein the method comprises performing an MRI experiment in which a B1-sensitive complex image (SI) of a sample is obtained, wherein the phase distribution within the B1-sensitive complex image (SI) depends on the spatial distribution of the magnitude of the field B1. For establishing the dependency of the phase distribution within the B1-sensitive complex image (SI) on the spatial distribution of the field B1, one or more adiabatic RF pulses are applied. The method provides a simple procedure for mapping the B1 field of a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus with an improved accuracy and a wider measurement range. | 09-23-2010 |
20100244822 | METHOD AND SYSTEM TO PERFORM PHASE CORRECTION FOR SPECIES SEPARATION IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING - Methods and systems are provided for processing a magnetic resonance images. In one embodiment, first and second sets of lines of magnetic resonance imaging signals are acquired. The acquired sets of lines have readout gradients that are reversed in polarity with respect to one another. A two-dimensional phase error is determined using the first and second set of lines. | 09-30-2010 |
20100253331 | DYNAMICALLY SELECTIVELY CONFIGURING WIRELESS TRANSMITTER ASSOCIATED WITH MRI DETECTOR COIL - Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with dynamically selectively configuring wireless transmitters associated with MRI detector coils are described. One example apparatus includes a detector coil to receive an NMR signal. The apparatus includes a dynamically configurable transmitter to transmit an RF transmission according to a configurable set of transmission parameters. The RF transmission is based on the NMR signal received by the MRI detector coil. The apparatus includes a tuning logic that cycles between an active state and a passive state under the control of a tuning program. While in the passive state, the tuning logic is to generate substantially no RF that could interfere with receiving the NMR signal at the MRI detector coil. While in the active state, the tuning logic is to configure the dynamically configurable transmitter to transmit according to the set of transmission parameters. | 10-07-2010 |
20100253332 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING ELECTROMAGNETIC IMAGING THROUGH MAGNETOQUASISTATIC SENSING - A system for providing electromagnetic imaging through magnetoquasistatic sensing contains an electromagnetic sensor for imaging a sample. The electromagnetic sensor contains drive/sense electronics and a pixelated sensor array having an array of inductive loops that source magnetic fields that interact with the sample, wherein the inductive loops are individually drivable by the drive/sense electronics in a coordinated manner to establish a desired temporal and spatial pattern in which electrical properties of the inductive loops are used to generate an image. Other components of the system include a precision motion controller, sensor head and associated electronics, and a computer for performing data acquisition and signal inversion. | 10-07-2010 |
20100253333 | DUAL TUNED VOLUME COILS ADAPTED TO PROVIDE AN END RING MODE - A magnetic resonance coil includes parallel elongate conductive elements ( | 10-07-2010 |
20100253334 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM WITH COOLING SYSTEM AND MONITORING OF HELIUM PRESSURE - A magnetic resonance examination system comprises a main magnet with superconducting coils to generate a main magnetic field and a gradient system to apply a gradient magnetic field superposed on the main magnetic field. A cooling system cools the superconducting coils to below their critical superconductivity temperature. A transfer monitor assesses the transfer of energy from the gradient system to the cooling system. The transfer monitor being configured to measure pressure changes in the cooling system. This leads to a simple manner to evaluate the transfer of energy from the gradient coils into the cooling system. | 10-07-2010 |
20100264917 | DETECTION OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE SIGNALS USING A MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR - A method and apparatus are described wherein a micro sample of a fluidic material may be assayed without sample contamination using NMR techniques, in combination with magnetoresistive sensors. The fluidic material to be assayed is first subject to pre-polarization, in one embodiment, by passage through a magnetic field. The magnetization of the fluidic material is then subject to an encoding process, in one embodiment an rf-induced inversion by passage through an adiabatic fast-passage module. Thereafter, the changes in magnetization are detected by a pair of solid-state magnetoresistive sensors arranged in gradiometer mode. Miniaturization is afforded by the close spacing of the various modules. | 10-21-2010 |
20100264918 | IRON-FREE VARIABLE TORQUE MOTOR COMPATIBLE WITH MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING IN INTEGRATED SPECT AND MR IMAGING - An apparatus and method for performing dual modality SPECT/MRI imaging on an object in combination with a whole-body MRI system includes a collimated nuclear radiation detector for receiving radiation from the object, and a radiofrequency MRI coil enveloping the object and interfaced with the collimated nuclear radiation detector. The MRI coil and collimated detector are arranged and configured for disposition within the whole-body MRI system. | 10-21-2010 |
20100277168 | MULTI-CHANNEL TEM COILS WITH AUXILIARY DECOUPLING ELEMENTS - A radio frequency coil ( | 11-04-2010 |
20100277169 | METHOD AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM FOR DIFFUSION-WEIGHTED ACQUISITION OF MR SIGNALS - In a method for diffusion-weighted acquisition of MR signals with an acquisition sequence that includes a diffusion module with multiple diffusion coding gradients and a readout module with readout gradients to acquire the MR signals, the acquisition sequence is configured to acquire MR signals that correspond to a predetermined signal coherence path. The method includes the acquisition of MR signals with the acquisition sequence, and the diffusion coding gradients are activated with predetermined gradient moments during the acquisition sequence. The gradient moments of the diffusion coding gradients are set such that MR signals that correspond to other coherence paths than the predetermined coherence path are reduced, wherein the adjustment of the gradient moments to achieve a predetermined reduction ensues on the basis of a threshold. | 11-04-2010 |
20100283462 | TUBULAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SURFACE COIL, AND METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING SIGNALS THEREFROM - In a method and system for processing radio frequency signals of a tubular surface coil, the N channels of coil output signals are generated based on M channels of radio frequency signals acquired by M coil units in the tubular surface coil, wherein N is an even number greater than 1 and is less than or equal to M, and the N channels of coil output signals can be divided into N/2 pairs, with the two channels of coil output signals in each of the pairs respectively coming from the coil units located at symmetrical positions of the tubular surface coil. The respective modulus values of the two channels of coil output signals in said each pair of coil output signals are multiplied to obtain N/2 products which are then summed, and the square root of the summed result is computed, so as to generate a lateral cross-sectional image according to the computed result of square root. The signal strength in an imaging area and the uniformity of signal to noise ratio are thereby improved. | 11-11-2010 |
20100289492 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR POSITION DETERMINATION OF BODY MATRIX COILS IN MR SYSTEMS - In a device and a method to determine the position of at least one local coil for a magnetic resonance tomography apparatus, the field strength of a magnetic field is measured at multiple locations with at least one magnetic field strength sensor, and the position of the local coil ( | 11-18-2010 |
20100301854 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE FORCE DETECTION APPARATUS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - A magnetic resonance force detection apparatus, comprising a sample carrier for carrying a sample to be tested, a magnetic field source and a support for supporting either the sample carrier or the magnetic field source. The magnetic field source is configured to expose the sample to a magnetic field by simultaneously providing a plurality of volumes in which the magnetic field is configured to cause the spins of one or more nuclei or electrons in the sample to flip, and wherein the flipping of spins exerts a force on the support. The apparatus also comprises a support displacement measuring sensor configured to measure the displacement of the support and generate a signal representative of the displacement of the support, and a processor configured to process the signal representative of the displacement of the support in order to determine a component of the displacement of the support caused by one or more of the plurality of volumes. | 12-02-2010 |
20100308817 | ADAPTING ACQUISITION TIME IN NUCLEAR IMAGING - Methods of determining an acquisition time adapted to a region of interest for a nuclear imaging process of a patient include detecting radiation from at least a first viewing angle during a first test amount of time, generating first test data from the detected radiation, reconstructing a nuclear event distribution from the first test data, determining a test signal-to-noise ratio for the reconstructed nuclear event distribution within the region of interest, and determining the acquisition time using the test signal-to-noise ratio and the first test amount of time. | 12-09-2010 |
20100308818 | System and Method for Detecting Corrosion Pitting in Gas Turbines - Methods and apparatuses for detecting corrosion in one or more blades of a gas turbine system includes a detection head having a shape that conforms to a surface geometry of a filet section of a gas turbine blade, whereby the detection head is operable to move along the axial length of the filet section for detecting corrosion pitting. At least one coil device located within the detection head induces a first magnetic field within an area of the filet in contact with the detection head. A receiver device is adapted to detect a signal corresponding to a second magnetic field received from the area of the filet exposed to the first magnetic field, where the second magnetic field is generated by induced currents in the area by the first magnetic field. A signal processing device then processes the detected signal for correlating a corresponding amplitude of the detected signal with the presence of corrosion pitting in the area such that the presence of corrosion pitting is determined without any casing disassembly of the gas turbine system. | 12-09-2010 |
20100308819 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD - According to one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes an acquiring unit and a generating unit. The acquiring unit performs compensation of a control waveform of a radio-frequency wave based on “an output waveform of a radio-frequency wave from an amplifier before the compensation” so that an intended output waveform of a radio-frequency wave for generating a spatially non-selective radio-frequency magnetic field is outputted from the amplifier, and acquires a magnetic resonance signal using the control waveform of a radio-frequency wave after the compensation. The generating unit generates image data based on the magnetic resonance signal. | 12-09-2010 |
20100315082 | FREQUENCY SWEPT EXCITATION FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE - A method of magnetic resonance is provided that uses a frequency swept excitation wherein the acquired signal is a time domain signal is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises, applying a sweeping frequency excitation and acquiring a time domain signal. The sweeping frequency excitation has a duration and is configured to sequentially excite isochromats having different resonant frequencies. Acquisition of the time domain signal is done during the duration of the sweeping frequency excitation. The time domain signal is based on evolution of the isochromats. | 12-16-2010 |
20100321016 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND SCANNING-CONDITION CREATING METHOD - A storage unit stores a parameter list that defines a method of creating scanning conditions for a preparation scan from scanning conditions set for a main scan, with respect to each type of scanning. A scanning-condition edit/scan positioning unit receives an operation of selecting a type of a preparation scan, and when the operation of selecting the type of the preparation scan is received, the scanning-parameter limit calculating unit acquires the parameter list corresponding to the type of the preparation scan, from among the parameter lists stored by the storage unit, creates scanning conditions for the preparation scan from scanning conditions set for a main scan based on the parameter list corresponding to the type of the preparation scan. The pulse-sequence execution-data creating unit then causes execution of the preparation scan based on the created scanning conditions. | 12-23-2010 |
20100327867 | METHOD TO DETERMINE PARAMETERS TO CONTROL THE GRADIENT COILS AND RADIO-FREQUENCY COILS OF A MAGNETIC RESONANCE DEVICE - In a method for examination subject-specific determination of parameters for activating gradient coils and radio-frequency of a coil array of a magnetic resonance device to generate a radio-frequency pulse with which nuclear spins in an examination region of an examination subject are moved out of a rest state by an arbitrary angle, a control unit activates phases and amplitudes of currents in the radio-frequency coils and respective currents in the gradient coils in a time-dependent manner in discrete steps to generate gradient fields. In a processor in communication with the control unit, parameters for the activation are automatically calculated dependent on measured sensitivity maps of the radio-frequency coils at the examination subject. The processor optimizes a non-linear equation system within the numerical calculation of the parameters involving a desired magnetization and a theoretical calculated real magnetization. The Jacobian matrix of the real magnetization is calculated in the determination of the parameters dependent on the direction of decline of the magnetization. The matrix elements of the Jacobian matrix consist of products of individual rotations that are determined from the optimized parameters. In the calculation of each matrix element, only factors in which the corresponding parameter is associated with the time step of the matrix element are determined. | 12-30-2010 |
20100327868 | SAR CALCULATION FOR MULTICHANNEL MR TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS - In a device and a method to determine SAR for a magnetic resonance tomography transmission system with multiple antenna elements, a single-column cross-correlation matrix of an antenna element matrix of antenna element values of multiple antenna elements of the magnetic resonance tomography transmission system is determined for each of multiple points in time or time periods. These single-column cross-correlation matrices are added into a sum cross-correlation matrix over a summation time period and the sum cross-correlation matrix is multiplied with a hotspot sensitivity matrix. The hotspot sensitivity matrix represents the sensitivities in at least one direction at a number of hotspot points in a subject located in the magnetic resonance tomography transmission system. The product of the sum cross-correlation matrix and the hotspot sensitivity matrix is multiplied with a value representing the dielectricity at least one hotspot point in order to determine a respective SAR value for hotspot points. If at least one SAR value exceeds a predetermined upper limit, the voltage applied to at least one antenna element or the current flowing in at least one antenna element is reduced or deactivated. | 12-30-2010 |
20110001475 | Methods for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements using long-lived states - A method for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements, includes creation of enhanced polarization of nuclei of a first kind within a sample in a magnetic field at cryogenic temperatures and transfer of the polarised sample to room temperature. The enhanced polarization of nuclei of the first kind is thereby transformed into long-lived states (LLS) of nuclei of a second kind and these LLS are sustained. The LLS is at least partially converted into observable magnetisation and an NMR or MRI measurement is carried out. The method allows one to extend the time needed between hyperpolarised magnetisation and NMR detection. | 01-06-2011 |
20110006765 | Variable Image Resolution MR Imaging System - A system acquires frequency domain components representing MR image data. An RF coil emits RF pulses for use in acquiring multiple individual frequency components corresponding to individual data elements in a 3D storage array in which the individual frequency components are successively acquired along radii from a designated center representing an origin to a boundary of the storage array. Angles of successive radii with respect to the origin are successively changed to substantially fill the storage array volume during acquisition of an MR dataset representing an MR image. A computation processor determines the angles of successive radii with respect to the origin, in response to data representing a reduction in at least one dimension of the 3D imaging volume represented by the storage array. A storage processor stores individual frequency components, acquired using the emitted RF pulses, in corresponding individual data elements in the array. | 01-13-2011 |
20110006766 | COIL SELECTION FOR PARALLEL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING - The invention relates to a method of selecting a set of coil elements from a multitude of physical coil elements comprised in a coil array for performing a magnetic resonance imaging scan of a region of interest. | 01-13-2011 |
20110012593 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHIELDING A LINEAR ACCELERATOR AND A MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING DEVICE FROM EACH OTHER - A radiation therapy system comprises a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system combined with an irradiation system, which can include one or more linear accelerators (linacs) that can emit respective radiation beams suitable for radiation therapy. The MRI system includes a split magnet system, comprising first and second main magnets separated by gap. A gantry is positioned in the gap between the main MRI magnets and supports the linac(s) of the irradiation system. The gantry is rotatable independently of the MRI system and can angularly reposition the linac(s). Shielding can also be provided in the form of magnetic and/or RF shielding. Magnetic shielding can be provided for shielding the linac(s) from the magnetic field generated by the MRI magnets. RF shielding can be provided for shielding the MRI system from RF radiation from the linac. | 01-20-2011 |
20110018536 | ANGULAR POSITION SENSING BASED ON MAGNETICALLY INDUCED BEAM DEFORMATION - A sensor for sensing an angular position of an instrument relative to a static magnetic field includes a flexible beam, an electromagnetic device, and a measuring device. The beam at one end may be coupled to the instrument, and lies along a sensor axis when the beam is in a non-flexed state. The electromagnetic device is coupled to the beam and is configured for generating a magnetic sensor field aligned with the sensor axis. The measuring device communicates with the beam and is configured for measuring a property of the beam related to an amount of flexure of the beam. The sensor may be utilized to set the instrument at a desired angle prior to operating the instrument, and to determine whether the instrument has deviated from the desired angle during operation. The instrument may include a probe spinning module such as may be utilized in magnetic resonance experiments. | 01-27-2011 |
20110025324 | SIMULTANEOUS RELAXATION TIME INVERSION - In some embodiments, apparatus and systems, as well as methods, may operate to acquire fluid signature data representing a plurality of nuclear magnetic resonance echo trains associated with fluids in a material, to simultaneously invert a plurality of relaxation time models to provide inverted results, and to determine fluid properties using the inverted results. The relaxation time models may be associated with the fluids using the fluid signature data after constraining ratios of T | 02-03-2011 |
20110025325 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ACQUISITION AND RECONSTRUCTION OF NON-CPMG PROPELLER SEQUENCES - An apparatus and method of MR imaging is disclosed. The apparatus and method comprises segmenting acquisition of an echo train into separate odd and even acquisition blades in k-space, wherein the odd and even acquisition blades extend orthogonally through a common reference point in a central region of k-space. A segment of MR data is acquired using a quadratic phase modulation scheme, wherein a first set of MR echo signals occurring after odd-numbered RF refocusing pulses are stored in the odd acquisition blade, and a second set of MR echo signals occurring after even-numbered RF refocusing pulses are stored in the even acquisition blade. This acquisition and segmentation is repeated until a sufficient number of blades are acquired to fill k-space. Finally, an image is reconstructed from the acquisition blades. | 02-03-2011 |
20110025326 | DUAL-USE NMR PROBE - An NMR probe comprising an RF resonator | 02-03-2011 |
20110037465 | COMPOSITE PULSE DESIGN METHOD FOR LARGE-TIP-ANGLE EXCITATION IN HIGH FIELD MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus having a static magnetic field source, a plurality of radio frequency magnetic field sources and a plurality of gradient magnetic field sources for generating a gradient magnetic field is provided. The static magnetic field source generates a static magnetic field for aligning a spin vector of an object in a direction of the magnetic field and plurality of radio frequency magnetic field sources generate a radio frequency magnetic field for rotating the spin vector by an angle. The apparatus further includes a processor for generating a plurality of radio frequency excitation pulses for the plurality of radio frequency magnetic field sources and a plurality of gradient excitation pulses for the plurality of gradient magnetic field sources. The second half of each of the plurality of radio frequency excitation pulses comprises a time-reversed first half of a respective one of the plurality of radio frequency excitation pulses and the second half of each of the plurality of gradient excitation comprises a time-reversed and sign-reversed first half of a respective one of the plurality of gradient excitation pulses. The average value of each of the plurality of gradient excitation pulses is zero. | 02-17-2011 |
20110043203 | SIDE-BAND SUPPRESSION METHOD AND SIDE-BAND SUPPRESSION DEVICE - In a method and device for side-band suppression, a positive eddy current correction factor and negative eddy current correction factor are determined and scanning N/2 times by a positive gradient takes place, and the positive gradient scanning signal is collected during each scan. Scanning N/2 times by a negative gradient also takes place, and the negative gradient scanning signal is collected during each scan. N is an even number. An eddy current correction of the N/2 positive gradient scanning signals collected according to the positive eddy current correction factor is performed as an eddy current correction of the N/2 negative gradient scanning signals collected according to the negative eddy current correction factor. The side-band suppressed spectrum signal according to the N/2 positive gradient scanning signals that have undergone the eddy current correction is calculated, as is the N/2 negative gradient scanning signals that have undergone the eddy current correction. The method and device according to the present invention can effectively suppress the side band. | 02-24-2011 |
20110043204 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMPUTERIZED RULE-BASED CONTROL THEREOF - In a magnetic resonance system according to a measurement protocol defined in advance and comprising multiple acquisition parameters, wherein given a non-compliance with at least one limit value (which is automatically established before the beginning of a subject-specific measurement data acquisition)—in particular a SAR limit value and/or a magneto-stimulation limit value and/or a hardware limit value—by the measurement protocol, an adaptation of at least one acquisition parameter ensues using at least one (in particular user-defined) protocol-specific rule for compliance with the limit value, and the measurement data acquisition ensues automatically according to the adapted acquisition parameters. | 02-24-2011 |
20110043205 | REAL-TIME LOCAL AND GLOBAL SAR ESTIMATION FOR PATIENT SAFETY AND IMPROVED SCANNING PERFORMANCE - In a method and apparatus to enable increased RF duty cycle in high field MR scans, a specific energy absorption rate (SAR) calculation processor ( | 02-24-2011 |
20110050223 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS AND METHOD - An apparatus and method for performing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on samples in metallic holders and vessels or in proximity to metallic objects is disclosed. | 03-03-2011 |
20110050224 | PREALLOCATABLE TRANSMISSION DATA MEMORY ELEMENT OF AN MR TRANSMISSION UNIT IN ARRAY APPLICATIONS - Optimized transmission system for an MRT is achieved by a device and a method to generate transmission signals ( | 03-03-2011 |
20110050225 | Double-resonance structure and method for investigating samples by DNP and/or ENDOR - A double-resonance structure for DNP-NMR experiments and/or ENDOR experiments and methods using such a double-resonance structure. The double-resonance structure comprises a microwave resonator for generating electromagnetic fields suitable for EPR and an HF resonator for generating electromagnetic fields suitable for NMR. The HF resonator is formed by a strip resonator, a section of the strip resonator at the same time forming a portion of the microwave resonator. | 03-03-2011 |
20110062957 | OPTICALLY INTEGRATED BIOSENSOR BASED ON OPTICALLY DETECTED MAGNETIC RESONANCE - An optically integrated magnetic biosensor includes an optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) center and a fluidics layer configured to contain a solution comprising analytes, the fluidics layer being disposed over the ODMR center. A light source which generates incident light excites electrons within the ODMR center from a ground state to an excited state and a radio frequency (RF) antenna generates an RF field incident with frequencies which correspond to ground state transitions in the ODMR center. The ODMR center produces emitted light when illuminated by the incident light. The characteristics of the emitted light are influenced by the RF field and magnetic nanoparticles attached to the analytes. A method for detecting analytes using optically detected magnetic resonance is also provided. | 03-17-2011 |
20110068789 | NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS - A nuclear magnetic resonance apparatus includes a dewar containing a low-temperature liquid refrigerant, a prepolarization coil disposed inside the dewar and including a superconducting wire, a prepolarization coil driving unit for intermittent application of current to the prepolarization coil in a capacitor charge/discharge method to generate a prepolarization magnetic field, a sensor unit for measuring a nuclear magnetic resonance signal from a sample to which a prepolarization magnetic field is applied with the prepolarization coil, and a readout magnetic field generation unit for applying a readout magnetic field to the sample. | 03-24-2011 |
20110074409 | Systems And Methods For Gating An Imaging Device - A method and system for automatically gating an imaging device is disclosed. Physiological process information of a patient may be derived from a plethysmographic signal, for example, by analyzing the plethysmographic signal transformed by a continuous wavelet transform. Other techniques for deriving physiological process information of a patient include, for example, analyzing a scalogram derived from the continuous wavelet transform. The physiological process information may be used to automatically gate imaging data acquired from an imaging device in order to synchronize the imaging data with the physiological process information. | 03-31-2011 |
20110074410 | Calibration of an emission tomography subsystem - A method and a system are disclosed for calibrating an emission tomography subsystem in a combined MR (magnetic resonance) and emission tomography imaging system. In at least one embodiment, the method includes providing a phantom that is configured such that the phantom is visible on a MR image, providing an attenuation map of the phantom, wherein the attenuation map includes an attenuation of the phantom, obtaining the MR image of the phantom, obtaining a position of the phantom from the MR image, mapping the attenuation map with the position of the phantom, and calibrating the emission tomography subsystem using the attenuation map mapped with the position of the phantom. | 03-31-2011 |
20110074411 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for acquiring k-space data from a deformable imaging region of a subject and generating image data of the imaging region at the time of being deformed to a predetermined state, based on the acquired k-space data, includes a gradient coil for applying a gradient magnetic field in a phase encoding direction, and an image data calculation device for calculating a numeric value for defining a relationship between the imaging region at the time of being deformed to the predetermined state and the imaging region at an nth phase encoding and calculating image data of the imaging region at the time of being deformed to the predetermined state, based on the calculated numeric value and the k-space data acquired from the imaging region. | 03-31-2011 |
20110074412 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes z segments which divide a ky-kz plane. The z segments includes data located therein. The ky-kz plane is divided into z center-in regions and z center-out regions by a plurality of lines extending radially from a center of the ky-kz plane. The z center-in regions have data located therein in accordance with first trajectories which proceed toward the center of the ky-kz plane. The z center-out regions have data located therein in accordance with second trajectories which proceed in a direction spaced away from the center of the ky-kz plane. Each of the z segments has one center-in region of the z center-in regions and one center-out region of the z center-out regions. Each of the z segments is defined in which after data have been located in said one center-in region in accordance with the first trajectory, data are located in said one center-out region in accordance with the second trajectory. At least one of the z segments is defined in which an angle of said one center-in region at the center of the ky-kz plane is wider than an angle of said one center-out region at the center of the ky-kz plane. | 03-31-2011 |
20110089944 | NUCLEIC ACID NANOTUBE LIQUID CRYSTALS AND USE FOR NMR STRUCTURE DETERMINATION OF MEMBRANE PROTEINS - Compositions and methods for preparing nucleic acid nanotubes using DNA origami techniques are described, which provide for nanotubes of predictable and uniform length. The nucleic acid nanotubes thus formed are suitable as liquid crystal preparations enabling liquid-crystal NMR spectroscopy of proteins solubilized in detergent. | 04-21-2011 |
20110095758 | MULTICOIL LOW-FIELD NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE DETECTION AND IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD - A multicoil NMR detection and imaging apparatus allows multicoil NMR detection and imaging to be performed efficiently at low operating frequencies. The apparatus comprises an AC voltage generator, a transmit switching circuit, a coil switching network, an array of two or more detection coils, a set of receive switching circuits with one switching circuit for each detection coil, and a set of preamplifier circuits with input impedance substantially greater than the impedance of each respective detection coil at the intended operating frequency. The AC generator produces an alternating current waveform that is routed through one of more detection coils during transmit mode while the preamplifier circuits are isolated from the detection coil(s). During receive mode the AC generator is isolated from the detection coils to prevent noise from the transmitter from degrading the quality of received signals. | 04-28-2011 |
20110095759 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PASADENA HYPERPOLARIZATION - The present subject matter relates to methods and apparatus for using hyperpolarization to improve imaging. Am exemplary embodiment, a PASADENA polarizer, is capable of delivering 2.5-5 ml of highly hyperpolarized biological | 04-28-2011 |
20110101977 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD - According to one embodiment, an MRI apparatus includes a probe unit and a control/imaging unit. The probe unit includes an probe, an converter, an compressor and a transmitter. The control/imaging unit includes a receiver, an expander and an reconstructor. The probe detects an RF echo signal generated in a subject by a magnetic resonance phenomenon. The converter digitizes the detected signal. The compressor compresses the digitized signal in accordance with a predetermined compression parameter to obtain a compressed signal. The transmitter generates a transmission signal to wirelessly transmit the compressed echo signal and sends the transmission signal to a radio channel. The receiver receives the transmission signal and extracts the compressed signal from the received signal. The expander expands the extracted compressed signal in accordance with the parameter to obtain the RF echo signal. The reconstructor generates a video signal regarding the subject on the basis of the obtained signal. | 05-05-2011 |
20110115483 | TRANSMIT/RECEIVE COIL FOR ULTRA-HIGH FIELD MRI - A magnetic resonance coil comprises a first set of coil elements ( | 05-19-2011 |
20110128000 | MULTI-CHANNEL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING AND SPECTROSCOPY - A magnetic resonance (MR) system comprising multiple radio-frequency (RP) coils ( | 06-02-2011 |
20110133734 | Method for regulating RF signals in an NMR system and probe head for carrying out the method - A method for regulating radio frequency (RF) signals in a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) system, comprising a spectrometer, a control loop, and an NMR probe head with RF components (B | 06-09-2011 |
20110133735 | NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus is provided, which is capable of reducing SAR while maintaining S/N ratio and image contrast in a GrE-type pulse sequence, regardless of whether a synchronous imaging is performed or not. | 06-09-2011 |
20110140695 | FLATTENED GRADIENT COIL FOR MRI SYSTEMS - A gradient coil and an insert gradient coil for a magnetic resonance imaging system include a primary coil. The primary coil includes an upper primary coil portion and a lower primary coil portion, the lower primary coil portion being less curved in cross-section than the upper primary coil portion. The gradient coil also includes a shielding coil disposed outside of the primary coil. The shielding coil includes an upper shielding coil portion and a lower shielding coil portion, the lower shielding coil portion being less curved in cross-section than the upper shielding coil portion. | 06-16-2011 |
20110148409 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING THE SHAPE OF AN OBJECT USING A MAGNETIC INDUCTION RADIO SENSOR - A system and method for measuring the shape of an object using a magnetic induction radio sensor involves at least partially enclosing the object with a magnetic loop antenna of the magnetic induction radio sensor, where the inductance of the magnetic loop antenna depends on the shape of the object, and providing a particular capacitance at an antenna matching circuit coupled to the magnetic loop antenna in response to the inductance of the magnetic loop antenna such that the magnetic loop antenna and the antenna matching circuit form a resonant circuit and the resonant circuit has a fixed resonant frequency, where the particular capacitance is used to measure the shape of the object. | 06-23-2011 |
20110156703 | System For Combining Magnetic Resonance Imaging With Particle-Based Radiation Systems for Image Guided Radiation Therapy - A hybrid MRI-particle-based therapy system can include as components both a particle radiation therapy system configured to apply a charged particle beam to a region of application in a predetermined direction and also a MRI system including a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field in an imaging volume which includes the region of application at the same time that the charged particle beam is applied. The MRI system can be configured with two torroidal magnets or a magnet having apertures to provide access to the region of application for the charged particle beam, and to provide a homogeneous magnetic field in the region of application of the charged particle beam. The particle beam can be positioned to pass through a relatively low-strength portion of the main magnetic B | 06-30-2011 |
20110163748 | METHOD, SYSTEM AND COMPUTER-ACCESSIBLE MEDIUM FOR PROVIDING MULTIPLE-QUANTUM-FILTERED IMAGING - The present disclosure describes exemplary embodiments of process, system, computer-accessible medium and processing arrangement which can be used to provide multiple-quantum-filtered imaging. For example, provided herein is an exemplary system that can include an arrangement which can be configured to extract and/or determine at least one Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) signal provided from an anatomical sample utilizing differences of phases of excitation pulses provided from an apparatus. The NMR signal(s) can relate to at least one multiple-quantum coherence in a presence of B | 07-07-2011 |
20110163749 | RF SHIMMING WITH RF POWER REGULARIZATION USING A MULTI-CHANNEL RF TRANSMIT SYSTEM FOR MRI - A magnetic resonance system comprises: a magnetic resonance scanner ( | 07-07-2011 |
20110169489 | RF COIL DOCKING STATION FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEMS - An RF coil docking station ( | 07-14-2011 |
20110181279 | Method And Apparatus For Detection of A Liquid Under A Surface - Methods for detecting a liquid under a surface and characterizing Ice are provided The liquid may be a liquid hydrocarbon such as crude oil or fuel oil or mineral oil The surface may be ice, snow, or water, and the method may be practiced in an arctic region to detect oil spills, leaks, or seepages The methods may be used with a range finder to characterize marine ice The methods may include a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tool with antenna to send a radio-frequency (RF) excitation pulse or signal into volume of substances being detected, detect an NMR response signal to determine the presence of the liquid of interest The NMR response may include a relaxation time element and an intensity level and may include a free induction signal (T2*), a spin echo signal (T2), a train of spin echo signals (T2), or a thermal equilibrium signal (T 1). | 07-28-2011 |
20110181280 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ECHO PLANAR IMAGING - In a method and system for echo planar imaging, after having applied a radiofrequency pulse and a slice selection gradient, continuous readout gradients alternating between positive and negative are applied and a phase encoding gradient is applied before starting each readout gradient. A slice selection gradient is applied at the same time as applying the phase encoding gradient. Scanning signals are collected during the duration of the readout gradients. Image reconstruction is implemented based on the scanning signals to obtain a scanned image. | 07-28-2011 |
20110181281 | EQUIPMENT FOR INSPECTING EXPLOSIVES AND/OR ILLICIT DRUGS, ANTENNA COIL AND METHOD FOR INSPECTING EXPLOSIVES AND/OR ILLICIT DRUGS - Equipment for inspecting explosives and/or illicit drugs comprises a means for generating high-frequency pulses, an antenna coil which irradiates an object of inspection with the generated high-frequency pulses working as a radio wave and receives a nuclear quadrupole signal which is generated from the object of inspection when the object of inspection is excited by the radio wave, and a means for detecting explosives and/or illicit drugs in the object of inspection based on the nuclear quadrupole signal thus received, wherein the antenna coil is formed in the shape of a figure of “8” by using a high-frequency coaxial cable so that two solenoid coil portions wound reversely to each other can be provided, and is used while facing the object of inspection. Various explosives and/or illicit drugs can be inspected compactly and surely by the equipment for inspecting explosives and/or illicit drugs and an inspecting method using such equipment for inspecting explosives and/or illicit drugs. | 07-28-2011 |
20110187362 | DETECTION USING MAGNETIC FIELD - A device to detect a magnetic field is disclosed. The device includes a first set of nano-magnets and a second set of nano-magnets. The first set of nano-magnets may be operable to transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal to a target, and a second set of nano-magnets may be operable to induce an electrical signal in response to a magnetic resonance signal generated from the target. | 08-04-2011 |
20110187363 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SENSING THE PRESENCE OF EXPLOSIVES, CONTRABAND AND OTHER MOLECULES USING NUCLEAR QUADRUPOLE RESONANCE - Stimulated emissions due to nuclear quadropole resonance are detected utilizing a terminated balanced transmission line and a directional coupler for the detection of explosives, contraband, narcotics and the like that exist between the transmission lines, with either a stepped frequency generator utilized to scan between 100 KHz and 10 MHz, or wherein parallel fixed frequency sources are coupled to the transmission line, thereby to permit correlation with expected lines, with the frequency sources being low power so as to not create a safety hazard and so as not to interfere with radiation sensitive devices such as film or electronic circuits that are in the vicinity of the balanced transmission line. | 08-04-2011 |
20110204890 | ANTENNA DEVICE AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING DEVICE - Manufacture cost and maintenance cost of RF coils of MRI devices are reduced without any limitation concerning size of the coils. By constituting an antenna device for magnetic resonance imaging devices with a cylindrical outer conductor, a looped ribbon-shaped conductor disposed inside the cylindrical outer conductor along the cylindrical surface, and a feed point for transmission and/or reception between the cylindrical conductor and the ribbon-shaped conductor, and disposing the ribbon-shaped conductor so that length thereof can be readily adjusted, there is provided an antenna device for magnetic resonance imaging devices that generates a magnetic field component perpendicular to the central axis of the cylinder at a desired resonance frequency and shows sensitivity without using capacitors and without being imposed any limitation concerning size in the diametral direction of the cylinder. | 08-25-2011 |
20110210729 | ANNULAR MAGNET SYSTEM FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY - A persistent-mode magnet, assembled from superconducting annuli, provides a micro coil NMR, in which compactness and manufacturability are provided for a variety of applications. An annular magnet for micro NMR can include a YBCO-annulus Helmholtz coil, for example, that can energized by a magnet system and then transported for use at a second location with an operating system. | 09-01-2011 |
20110210730 | Molecular Structure Determination from NMR Spectroscopy - Methods for the determination of the molecular structures of compounds are disclosed, the methods comprising obtaining NMR spectroscopic measurements of compounds, determining internuclear distances from the NMR measurements, and inputting the distances to an algorithm to determine probable structures. Optionally, constraints may be added and the algorithm repeated. Usually, the methods do not require comparisons to databases of spectra during the generation of possible structures. | 09-01-2011 |
20110210731 | MULTICOIL LOW-FIELD NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE DETECTION AND IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD - A multicoil NMR detection and imaging apparatus allows multicoil NMR detection and imaging to be performed efficiently at low operating frequencies. The apparatus comprises an AC voltage generator, a transmit switching circuit, a coil switching network, an array of two or more detection coils, a set of receive switching circuits with one switching circuit for each detection coil, and a set of preamplifier circuits with input impedance substantially greater than the impedance of each respective detection coil at the intended operating frequency. The AC generator produces an alternating current waveform that is routed through one of more detection coils during transmit mode while the preamplifier circuits are isolated from the detection coil(s). During receive mode the AC generator is isolated from the detection coils to prevent noise from the transmitter from degrading the quality of received signals. | 09-01-2011 |
20110215803 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS, EVALUATION DEVICE, AND METHOD - An image is generated from data acquired with a magnetic resonance tomography, wherein nuclear spins in an excitation region are excited with different transmission modes and a common image is generated from the response signals. | 09-08-2011 |
20110215804 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE METHOD AND SYSTEM TO CREATE AN IMAGE DATA SET - In a method to create an image data set by operating a magnetic resonance system, at least two phase coding gradients are switched in respective spatial directions, an RF excitation pulse is radiated and a raw data point in a k-space data set belonging to the image data set is read out a predetermined time period after the radiation of the RF excitation pulse. The predetermined time period thereby corresponds to the maximum of a set of a respective minimum time period for each of the at least two phase coding gradients. The minimum time period of the respective at least one of the at least two phase coding gradients is determined depending on the strength of the respective phase coding gradient such that the Nyquist theorem is complied with. | 09-08-2011 |
20110221439 | Magnetic resonance spectroscopy with real-time correction of motion and frequency drift, and real-time shimming - Disclosed are MR Spectroscopy and MR Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI) methods comprising the sequential steps of water suppression, spatial prelocalization and spatial-spectral encoding, wherein the water suppression is modified to additionally measure and correct the frequency drift, the change in magnetic field inhomogeneity in the volume of interest, and the object movement. By inserting between the water suppression RF pulse and the dephasing gradient pulses either a phase sensitive MRI encoding module, or a 1D, 2D or 3D high-speed MRSI encoding module with simultaneous acquisition of the decaying water signal it is possible to measure frequency drift, magnetic field inhomogeneity and object movement. This information is used to dynamically change the synthesizer frequency of the scanner, the shim settings and to rotate the encoded k-space. In the preferred implementation this information is computed in real-time during the ongoing scan and via feeback loop downloaded to the acquisition control unit to update the aforementioned parameters before the subsequent data acquisition. | 09-15-2011 |
20110227571 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS - According to one embodiment, a apparatus includes a coil, a clock generator, an echo transmitter, a carrier generator, a clock transmitter, a regenerator, an receiver, a reconstructor, a detector, and a controller. The echo transmitter generates and transmits an echo transmission signal synchronously with a clock signal generated by the clock generator to wirelessly transmit an echo signal output from the col. The carrier generator generates a carrier signal have a frequency within a variable range. The clock transmitter wirelessly transmits a clock transmission signal. The regenerator regenerates the clock signal based on the transmitted clock transmission signal. The receiver extracts the echo signal synchronously with the regenerated clock signal from the transmitted echo transmission signal. The detector detects a frequency of an interference wave. The controller controls the carrier generator to generate the carrier signal having a frequency which comparatively small interference with respect to the detected frequency. | 09-22-2011 |
20110234221 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE METHOD AND APPARATUS TO DETERMINE PHASE CORRECTION PARAMETERS - In a magnetic resonance system and operating method to determine phase correction parameters for a phase correction in MR image data, first and second phase correction data sets are thereby acquired and correlations are calculated between data of the second phase correction data set and data of the first phase correction data set. Phase correction parameters are determined, such as coefficients of a power series that approximates a curve of a phase difference between phase curves of the second and first phase correction data sets. | 09-29-2011 |
20110241668 | METHOD FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING - A method for magnetic resonance imaging, in which a magnetic resonance imaging device employs a multi-echo imaging sequence, includes the steps of: applying, to one of the multiple echoes, a first number of steps of phase encoding, applying a readout gradient, and collecting the data of this echo to reconstruct an anatomical image; and applying, to another one of the multiple echoes, a second number of steps of phase encoding, applying a readout gradient, and collecting the data of this echo to construct a temperature image. The method is capable of obtaining at the same time both a temperature image with high time resolution and an anatomical image with high spatial resolution. | 10-06-2011 |
20110248712 | SYSTEM AND METHOD PROVIDING PREAMPLIFIER FEEDBACK FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING - A system and method for generating preamplifier feedback in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems are provided. A preamplifier arrangement for the MRI system includes a plurality of preamplifiers with each of the preamplifiers connected to a different channel of a multi-channel coil array of the MRI system. The preamplifier arrangement further includes a feedback network connected to each of the plurality of preamplifiers with each of the feedback networks configured to generate negative feedback at one or more oscillation frequencies. | 10-13-2011 |
20110248713 | Microscope Apparatus and Microscopy Method - The present invention relates to a microscope apparatus ( | 10-13-2011 |
20110254545 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING A MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM CONTROL SEQUENCE - A method and a control sequence determination device for determining a magnetic resonance system control sequence are described. The magnetic resonance system control sequence includes a multichannel pulse train having a plurality of individual RF pulse trains that are to be transmitted in parallel by the magnetic resonance system over different independent radio-frequency transmit channels. The multichannel pulse train is calculated on the basis of a predefined target function with a predefined target magnetization in an RF pulse optimization method, where the target function is predefined such that the target function includes at least one local RF exposure value of an examination subject that is dependent on the control sequence. Also described are a method for operating a magnetic resonance system and a magnetic resonance system including the control sequence determination device. | 10-20-2011 |
20110254546 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING A MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM ACTIVATION SEQUENCE - A method and a control sequence determination device for determining a magnetic resonance system activation sequence are described. The magnetic resonance system activation sequence includes a multichannel pulse train with a plurality of individual HF pulse trains to be emitted in a parallel manner by the magnetic resonance system by way of different independent high-frequency transmit channels. In this process, a multichannel pulse train is calculated with a predefined target magnetization using an HF pulse optimization method, with optimization taking place with respect to a setpoint deviation of an HF local exposure value from an HF global exposure value. A method for operating a magnetic resonance system and a magnetic resonance system with the control sequence determination device are also described. | 10-20-2011 |
20110267051 | STANDING WAVE TRAP - The present embodiments relate to a standing wave trap for a magnetic resonance tomography device. The standing wave trap includes a conductor region extending in one plane and at least one capacitor that is conductively connected to two sections of the conductor region. | 11-03-2011 |
20110267052 | BROADBAND DECOUPLING PULSE TRAIN WITH INTERLEAVED PAUSES FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY - A magnetic resonance apparatus ( | 11-03-2011 |
20110279116 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS - A magnetic resonance diagnostic apparatus is configured in such a manner that: a high-frequency transmission coil transmits a high-frequency electromagnetic wave at a magnetic resonance frequency to an examined subject; a heating coil performs a heating process by radiating a high-frequency electromagnetic wave onto the examined subject at a frequency different from the magnetic resonance frequency; based on a magnetic resonance signal, a measuring unit measures the temperature of the examined subject changing due to the high-frequency electromagnetic wave radiated by the heating coil; and a control unit exercises control so that the measuring unit measures the temperature while the heating coil is performing the heating process, by ensuring that the transmission of the high-frequency electromagnetic wave by the high-frequency transmission coil and the radiation of the high-frequency electromagnetic wave by the heating coil are performed in parallel. | 11-17-2011 |
20110279117 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING - A method for contrast agent enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of a target sample, comprising generating a magnetic field shift in a polarizing magnetic field during a relaxation portion of an MRI pulse sequence and thereafter acquiring an MR image. | 11-17-2011 |
20110285396 | NMR MEASUREMENT APPARATUS WITH FLOW-THROUGH PROBEHEAD - The invention relates to a device ( | 11-24-2011 |
20110291651 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes an executing unit, a calculating unit, and a correcting unit. The executing unit executes a pre-scan while using a pulse sequence by which a plurality of echo signals are collected. The calculating unit calculates a phase difference between at least two echo signals of which a fluctuation of phase differences is stable and that are selected out of the plurality of echo signals collected during the pre-scan and are selected while excluding echo signals collected during an initial time period. The correcting unit that corrects a pulse sequence used for a main scan, based on the phase difference calculated by the calculating unit. | 12-01-2011 |
20110316534 | SIMULTANEOUS DETERMINATION OF BITUMEN AND WATER CONTENT IN OIL SAND AND OIL SAND EXTRACTION PROCESS SAMPLES USING LOW-FIELD TIME-DOMAIN NMR - A method for quantifying bitumen and/or water in a sample comprising bitumen, water and solids using a time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance pulse spectrometer is provided comprising the steps of: initially saturating the magnetization of the sample so that essentially no magnetization remains in the +Z axis; subjecting the sample to a sequence of radio-frequency pulses optimized for the measurement of bitumen and water in the sample; allowing the recording of the transverse relaxation (T | 12-29-2011 |
20110316535 | SHIM COILS AND SHIMMING MINIATURIZED NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE MAGNETS - A capillary cartridge assembly for positioning a sample fluid at a geometric center between juxtaposed pole pieces of a NMR magnet assembly for NMR analysis comprises a capillary captured in a channel in a printed circuit board assembly that is sized to fit between the pole pieces. The assembly includes a RF coil surrounding a portion of the capillary. Electric traces shaped to function as shim coils can be included in the printed circuit board. An end of the printed circuit board includes electrically conductive contacts that plug into a receptacle to connect the RF coil and traces to external electrical circuitry when the RF coil is in the geometric center. The capillary can be a continuous flow-through capillary or a closed cartridge. | 12-29-2011 |
20120025821 | High field NMR apparatus with excess cooling power and integrated helium re-liquification - A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) apparatus ( | 02-02-2012 |
20120043963 | Imaging Device For Three Dimensional Anatomical And Functional Imaging And Methods Thereof - The present invention discloses an imaging device within an MRI. In a magnetic resonance imaging system, a spatially fixed coupled imaging device (SFCID) for producing combined anatomical and real time functional light images, the SFCID functionally incorporates a maneuverable imaging system MIS with a coupled imaging system CIS. | 02-23-2012 |
20120062225 | IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS, IMAGE DISPLAY METHOD AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS - An image display apparatus which displays a form image indicative of a form about an imaging area of a subject and a quantitative value image indicative of quantitative values measured with respect to characteristics of the imaging area, said image display apparatus includes a display unit which displays the form image on a display screen thereof and a specific area setting unit which sets a specific area at the form image displayed on the display screen by the display unit. When the specific area is set at the form image by the specific area setting unit, the display unit displays the quantitative value image on the display screen side by side with the form image in such a manner that the quantitative value image indicates the quantitative values measured with respect to a position corresponding to the specific area set at the imaging area. | 03-15-2012 |
20120074934 | NMR MEASUREMENTS AND METHODS OF ANALYZING NMR DATA - NMR measurements and methods of analyzing those measurements are disclosed. A single NMR measurement is performed then that data is analyzed. Additional NMR measurements are performed and analyzed sequentially then the array of NMR analyzed data is analyzed again to get information about the system under study. | 03-29-2012 |
20120074935 | MRI Coil Design - A coil for a magnetic resonance imaging device consists of multiple coil elements arranged about an imaging space. Each coil element comprise radiating structures oriented at an angle to a tangent of the imaging space. Angling the radiating structures reduces mutual coupling between coil elements and enhances the penetration of the radio frequency field to the imaging space. | 03-29-2012 |
20120074936 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE MEASURING APPARATUS - According to one embodiment, a magnetic resonance measuring apparatus includes a signal source, a transmitter, a receiver, a bandpass filter, a receiving circuit and a magnetic field generator. The signal generator is configured to generate a microwave signal. The transmitter is configured to transmit the signal from the signal source to a test sample. The receiver is opposed to the transmitter and configured to receive the signal from the transmitter via the sample. The bandpass filter has a bandwidth and is configured to extract the signal. The receiving circuit is configured to amplify the extracted signal through the bandpass filter and process the amplified signal. The magnetic field generator is configured to apply a magnetic field to the sample. The bandwidth satisfies a condition, P+Gtx+Grx−(Γtx+Γd | 03-29-2012 |
20120092008 | Multi-Phase Metering Device for Oilfield Applications - This application is related to a system and methods for sampling fluids and gases using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology. Specifically the system is related to an improved metallic pipe design for use at oil and gas well heads that includes integral coils for transmitting an NMR pulse sequence and detecting NMR signals and can be used as a component of an NMR instrument. The methods are related to obtaining and analyzing NMR spectra in stationary and flowing states. | 04-19-2012 |
20120098535 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND EDDY CURRENT COMPENSATION METHOD - An object is to correct a magnetic field caused by an eddy current, which is generated due to application of a gradient magnetic field, not only in the application direction of the gradient magnetic field but also in a direction different from the application direction of the gradient magnetic field. In the present invention, in order to achieve this object, a compensation magnetic field which compensates for an eddy current magnetic field generated in each of an application direction of a test gradient magnetic field and a direction different from the application direction in each direction is calculated using the test gradient magnetic field. When generating an arbitrary gradient magnetic field, a compensation magnetic field which compensates for an eddy current magnetic field according to application of an arbitrary gradient magnetic field on the basis of the measured eddy current magnetic field in each direction is generated together with the arbitrary gradient magnetic field. | 04-26-2012 |
20120105059 | SHIELDING APPARATUS AND SHIELDING STRUCTURES FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING SCANNER - One or more embodiments of the invention relate to a shielding apparatus for shielding at least one at least partially metallic implant in the body of a patient during an examination by magnetic resonance imaging, which can be attached temporarily on or in the vicinity of the body of the patient and comprises a shielding material, which is suited to attenuate radio frequency alternating electromagnetic fields. | 05-03-2012 |
20120126810 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE PH MEASUREMENTS USING LIGHT ENDOWED WITH ORBITAL ANGULAR MOMENTUM - In a pH measurement system, a magnet defines a BO magnetic field with which selected dipoles preferentially align in an examination region. A orbital angular momentum system endows electromagnetic (EM) radiation with orbital angular momentum (OAM) and transmits the OAM endowed EM radiation to the examination region to at least one of (1) enhance the preferential alignment of the selected dipoles with the BO magnetic field and (2) excite the aligned dipoles to resonate. A receive coil receives resonance signals from the resonating dipoles. An analysis or measurement unit determines a pH in the examination region by analyzing the resonance signals. | 05-24-2012 |
20120133358 | Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Scanning of Metal Containers Using Medium-Field Technology - A method and apparatus are provided for medium-field NMR scanning of liquids that is capable of discriminating benign liquids such as lotions, drinks, and pharmaceutical liquids from threat liquids such as components of home-made explosives. | 05-31-2012 |
20120133359 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus configured to divide a data acquisition region defined in a k | 05-31-2012 |
20120139536 | SHIPPING CONTAINER EXPLOSIVES AND CONTRABAND DETECTION SYSTEM USING NUCLEAR QUADRUPOLE RESONANCE - For container-carried explosives or contraband, stimulated emissions due to nuclear quadropole resonance are detected utilizing a terminated balanced transmission line and a directional coupler for the detection of explosives, contraband, narcotics and the like that exist in metal containers. | 06-07-2012 |
20120146636 | DEVICES AND PROCESS FOR HIGH-PRESSURE MAGIC ANGLE SPINNING NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE - A high-pressure magic angle spinning (MAS) rotor is detailed that includes a high-pressure sample cell that maintains high pressures exceeding 150 bar. The sample cell design minimizes pressure losses due to penetration over an extended period of time. | 06-14-2012 |
20120146637 | APPARATUS, METHOD AND COMPUTER-ACCESSIBLE MEDIUM FOR DETERMINATION OF ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF TISSUES AND MATERIALS USING MULTIPLE RADIO FREQUENCY MEASUREMENTS - An assembly for determining at least one electrical property of an object. The assembly includes at least one transmitter that can generate a plurality of electromagnetic field distribution patterns directed at an object. The assembly also includes a data apparatus with an MRI apparatus and a data processor. The MRI apparatus can produce at least one image of the object using a magnitude or a phase modulated by the electromagnetic field distribution patterns. The processor can then process data associated with the object to determine the at least one electrical property the object. | 06-14-2012 |
20120153950 | RF SHIMMED MRI SLICE EXCITATION ALONG A CURVED SPOKE K-SPACE TRAJECTORY - A radio-frequency (RF) shimming apparatus ( | 06-21-2012 |
20120161760 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD - 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. | 06-28-2012 |
20120169335 | MULTI-ELEMENT TRANSMIT RF CHAIN WITH LOCAL AUTOMATIC TUNE AND MATCH DEVICE - An automatic tune and match device ( | 07-05-2012 |
20120176131 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FAT SUPPRESSION IN CHEMICAL SHIFT BASED WATER-FAT SEPARATED MR IMAGING - An apparatus and method for separating the NMR signal contributions from a plurality of different species having different chemical shifts is disclosed. The apparatus acquires MR image data sets including a first species signal and a second species signal, generates a first species image from the acquired MR image data, and generates a second species image from the acquired MR image data. The apparatus also identifies voxels in the second species image representative of only the second species and, for voxels identified as being representative of only the second species, calculates a fraction of the second species signal appearing in the first species image. The apparatus generates a modified first species image based on the fraction of the second species signal appearing in the first species image, with the modified first species image having a different fraction of the second species as compared to the first species image. | 07-12-2012 |
20120206139 | PET/MR SCANNERS FOR SIMULTANEOUS PET AND MR IMAGING - In a combined system, a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner includes a magnet configured to generate a static magnetic field at least in a MR examination region from which MR data are acquired. Radiation detectors are configured to detect gamma rays generated by positron-electron annihilation events in a positron emission tomography (PET) examination region. The radiation detectors include electron multiplier elements having a direction of electron acceleration arranged substantially parallel or anti-parallel with the static magnetic field. In some embodiments, the magnet is an open magnet having first and second spaced apart magnet pole pieces disposed on opposite sides of a magnetic resonance examination region, and the radiation detectors include first and second arrays of radiation detectors disposed with the first and second spaced apart magnet pole pieces. | 08-16-2012 |
20120217965 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM - The present embodiments relate to a magnetic resonance tomography system that includes antenna elements and a controller for selection of the antenna elements. The controller is configured to select antenna elements that surround a field of view of the magnetic resonance tomography system in succession one after the other. | 08-30-2012 |
20120217966 | METHOD FOR COMPENSATING FOR EDDY CURRENT FIELDS IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGES - A method for compensating for eddy current fields in magnetic resonance images acquired using a magnetic resonance apparatus is provided. A global component of the eddy current fields corresponding to a zeroth order and a first order is compensated globally using a change in control parameters of at least one device of the magnetic resonance apparatus that is suitable for compensating for the global components (e.g., a reference oscillator and/or a gradient coil). In order to correct local higher-order eddy current fields in a volume of interest characterized by a prominent point, the residual eddy current fields remaining following compensation of the global component are developed around the point. Correction values for the control parameters are determined from the zeroth- and/or first-order local components of the development and are taken into account in the control of the magnetic resonance apparatus for magnetic resonance image acquisition. | 08-30-2012 |
20120223705 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM WITH IMPLANTABLE COMPONENTS AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF - Nuclear magnetic resonance systems and methods of use thereof are provided. The systems employ implantable radiofrequency coils ( | 09-06-2012 |
20120223706 | Method and apparatus for generating an effective equivalent of simultaneous transmission to a targeted tissue using a conventional transceiver array - The present invention is a method and apparatus for generating an effective equivalent of a simultaneous transmission of excitation signals to a targeted living tissue using an existing MRI system assembly or transceiver apparatus which structurally has a small number of independent transmit channels in operative communication with a large number of individual transmission RF coils. The inventive methodology and apparatus is suitable for use with any conventionally known and used transceiver apparatus which operationally complies with the requisite difference existing between the lesser available numbers of independent transmission channels and the greater number of individual transmit RF coils. For this reason, the methodology is broadly and generally useful for many different applications of magnetic resonance imaging technology. | 09-06-2012 |
20120223707 | Method and device for establishing excitation parameters for MR imaging - A method and a device for establishing excitation parameters, in particular for establishing an excitation profile, for MR imaging, are proposed. Elements of a k-space covariance matrix are determined for signal noise in k-space data which is captured using a plurality of receive channels in the context of data captured at an examination object. Elements of at least one image space covariance matrix are mathematically determined for a plurality of voxels of the examination object as a function of the k-space covariance matrix. The excitation parameters are established as a function of the determined elements of the at least one image space covariance matrix. | 09-06-2012 |
20120223708 | IMPLANTABLE OR INSERTABLE NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANT IMAGING SYSTEM - Nuclear Magnetic Resonant Imaging (also called Magnetic Resonant Imaging or “MRI”) devices which are implantable, internal or insertable are provided. The disclosure describes ways to miniaturize, simplify, calibrate, cool, and increase the utility of MRI systems for structural investigative purposes, and for biological investigation and potential treatment. It teaches use of target objects of fixed size, shape and position for calibration and comparison to obtain accurate images. It further teaches cooling of objects under test by electrically conductive leads or electrically isolated leads; varying the magnetic field of the probe to move chemicals or ferrous metallic objects within the subject. The invention also teaches comparison of objects using review of the frequency components of a received signal rather than by a pictorial representation. | 09-06-2012 |
20120229136 | METHOD AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM TO GENERATE MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGE DATA OF AN EXAMINATION SUBJECT - A method and magnetic resonance tomography system to generate magnetic resonance image data of an examination subject, raw imaging data are acquired from multiple slices of a predetermined volume region of the examination subject using local coils during a table feed in the magnetic resonance scanner. Image data of the slices are reconstructed on the basis of the raw imaging data. A normalization of the image data is subsequently implemented on the basis of measured coil sensitivity data of the local coils that are used. | 09-13-2012 |
20120235678 | NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE (NMR) FINGERPRINTING - Apparatus, methods, and other embodiments associated with NMR fingerprinting are described. One example NMR apparatus includes an NMR logic configured to repetitively and variably sample a (k, t, E) space associated with an object to acquire a set of NMR signals. Members of the set of NMR signals are associated with different points in the (k, t, E) space. Sampling is performed with t and/or E varying in a non-constant way. The varying parameters may include flip angle, echo time, RF amplitude, and other parameters. The NMR apparatus may also include a signal logic configured to produce an NMR signal evolution from the NMR signals, a matching logic configured to compare a signal evolution to a known, simulated or predicted signal evolution, and a characterization logic configured to characterize a resonant species in the object as a result of the signal evolution comparisons. | 09-20-2012 |
20120235679 | MOTION COMPENSATED MAGNETIC RESONANCE RECONSTRUCTION IN REAL-TIME IMAGING - Magnetic resonance reconstruction includes motion compensation. Inverse-consistent non-rigid registration is used to determine motion between shots. The motion is incorporated into reconstruction. The incorporation compensates for the motion resulting from the period over which the MR data is acquired. | 09-20-2012 |
20120235680 | METHOD FOR DETERMINING MAGNETIC RESONANCE DATA - According to an embodiment of a method, a first readout gradient field is determined in such a way that a distortion caused by a non-linearity of the first readout gradient field and a distortion caused by a B | 09-20-2012 |
20120235681 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM AND METHOD TO ADJUST AT LEAST ONE SHIM CURRENT AND AN ASSOCIATED RF CENTER FREQUENCY DURING AN INTERLEAVED MULTISLICE MR MEASUREMENT OF A MOVING EXAMINATION SUBJECT - In a method and system to adjust at least one shim current in a shim channel of a magnetic resonance apparatus and an associated RF center frequency for the radio-frequency system of the magnetic resonance apparatus during an interleaved multislice MR measurement of a moving examination subject, in which MR measurement at least two excitations are implemented for complete acquisition of the desired data of a slice of the examination subject that is to be measured, the multislice MR measurement is implemented such that phase discontinuities between measurement data acquired after individual excitations are avoided. | 09-20-2012 |
20120249134 | Means and Method for Thermoregulating Magnets within Magnetic Resonance Devices - The present invention discloses to a magnetic resonance device consisting of magnets housed within a cage, a thermal regulating system (TRS) adapted to thermoregulate the magnets to room temperature T±ΔT. TRS comprising a (i) preset array of one or more opened-bore channels provided within the cage and/or within the magnets; and, (ii) means for forcing fluid throughout the array of opened-bore channels, such that temperature T of the magnets is regulated to a preset range of ΔT. | 10-04-2012 |
20120249135 | LOCAL COIL SYSTEM - The present embodiments relate to a local coil system for a magnetic resonance system. The local coil system includes at least one local coil for detecting MR response signals and at least one transmitting device for the wireless transmission of signals to a receiver of the magnetic resonance system. The local coil system is embodied with a transmitter-side diversity. A receiver-side diversity may exist in the magnetic resonance system. | 10-04-2012 |
20120256624 | OIL COMPOUND AND DEFOAMER COMPOSITION - An oil compound used for defoaming includes (A) a substantially hydrophobic organopolysiloxane having a viscosity of 10 to 100,000 mm | 10-11-2012 |
20120268116 | Magnetic Resonance Signal Detection Using Remotely Positioned Receive Coils - The receive coil arrangement includes an inner coil adjacent the part to be imaged so as to maximize the received MR signal and an outer coil, which may be the built in body coil of the magnet, connected by cable to the signal processing system. Both the coils are individually tuned to the common resonant frequency and the receive coil include an arrangement to halt current flow therein during the transmit stage. The first coil has no cable and is arranged to communicate the MR signal therein to the signal processing system through the outer coil by inducing the MR signal onto the outer coil. Despite inherent losses by interfering with the tuning of the loops and in the inductive coupling this magnifies the MR signal and makes the first coil wireless. Arrangements are provided for generating from the output of the second coil separate signals for separate channels of the signal processing unit. | 10-25-2012 |
20120268117 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF A PARTICLE OF A FERROMAGNETIC METAL IN A PACKAGING OF A PARAMAGNETIC MATERIAL - It is disclosed a method for checking a packaged product in order to know if it is free of particles of a ferromagnetic metal or contains a particle of a ferromagnetic metal. The packaged product comprises a packaging comprising a paramagnetic and/or diamagnetic metal. The method comprises: providing a static magnetic field B | 10-25-2012 |
20120268118 | METHOD FOR CAPTURING MR IMAGE DATA AND CORRESPONDING COMBINED MR/ET FACILITY - MR image data relating to a volume section of an examination object is determined. Image data relating to this volume section is also captured by way of a true-to-original tomographic method. The MR image data is compared with the image data. Depending on the results of this comparison, either the MR image data is corrected such that the MR image data matches the image data as closely as possible, or parameters that are used during the capture of the MR image data are modified such that, when the MR image data of the predefined volume section is captured again using the modified parameters, the newly captured MR image data matches the image data as closely as possible. | 10-25-2012 |
20120268119 | MAGNETIC FIELD ADJUSTMENT METHOD FOR MRI DEVICE - An eigen-mode to be corrected is selected in accordance with an attainable magnetic field accuracy (homogeneity) and appropriateness of arranged volume of the iron pieces. Because the adjustment can be made with the attainable magnetic field accuracy (homogeneity) being grasped, an erroneous adjustment can be grasped, and the adjustment is automatically done during repeated adjustment. When the magnetic field adjustment is carried out with support by the method of the present invention according to the first and second embodiments or an apparatus including this method therein, the magnetic field adjustment can be surely completed. As a result, the apparatus with a high accuracy can be provided. In addition, there is an advantageous effect of earlier detection of a poor magnet by checking the attainable homogeneity. They are applicable to magnet devices for the horizontal magnetic field type, being an open type MRI, and vertical magnetic field type MRI. | 10-25-2012 |
20120286777 | DIFFUSION-WEIGHTED MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING USING 3D MOSAIC SEGMENTATION AND 3D NAVIGATOR PHASE CORRECTION - In a magnetic resonance apparatus and operating method therefore, 3D navigator data are acquired and are used to correct spatially varying phase errors in contemporaneously acquired imaging data in each shot of a multi-shot data acquisition sequence. A mosaic sampling scheme is used to enter the diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance data and the navigator data into k-space respectively in blocks that each form a subset of the entirety of k-space. The navigator data in each shot are entered into a block that is located at the center of k-space, and, in each shot, the corresponding image data are entered into an offset block in k-space, that is offset in at least one spatial direction from the navigator data block. The offset is varied from shot-to-shot. | 11-15-2012 |
20120286778 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING A MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM CONTROL SEQUENCE - A method for determining a magnetic resonance system control sequence that includes a multichannel pulse with a plurality of individual RF pulses to be transmitted in parallel by a magnetic resonance system via different independent RF transmit channels is provided. Using a predefined target magnetization, a multichannel pulse is determined in an RF pulse optimization method. Pulse shapes of the RF pulses for the different RF transmit channels are each described by a linear combination of trial functions. Coefficients of the linear combinations of trial functions are determined in the RF pulse optimization method. | 11-15-2012 |
20120313639 | NMR DEVICE FOR DETECTION OF ANALYTES - This invention relates generally to detection devices having one or more small wells each surrounded by, or in close proximity to, an NMR micro coil, each well containing a liquid sample with magnetic nanoparticles that self-assemble or disperse in the presence of a target analyte, thereby altering the measured NMR properties of the liquid sample. The device may be used, for example, as a portable unit for point of care diagnosis and/or field use, or the device may be implanted for continuous or intermittent monitoring of one or more biological species of interest in a patient. | 12-13-2012 |
20120326718 | Pressure Vessel for Non-Destructive or Non-Contact Material Characterization - A method and apparatus for measuring a parameter of an object is disclosed. The object is placed within a vessel configured to contain the object via an opening in the vessel. A cover is placed over the opening. A securing device is used to secure the cover to the vessel. A measurement device is used to measure the parameter of the object at a raised pressure. The parameter can be a nuclear magnetic resonance parameter of the object. A fluid in the vessel can be heated to raise the pressure within the sealed vessel. In various embodiments, the securing device can be a second cover or a clamp, for example. The measured parameter can be used in determining a suitability of the object for use in downhole environments. | 12-27-2012 |
20120326719 | MR SLIDE COIL - The present embodiments relate to a method and a local coil for a magnetic resonance tomography system. The local coil has an upper part and a lower part. The upper part and the lower part each have an inclined guide. When the upper part is positioned on the lower part, the upper part and the lower part may be displaced relative to each other along the inclined guides using an adjustment of a distance of the upper part from the lower part. | 12-27-2012 |
20120326720 | MODULAR ARRAY OF FIXED-COUPLING QUANTUM SYSTEMS FOR QUANTUM INFORMATION PROCESSING - A quantum information processing system includes a first composite quantum system, a second composite quantum system, a plurality of electromagnetic field sources coupled to the system and an adjustable electromagnetic coupling between the first composite quantum system and the second composite quantum system. | 12-27-2012 |
20130002247 | CATALYTIC MULTIECHO PHASE UNWRAPPING SCHEME - A method of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of an object is disclosed, the method including: receiving MR data including magnitude and phase information generated using an MR scan having a series of different echo times; generating one or more measured MR images based on the MR data; and processing the measured MR images to generate unaliased or substantially unaliased phase information for at least one pixel in the image. | 01-03-2013 |
20130009639 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND LOAD CALCULATION METHOD OF A GRADIENT MAGNETIC FIELD GENERATION SYSTEM - According to one embodiment, an MRI apparatus ( | 01-10-2013 |
20130015854 | METHOD AND PROCESSOR AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS FOR DESIGNING RF PULSES TO MITIGATE OFF-RESONANCE EFFECTSAANM Adalsteinsson; ElfarAACI BelmonttAAST MAAACO USAAGP Adalsteinsson; Elfar Belmontt MA USAANM Fautz; Hans-PeterAACI ForchheimAACO DEAAGP Fautz; Hans-Peter Forchheim DEAANM Setsompop; KawinAACI CharlestownAAST MAAACO USAAGP Setsompop; Kawin Charlestown MA USAANM Wald; LawrenceAACI CambridgeAAST MAAACO USAAGP Wald; Lawrence Cambridge MA US - In a magnetic resonance apparatus and operating method therefor, and in a processor that is programmed to design RF pulses for operating such a magnetic resonance apparatus, the RF pulses are designed to mitigate off-resonance effects caused by inhomogeneity of the basic (B0) magnetic field in the magnetic resonance apparatus. The RF pulses of a parallel transmit array are designed with different spatial phase distributions, that deviate from a constant phase from pulse-to-pulse, with the absolute value of the difference between respective spatial phase distributions of any two successively radiated RF pulses corresponding to the off-resonance that is caused by B0-inhomogeneity during the time between the radiation of the successive pulses. Additionally, or separately, currents supplied to the shim coils can be taken into account in the design of the RF pulses as an additional degree of freedom, with the shimming of the basic magnetic field produced by the shim currents deviating from shim currents designed to ideally produce a homogenous B0 field. | 01-17-2013 |
20130015855 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD - According to one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit and a strain correction unit. The imaging unit is configured to acquire frames of diffusion weighted image data corresponding to different b-values by diffusion weighted imaging with applying MPG pulses corresponding to the different b-values of which application axes are same. The strain correction unit is configured to calculate a strain correction coefficient for diffusion weighted image data to be a target of a strain correction based on diffusion weighted image data corresponding to a b-value different from a b-value corresponding to the diffusion weighted image data to be the target of the strain correction among the frames of the diffusion weighted image data to generate image data after the strain correction by the strain correction of the diffusion weighted image data to be the target of the strain correction using the calculated strain correction coefficient. | 01-17-2013 |
20130027035 | METHOD FOR RECORDING MAGNETIC RESONANCE DATA WITH A MAGNETIC RESONANCE FACILITY - A method for recording magnetic resonance data with a magnetic resonance facility is proposed. Protons and sodium are excited. A proton magnetic resonance data record and a sodium magnetic resonance data record are recorded. The proton magnetic resonance data and the sodium magnetic resonance data are recorded during a single recording process. | 01-31-2013 |
20130033261 | Noble Gas Magnetic Resonator - Precise measurements of a precessional rate of noble gas in a magnetic field is obtained by constraining the time averaged direction of the spins of a stimulating alkali gas to lie in a plane transverse to the magnetic field. In this way, the magnetic field of the alkali gas does not provide a net contribution to the precessional rate of the noble gas. | 02-07-2013 |
20130043866 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENHANCING SIGNAL IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING - A method and an apparatus for enhancing signals in magnetic resonance imaging are provided. The method includes the following steps. Applying one or more than one RF pulse, which carries at least two frequency components, and a slice/slab selection gradient to a subject, so that at least two slices/slabs of the subject respectively corresponding to the at least two frequency components are excited simultaneously. Applying a plurality of spatial encoding gradients and one or more than one separation gradients for separating the at least two slices/slabs. Receiving a plurality of responsive RF signals excited from the subject. The responsive RE signals are restored according to a signal restoration function. | 02-21-2013 |
20130063143 | Local SAR Constrained Parallel Transmission RF Pulse in Magnetic Resonance Imaging - A method of designing a parallel transmission radio frequency (RF) pulse for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system includes compressing a model for a subject to be scanned by the MRI system into a plurality of virtual observation points within the model based on comparisons of peak sensitivity to local specific absorption rate (SAR), and defining the parallel transmission RF pulse that minimizes a weighted average of local SAR values with an iterative procedure that optimizes a set of weighting factors for the plurality of virtual observation points to maximize the minimized weighted average. | 03-14-2013 |
20130076352 | METHOD TO SELECT AN UNDERSAMPLING SCHEME FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING, AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD AND SYSTEM USING SUCH A SELECTED UNDERSAMPLING SCHEME - In a method to select an undersampling scheme of k-space and an associated set of reconstruction kernels to acquire reduced magnetic resonance (MR) data sets with multiple coils, a calibration data set is acquired for each of the respective coils, a noise covariance is determined from autocorrelations and correlations of the noise of the various coils. At least one set of reconstruction kernels is calculated for each of the multiple undersampling schemes from the calibration data sets of the various coils. For each set of reconstruction kernels, a characteristic value is calculated from the noise covariance and the respective reconstruction kernels of the coils, with the characteristic value being proportional to a spatial mean value of a signal noise of an MR image. A selected undersampling scheme and a selected set of reconstruction kernels are selected based on the calculated characteristic values. | 03-28-2013 |
20130076353 | RECORDING OF CALIBRATION DATA FOR A MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM - A local coil with a plurality of magnetic resonance antenna elements and a plurality of test signal coupling units assigned individually or in groups to the plurality of magnetic resonance antenna elements is provided. In order to transmit a test signal, each test signal coupling unit of the plurality of test signal coupling units is connected via a star connection unit to a joint test signal connector and/or to a transmission cable of a transmit and/or receive chain of an assigned magnetic resonance antenna element of the plurality of magnetic resonance antenna elements. | 03-28-2013 |
20130088225 | System for Reconstructing MRI Images Acquired in Parallel - A system for parallel image processing in MR imaging comprises multiple MR imaging RF coils for individually receiving MR imaging data representing a slice of patient anatomy. An MR imaging system uses the multiple RF coils for acquiring corresponding multiple image data sets of the slice. An image data processor comprises at least one processing device conditioned for, deriving a first set of weights for generating a calibration data set comprising a subset of k-space data of composite image data representing the multiple image data sets. The at least one processing device uses the calibration data set in generating a first MR image data set, deriving a second set of weights using the calibration data set and the generated first MR image data set and uses the second set of weights in generating a second MR image data set representing a single image having a reduced set of data components relative to the first composite MR image data set. | 04-11-2013 |
20130119981 | WIRELESS RADIO FREQUENCY COIL FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING, METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE COIL, AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS USING THE COIL - A wireless radio frequency coil for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is provided. The wireless radio frequency coil including a wireless radio frequency coil unit configured to transmit, receive or transmit and receive a radio frequency signal; a power supply configured to provide a power voltage for operation of the wireless radio frequency coil unit; a switch connected to the power supply and the wireless radio frequency coil unit; a sensor configured to detect signals discharged from a space in which the wireless radio frequency coil unit is located; and a controller configured to provide or shut off the power voltage to the wireless radio frequency coil unit by controlling the switch according to a result obtained from the sensor. | 05-16-2013 |
20130127459 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD AND APPARATUS - A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method includes applying a radio-frequency (RF) pulse to a subject including different tissues all including a same type of atomic nuclei to rotate magnetization directions of the atomic nuclei of the different tissues; applying an RF pulse sequence to the subject based on the magnetization directions of the atomic nuclei of the different tissues; and obtaining magnetic resonance signals from the different tissues in response to the RF pulse sequence. | 05-23-2013 |
20130154636 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS, MAGNETIC FIELD ADJUSTMENT IMPLEMENT FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS, MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD, AND METHOD OF ADJUSTING MAGNETIC FIELD FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS - According to one embodiment, a magnetic field adjustment implement for a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a magnetic field adjustment unit and a placing unit. The magnetic field adjustment unit is configured to improve a uniformity of a static magnetic field formed by a magnet of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus. The static magnetic field is formed under an influence of a circumstance in a shield room in which the magnet is placed. The magnetic field adjustment is placed outside the magnet. The placing unit is configured to place the magnetic field adjustment unit outside the magnet. | 06-20-2013 |
20130162248 | IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING METHOD - The imaging device includes an imaging unit producing images, and a control unit controlling the imaging unit. The imaging device further comprises: a reference clock unit generating a reference clock; and a signal input/output unit provided between the imaging unit and the control unit and inputting and outputting signals in synchronization with the reference clock generated by the reference clock unit. The control unit comprises: generating means generating a plurality of control signals; transmitting means transmitting the plural control signals; receiving means receiving measurement signals; and extraction means extracting the measurement signal when the reception times of the measurement signals received by the receiving means agrees with the extraction timing generated by the generating means. | 06-27-2013 |
20130162249 | Method for Reducing Mechanical Vibrations in a Magnetic Resonance Imaging System - The present embodiments relate to a method for reducing mechanical vibrations in a magnetic resonance imaging system that includes a gradient system having a gradient coil body and an electrically conductive shroud that at least partly encloses the gradient coil body. The method includes determining a mechanical natural vibration mode of the gradient coil body in the magnetic resonance imaging system, and determining excitation force components for the natural vibration mode. The method also includes determining electrically conductive areas of the gradient system, which during operation of the magnetic resonance imaging system, generate a Lorentz force component that contributes to the excitation force components. The method further includes modifying the determined electrically conductive areas such that a minimal number of the Lorentz force components coincide with the excitation force components. | 06-27-2013 |
20130176025 | AVOIDANCE OF SUSCEPTIBILITY ARTIFACTS IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE MEASUREMENTS VIA TARGETED ADDITION OF RECYCLED MATERIALS IN PLASTIC PARTS - Susceptibility artifacts are significantly reduced or avoided in a magnetic resonance image by producing one or more components of a magnetic resonance system from plastic material having a targeted addition or recycled plastic material. | 07-11-2013 |
20130181708 | AUTOMATIC CONTROL OF THE POWER CONSUMPTION OF A MAGNETIC RESONANCE FACILITY - A method for operating a magnetic resonance facility is proposed. The magnetic resonance facility has a number of power-consuming components. The power consumption is determined for each component. Operation of the components is controlled based on at least one criterion so that a predetermined threshold value for the overall power consumption of the magnetic resonance facility is not exceeded. | 07-18-2013 |
20130187649 | System for Motion Corrected MR Diffusion Imaging - A system determines motion correction data for use in diffusion MR imaging using an RF signal generator and magnetic field gradient generator which sequentially acquire in a single first direction through a volume, first and second slice sets individually comprising multiple individual diffusion image slices. The first set of slices and the second set of slices are spatially interleaved within the volume, by providing in acquiring the second slice set, a low flip angle RF pulse successively followed by a non-diffusion image data readout magnetic field gradient for acquisition of data representing a two dimensional (2D) non-diffusion image used for motion detection of the first slice set successively followed by, a first diffusion imaging RF pulse followed by a first diffusion imaging phase encoding magnetic field gradient for preparation for acquiring data representing a diffusion image slice of the second slice set. | 07-25-2013 |
20130193965 | BODY/HEAD COIL SWITCHING METHOD, A POWER AMPLIFIER COMPONENT AND A MRI SYSTEM - A method for implementing a switching between a body coil and a head coil in a nuclear magnetic resonance imaging system comprising the body coil, the head coil and a power amplifier component, wherein the power amplifier component comprises sets of power amplifiers, each set of power amplifiers comprising channels of power amplifiers combined by a Wilkinson circuit, a combiner configured to combine signals from the sets of power amplifiers and to connect the sets of power amplifiers to the body coil, a first switching device comprising a first terminal configured to be grounded, a second switching device connected in series in a resistor branch of the Wilkinson circuit, and a ¼ wavelength transformation transmission line located between the second switching device and the head coil, the method comprising connecting the power amplifier component to the body coil or the head coil by setting states of both switching devices. | 08-01-2013 |
20130221961 | System, Process and Computer-Accessible Medium For Providing Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping - Exemplary quantitative susceptibility mapping methods, systems and computer-accessible medium can be provided to generate images of tissue magnetism property from complex magnetic resonance imaging data using the Bayesian statistical approach. The likelihood is constructed directly using the complex data. A prior is constructed from matching structures or information content in known morphology. The quantitative susceptibility map can be determined by, e.g., maximizing the posterior. Thus, according to the exemplary embodiment, system, method and computer-accessible medium can be provided for determining information associated with at least one structure. Using such exemplary embodiment, it is possible to receive signals associated with the structure(s), where the signals can include complex data that is in the complex domain. | 08-29-2013 |
20130229176 | Method for Determining a Set of B1 Field Maps - A method for determining a set of B1 field maps for different transmit channels includes determining a first partial B1 field map having absolute B1 amplitudes for each transmit channel. A gradient echo technique operating with a single gradient echo image is used to determine a relative partial B1 field map having relative B1 amplitudes for each transmit channel. A spatial weighting function for mapping the relative B1 amplitudes onto absolute B1 amplitudes is determined taking into account the first partial B1 field maps and the relative partial B1 field maps of all the transmit channels. The spatial weighting function is used to determine second partial B1 field maps from the relative partial B1 field maps. The B1 field map for each transmit channel is determined from the first and the second partial B1 field map for the respective transmit channel taking into account the subregions and/or the error values. | 09-05-2013 |
20130241547 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS HAVING RECEIVE COILS AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS - A magnetic resonance apparatus includes receive coils and a receiver device for processing magnetic resonance signals received by coil elements of the receive coils. The receive coils are subdivided into at least a first group having at least one receive coil and a second group having at least one receive coil. The receive coils of the first group are connected to the receiver device via a hardwired communications link, and the receive coils of the second group are each connectable or connected to the receiver device via a wireless communications link. | 09-19-2013 |
20130241548 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INFLUENCING AND/OR DETECTING MAGNETIC PARTICLES - The present invention relates to an apparatus ( | 09-19-2013 |
20130265044 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE EXAMINATION SYSTEM WITH PREFERRED SETTINGS BASED ON DATA MINING - Provided herein is a system and method for performing a magnetic resonance imaging scan using a MR scanner. The method can comprise receiving via a user interface a MR imaging protocol categorizable into a MR scan type of a predefined set of MR scan types. Further, the method can comprise querying a database by providing to the database scan information permitting the database to identify the MR scan type of the MR imaging protocol. The method can further comprise receiving from the database statistical information on the MR scan type which can include statistics on modifications of individual scan parameters of the MR scan type, and providing the statistical information to the user interface. Modifications of the MR imaging protocol can be received from the user interface, resulting in a modified MR imaging protocol, according to which the MR imaging scan can be performed. | 10-10-2013 |
20130271128 | Multi-slice Blipped TrueFISP-CAIPIRINHA - Apparatus, methods, and other embodiments associated with multi-slice blipped TrueFISP-CAIPIRINHA in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are described. One example apparatus produces CAIPIRINHA phase cycling in a TrueFISP-CAIPRINHA pulse sequence using a blipped gradient pattern rather than using radio frequency (RE) pulses. The phase cycling is produced by controlling a gradient coil in an MRI apparatus to produce a pre-scan pulse that is configured to set magnetization into a steady state position and then controlling the gradient coil to produce a balanced alternating phase pulse per repetition (TR). The balanced alternating phase pulse is configured to introduce a CAIPIRINHA aliasing pattern between slices. Controlling the gradient coil includes selectively adding and removing a finite gradient area, from de-phase pulses and re-phase pulses in the pulse sequence. | 10-17-2013 |
20130271129 | Detecting Unplugged Local Coils in a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Tomograph - The present embodiments relate to apparatuses and methods for detecting unplugged local coils in a magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) device. The MRT device includes a local coil that has a RFID tag configured to detect transmitted RFID signals. When at least one transmitted RFID signal is detected, at least one unplugged local coil is detected in the MRT device. | 10-17-2013 |
20130278254 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SPECTRALLY-RESOLVED THREE-DIMENSIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING WITHOUT FREQUENCY-ENCODING GRADIENTS - A system and method for acquiring spectrally-resolved three-dimensional data with a magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) system without frequency-encoding gradients are provided. An MRI system is directed to produce a radio frequency (“RF”) pulse that rotates net magnetization about an axis, after which a first phase-encoding gradient is established along a first direction, a second phase-encoding gradient is established along a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction, and a third phase-encoding gradient is established along a third direction that is orthogonal to the first and second directions. Spectrally-resolved data are acquired at a point in k-space that is defined by the first, second, and third phase-encoding gradients, and is acquired by sampling a magnetic resonance signal at a plurality of time points during a period of time in which no magnetic field gradients are established by the MRI system. | 10-24-2013 |
20130285653 | METHOD FOR CORRECTING IMAGE DISTORTION AND SYSTEM, AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING EQUIPMENT - In a method for an apparatus correcting image distortion in diffusion-weighted echo-planar magnetic resonance imaging, a marker sequence is applied before a diffusion-weighted echo planar imaging sequence, to form a combined sequence. The combined sequence is used to obtain marked images with different preset b values and different preset diffusion directions. The diffusion-weighted echo planar imaging sequence is used to obtain diffusion-weighted echo planar images with the same b values and diffusion directions as the marked images. A stretching coefficient and a displacement coefficient are calculated for each image data column of the diffusion-weighted echo planar image. The stretching coefficient and displacement coefficient are used to correct the diffusion-weighted echo planar images. | 10-31-2013 |
20130300410 | Method for fast spin-echo MRT imaging - The invention relates to a method for fast autocalibrated spin-echo MRT imaging by means of independently coded echo groups, wherein one of the two echo groups is used for recording a reference data set or a training data set, while the other echo group is recorded in subsampled manner. | 11-14-2013 |
20130300411 | TRIANGLE COIL ARRANGEMENT - An array arrangement can be provided, that, for example, can include a plurality of triangular antenna arrangements, which can be configured to transmit or receive a magnetic resonance signal(s). A processing arrangement can be configured to generate information associated with a magnetic resonance image based on the magnetic resonance signal(s). A shield arrangement can be configured to shield the triangular antenna arrangements. | 11-14-2013 |
20130307535 | NECK COIL ARRANGEMENTS FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING - Systems and methods for coil arrangements in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are provided. One arrangement includes a magnet bore, a radio-frequency (RF) transmit coil coupled to the magnet bore and at least one RF neck coil coupled to the magnet bore. The RF neck coil is movable within the magnet bore under and separate from a table within the magnet bore. | 11-21-2013 |
20130335077 | TEST OF A REORDERING ALGORITHM OF A SPIN ECHO MAGNETIC RESONANCE PULSE SEQUENCE - A test method for a reordering algorithm of a 3D spin echo magnetic resonance pulse sequence is provided, in which echo train positions are checked for at least two k-space elements. Further, a non-transitory computer readable medium and a magnetic resonance tomography system which comprises a test device for testing a reordering algorithm of a 3D spin echo magnetic resonance pulse sequence featuring a checking module for checking the echo train position for at least two k-space elements are provided. | 12-19-2013 |
20130342198 | Local Coil for a Magnetic Resonance Imaging System and Magnetic Resonance Imaging System - A local coil for a magnetic resonance imaging system for acquisition of magnetic resonance signals includes a receiving mechanism for wireless transmission of operating energy of the local coil and/or a signal of the magnetic resonance imaging system. The receiving mechanism is configured to take the operating energy and/or the signal from a supply field. A magnetic resonance imaging system is also provided. The magnetic resonance imaging system includes a transmitting mechanism for wireless transmission of operating energy of a local coil and/or a signal of the magnetic resonance imaging system. The transmitting mechanism has a transmission signal generator that is connected to a field source and a field sink. The transmitting mechanism is constructed such that, in operation, the operating energy and/or the signal is transmitted by a supply field that is present as an electrical alternating voltage field between the field source and the field sink. | 12-26-2013 |
20130342199 | Determination of Communication Latency in Magnetic Resonance Tomography Systems - A method for determining communication latency in a magnetic resonance tomography system includes emitting a high-frequency pulse at a first timepoint, receiving the high-frequency pulse by a local coil arrangement of the magnetic resonance tomography system, and transmitting a return signal from the local coil arrangement to a receiving unit. The method also includes receiving the return signal by the receiving unit at a second timepoint, and evaluating a time difference between the first timepoint and the second timepoint in order to determine the communication latency. | 12-26-2013 |
20130342200 | Method for Reducing Power Deposition in Magnetic Resonance Imaging Using Multiband Pulses and Multichannel Transmission - A method is provided for substantially simultaneously manipulating spins in a plurality of slice locations using a magnetic resonance imaging [“MRI”) system that includes a radio frequency (“RF”) coil array composed of a plurality of RF coil dements, and in which power deposition, which may be measured as specific absorption rate (“SAR”), is reduce A plurality of slice locations to be substantially simultaneously manipulated with the MRI system are selected, and an RF transmission map (B | 12-26-2013 |
20140021949 | Control of a Pressure of a Local Coil in Relation to an Object Under Examination - A local coil system for a magnetic resonance imaging system and a magnetic resonance imaging system include a local coil. The local coil includes a pressure element that may be filled with a fluid, and a controllable fluid supply device that at least at the imposition of the local coil to the object under examination and/or during the operation of the local coil, is coupled to the pressure element. The controllable fluid supply device is embodied such that the pressure of the pressure elements attained with the aid of the fluid, imposed on the object under examination may be changed, at least area by area. | 01-23-2014 |
20140021950 | Dynamic Adjustment of Gradient Rise Times for MR HF Pulse Sequences - In a method for image data acquisition using a magnetic resonance system, in order to excite nuclear spin signals, a sequence of high-frequency pulses is irradiated into an examination subject while gradients are simultaneously switched for position encoding of the excited nuclear spin signals. The rise times of the gradients used during the sequence are adjusted dynamically with each high-frequency pulse irradiation. | 01-23-2014 |
20140055132 | Identifying the Static Position of Transmission/Reception Coils of a Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scanner with the Aid of Electronically Readable Labels - A device for identifying a position of a local coil of a magnetic resonance imaging scanner relative to a position of a patient couch includes at least one label configured to transmit a signal with at least one identity number wirelessly, and at least one reading unit with a reading-unit antenna. The at least one reading unit is configured to receive the signal. The device also includes a position determination apparatus configured to determine the position of the local coil relative to the patient couch. | 02-27-2014 |
20140077801 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PARALLEL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING WITH OPTIMALLY SELECTED IN-PLANE ACCELERATION - A method for three-dimensional parallel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using an MRI system is provided. The method includes determining in-plane acceleration factors that optimize a selected criterion, such as an image quality criterion defined by maximal noise amplification in a reconstructed image. The estimated in-plane acceleration factors are used to establish a k-space sampling pattern, which is used to acquire k-space data. An image is reconstructed from the acquired k-space data using a parallel image reconstruction technique. | 03-20-2014 |
20140077802 | METHOD AND CONTROL DEVICE TO CONTROL A MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM - A method and control device operate a magnetic resonance system in order to execute a first pulse sequence that includes an excitation phase and an acquisition phase. In the excitation phase, a first gradient is applied in a gradient direction to generate a spatially dependent basic magnetic field. A selective radio-frequency excitation pulse is executed, wherein the selective radio-frequency excitation pulse excites a first material and does not excite a second material in a first partial region of an examination volume, and wherein the selective radio-frequency excitation pulse does not excite the first material and excites the second material in a second partial region of the examination volume. In the acquisition phase, non-selective refocusing pulses are executed in order to acquire raw data of the first and second partial region of the examination volume, which acquisition is spatially coded along the gradient direction. | 03-20-2014 |
20140077803 | Combined HF/Shim/Gradient Signal Routing - A method and a magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) system are provided. The MRT system includes at least one cable. The MRT system is configured to transmit high frequency (HF) signals for at least one HF transmitting coil, and shim signals for at least one shim coil and/or gradient signals for at least one gradient coil in the at least one cable. | 03-20-2014 |
20140077804 | Methods for Truncation Error Minimization in an MRI Device - Devices and methods for the truncation of signal data in a system of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device are provided. A device includes a demodulator that provides multiple truncation of signal data on a route between an input and an output of a system for the respective reduction of a bit width of signal data. Signal data to be truncated is inverted in each case before or after a truncation in only a part of the multiple truncations. | 03-20-2014 |
20140077805 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND FLIP ANGLE DETERMINATION METHOD - The purpose of the present invention is to obtain an image with a desired contrast while minimizing specific absorption rate and without deteriorating image quality in a variable refocus flip angle sequence. To this end, Teequiv specified by a signal decay pattern SSP obtained by a flip angle changing pattern FAP is compared with a designated Teequiv, and the flip angle changing pattern FAP is changed according to the comparison result to search for the flip angle changing pattern FAP which gives a desired contrast. Then, the flip angle changing pattern FAP which is capable of realizing the designated Teequiv is determined. Then, imaging is performed using each flip angle constitutes the determined flip angle changing pattern FAP. | 03-20-2014 |
20140084917 | MRI Scanner - A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner includes a control device, a gradient coil for generating a gradient field, a gradient coil connector for connecting the gradient coil to the control device, and a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor is configured and disposed to detect a temperature of the gradient coil connector. | 03-27-2014 |
20140084918 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND FLIP ANGLE DETERMINATION METHOD - In order to maximize the SNR of an image in consideration of signal correction in a multi-echo sequence, flip angles of a plurality of refocus high frequency magnetic field pulses are determined in a multi-echo imaging sequence. Using an index that reflects the SNR of an image after signal correction of a plurality of acquired echo signals, a flip angle at which the SNR of the image becomes a maximum is determined by repeatedly calculating the index by changing information specifying the flip angle of each refocus RF pulse according to an optimization method set in advance. | 03-27-2014 |
20140091790 | METHOD AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM FOR TIME-DEPENDENT INTENSITY CORRECTION OF DIFFUSION-WEIGHTED MR IMAGES - In a method and magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus for time-dependent intensity correction of diffusion-weighted MR images that are acquired with a sequence of different diffusion gradient fields, different diffusion gradient fields are associated with at least one group, with the association with groups being established so that the diffusion gradient fields that are associated with the same group satisfy an orthogonality criterion. For each group, an MR result image is created from the MR images associated with the group, such that the MR result image has a suppressed direction dependency of the diffusion weighting in comparison to the constituent MR images. An intensity correction can be made based on the multiple MR result images and used to correct the constituent MR images. | 04-03-2014 |
20140103923 | Using Single Continuous Pulses for Manipulating Water and Fat Signals in Magnetic Resonance Imaging - A method for manipulating magnetic resonance signals of a first chemical species and a second chemical species includes determining a time required to have spins of protons corresponding to the first chemical species acquire a phase shift of 90 degrees relative to spins of protons corresponding to second chemical species. A first pulse portion having a pulse amplitude and a first constant phase is defined. A second pulse portion having the pulse amplitude and a second constant phase, the second constant phase being different from said first constant phase by a multiple of 90 degrees is also defined. Next, a single continuous composite pulse is generated by concatenating the first pulse portion and the second pulse portion, wherein the single continuous composite pulse has a duration such that a time difference between center of the first pulse portion and center of the second pulse portion corresponds to the determined time. Then, the single continuous composite pulse is applied to a plurality of radio frequency coils. | 04-17-2014 |
20140125333 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND GRADIENT MAGNETIC FIELD WAVERFORM ESTIMATION METHOD - In order to obtain a highly reliable image with no image distortion or no artifacts, such as ghosting, by compensating for the distortion of an output gradient magnetic field waveform caused by various factors with high accuracy, an input gradient magnetic field waveform and an output gradient magnetic field waveform corresponding to the input gradient magnetic field waveform are calculated, a response function that is a sum of response functions of a plurality of elements affecting the output gradient magnetic field waveform is calculated using the input gradient magnetic field waveform and the output gradient magnetic field waveform, an output gradient magnetic field waveform is calculated from an input gradient magnetic field waveform of a gradient magnetic field pulse set in the imaging sequence using the response function, and various kinds of correction are performed using the calculated value of the calculated output gradient magnetic field waveform. | 05-08-2014 |
20140145717 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND GUIDING METHOD OF COIL SELECTION IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD - According to one embodiment, an MRI apparatus ( | 05-29-2014 |
20140152302 | GANTRY FOR MOBILIZING AN MRI DEVICE TOWARDS STATIC PATIENTS - The present invention discloses methods, gantry, and room's infrastructure for maneuvering a portable open-bore magnetic resonance device with no fringing of its magnetic field (MRD) from at least one first location towards at least one static patient placed at at least one second remote location. The gantry comprises a transporting mechanism; and, an open-bore MRD, interconnected to the gantry by at least one maneuverable member. The MRD, by means of the gantry, is transportable from the first location to the second remote location adjacent the static patient. The aperture of the MRD's open-bore, by means of said maneuverable member, is directable towards a defined spatially orientation facing the static patient. | 06-05-2014 |
20140167751 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMPENSATING FOR GRADIENT DELAY IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE SCANNING SEQUENCE - In a method and MR scanning apparatus for compensating for gradient delay in the MR scanning sequence, a current gradient amplitude of the MR scanning sequence is determined. Based on the current gradient amplitude and a mapping between gradient delay and gradient amplitude, a current gradient delay corresponding to the current gradient amplitude is determined. The gradient delay in the MR scanning sequence is compensated according to the current gradient delay. | 06-19-2014 |
20140167752 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND CORRECTION VALUE CALCULATION METHOD - In order to obtain a high-quality image even in multi-slice imaging in a UTE sequence that uses a half RF pulse, a refocusing pulse of the slice gradient magnetic field is adjusted and applied so that the excitation profiles of positive polarity data and negative polarity data have phase distributions that are 180 [deg] inverted with respect to each other in side lobe portions. In addition, the irradiation frequency of the half RF pulse is adjusted so as to eliminate a position shift between the intensity distributions of the positive polarity data and the negative polarity data. | 06-19-2014 |
20140184217 | MULTI-NUCLEAR RECEIVING COILS FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) - A system includes a multi-nuclear magnetic resonance (MR) receiving coil, wherein the receiving coil includes a frequency tuning component configured operate the receiving coil at either a first frequency or a second frequency. The receiving coil also includes an impedance matching component configured to maintain a substantially constant impedance of the receiving coil when the receiving coil is operated at either the first frequency or the second frequency. Furthermore, the receiving coil is configured to measure a first nucleus when operated at the first frequency, and wherein the receiving coil is configured to measure a second nucleus when operated at the second frequency. | 07-03-2014 |
20140197832 | ANTENNA AND ANTENNA ARRANGEMENT FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPLICATIONS - An antenna ( | 07-17-2014 |
20140203804 | DYNAMIC MODIFICATION OF RF ARRAY COIL/ANTENNA IMPEDANCE - A magnetic resonance (MR) system ( | 07-24-2014 |
20140210464 | NQR DETECTION FROM CONTINUOUS RABI TRANSITIONS - Nuclear quadrupole resonance measurement using two or more wire loop(s) within a space to define a portal, and driving the wire loop(s) with a baseband digital transmitter generating a chirped or stepped signal, to create a corresponding varying electromagnetic field within the portal. Coherent emissions reflected thereby are detected through a directional coupler feeding the transceiver. The detected coherent emissions are processed with a matched filter to determine presence of a target object within the portal. | 07-31-2014 |
20140239949 | MR IMAGING USING SHARED INFORMATION AMONG IMAGES WITH DIFFERENT CONTRAST - A method of magnetic resonance imaging includes performing a first magnetic resonance scan sequence which saves a data store, and performing a second magnetic resonance scan sequence which uses a data store from the first magnetic resonance scan sequence. A magnet ( | 08-28-2014 |
20140253117 | MEANS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING THE ELECTROMAGNETIC ENERGY PROPAGATION FROM AN MRD'S MAGNET-BORE TO THE OUTER ENVIRONMENT SURROUNDING SAID MAGNET, AND VICE VERSA - An electrically earthed protecting sleeve that reduces the electromagnetic energy propagation from a magnetic bore to the outer environment surrounding a magnet. The sleeve has a distal portion located within an open bore of an magnetic resonance device (MRD) and a proximal portion attachable to an aperture of the MRD. The sleeve accepts a non-imaged portion of a body portion inserted within the bore while the imaged portion protrudes from the distal end of sleeve. | 09-11-2014 |
20140266189 | RF SHIELD FOR USE IN A MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM - An RF active device, immersed in liquid medium, for use in a magnetic resonance system is provided with an RF shield formed of electrically conductive material and having an interior cavity configured to receive the RF active device therein. The RF shield substantially precludes coupling between the active device, and any coupling medium that is employed, and the transmission and reception coils of the magnetic resonance system. | 09-18-2014 |
20140266190 | System and Methods for Providing Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data for an Image Reconstruction - The embodiments relate to an image reconstruction to be carried out on a base unit of a MRI system, where data is formed by reception signals obtained by a local coil unit. Provisions are made for an alternating magnetic field, modulated in accordance with a reference clock, the alternating magnetic field to be used by the local coil unit for obtaining electric energy for supplying local electronics of the local coil unit and the reference clock to be retrieved from the received alternating magnetic field by the local electronics, a radio signal containing MRI information representing the reception signals and clock information representing the retrieved reference clock to be produced by the local electronics and transmitted to the base unit, and the received radio signal to be processed by the base unit such that the data and the clock information are retrieved therefrom and provided for the image reconstruction. | 09-18-2014 |
20140292324 | Fiber Optic Telemetry For Switched-Mode Current-Source Amplifier In Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - Example systems, apparatus, circuits, and other embodiments described herein concern acquiring telemetry data from an MR system and providing the telemetry data via fiber optic cable. One example apparatus includes a telemetry signal acquisition element (e.g., circuit, circuit component) that is configured to acquire a telemetry signal from a component in the MR apparatus. The component may be, for example, a transmit coil or an on-coil amplifier. The example apparatus also includes a fiber optic cable that is configured to carry an output signal from the MR apparatus through a field produced by the MR apparatus. The example apparatus also includes a telemetry signal output element that is configured to produce the output signal from the telemetry signal and to transmit the output signal via the fiber optic cable. | 10-02-2014 |
20140306702 | Magnetic Resonance Scanner and Antenna - The embodiments relate to a magnetic resonance scanner including an antenna system having an adjustment device for modifying the natural frequency of a natural mechanical oscillation mode of the antenna system. According to the embodiments, in a method for operating a magnetic resonance imaging system having a magnetic resonance scanner comprising an antenna system, a natural frequency of a natural mechanical oscillation mode of the antenna system is controlled and/or regulated. | 10-16-2014 |
20140312897 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING DATA CORRECTION METHODS AND SYSTEMS - Systems and methods for correcting magnetic resonance (MR) data are provided. One method includes receiving the MR data and correcting errors present in the MR data due to non-uniformities in magnetic field gradients used to generate the diffusion weighted MR signals. The method also includes correcting errors present in the MR data due to concomitant gradient fields present in the magnetic field gradients by using one or more gradient terms. At least one of the gradient terms is corrected based on the correction of errors present in the MR data due to the non-uniformities in the magnetic field gradients. | 10-23-2014 |
20140347049 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MEASURING AND CALIBRATING IMAGING MAGNETIC FIELD IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS - A method and a system for measuring and calibrating an imaging magnetic field in a magnetic resonance apparatus are provided. The method includes: providing the imaging magnetic field, where the imaging magnetic field is adapted for scanning an object; sampling a signal corresponding to the imaging magnetic field; processing the signal to obtain an actual magnetic field intensity; and calibrating based on a difference between the actual magnetic field intensity and a target magnetic field intensity. The system includes: a magnetic component, adapted for scanning an object to be imaged; a sampling unit, adapted for sampling a signal corresponding to the imaging magnetic field; a processing unit, adapted for processing the signal to obtain an actual magnetic field intensity; a calibration unit, adapted for calibrating based on a difference between the actual magnetic field intensity and a target magnetic field intensity; and a control unit, adapted for controlling the system. | 11-27-2014 |
20140354277 | Mobile Magnetic Resonance Tomography - A method for operating a mobile magnetic resonance tomography system having magnets and/or coils generating a magnetic field and a shield surrounding the magnets and/or coils is intended to enable an optimal image quality during the examination and at the same time have a small space requirement. For this purpose, a temperature is measured at a plurality of points on the shield by a temperature measuring system, where measured data of the temperature measuring system is sent to a compensation system, and where effects of temperature differences on the homogeneity of the magnetic field are compensated by the compensation system. | 12-04-2014 |
20140361769 | Signal Transmissions to and from a Local Coil of a Magnetic Resonance System - Described is a local coil having a number of magnetic resonance antenna elements, a, strip-shaped, metamaterial signal conductor, and an adapter device for coupling signals into the metamaterial signal conductor and/or coupling signals out of the metamaterial signal conductor. Additionally described is a magnetic resonance system having a local coil communication interface and an adapter device for coupling signals out of a metamaterial signal conductor and transferring them to the local coil communication interface and/or for coupling signals from the local coil communication interface into a metamaterial signal conductor, and a method for transmitting signals between a local coil and a local coil communication interface of a magnetic resonance system. | 12-11-2014 |
20150008917 | RAPID CYCLE DYNAMIC NUCLEAR POLARIZATION MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS - A rapid cycle dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) NMR apparatus comprises (i) a cooling unit, configured to cool a sample in a capillary, (b) a DNP polarization unit configured to polarize the sample in the capillary, (c) a stripline-based NMR detector comprising a stripline for NMR analysis of the sample in the capillary, (d) a transport unit configured to guide the capillary from the DNP polarization unit to the stripline of stripline-based NMR detector; and (e) a heating unit configured to heat the sample in the capillary before analysis of the sample by the stripline-based NMR detector. Fast (1D-3D) NMR measurements with high resolution may be obtained. | 01-08-2015 |
20150015252 | Methods and Kits for Detecting Non-Luminescent or Weakly Luminescent Metals - The invention provides methods and kits for detecting the presence of, the amount of or the concentration of a substantially non-emitting metal in a sample by a) providing a sensitizer to a chelator of the substantially non-emitting metal thereby creating a sensitized-metal complex; b) adding an unsensitized chelate, and c) detecting a signal from the unsensitized chelate. The substantially non-emitting metal may be gadolinium and may exist in complex with a chelator. The unsensitized chelate may be terbium (Tb) or europium (Eu), and the detecting a signal may be performed by fluorescence. | 01-15-2015 |
20150022201 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND NOTIFICATION INFORMATION PROVIDING METHOD PERFORMED BY USING THE SAME AND RADIO FREQUENCY COIL AND NOTIFICATION INFORMATION PROVIDING METHOD PERFORMED BY USING THE RADIO FREQUENCY COIL - A notification method performed by using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus includes: obtaining information regarding a first radio frequency (RF) coil for photographing an object; obtaining information regarding a second RF coil connected to the MRI apparatus; comparing the information regarding the first RF coil and the information regarding the second RF coil; and outputting notification information indicating that the second RF coil corresponds to the first RF coil based on a result of the comparing. | 01-22-2015 |
20150022202 | METHOD FOR ANALYZING FORMATION SAMPLES USING NMR MEASUREMENTS - Methods for analyzing a formation samples using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) are described herein. One method includes performing an NMR measurement of the formation sample to obtain NMR data. The NMR measurement detects NMR signals with echo times of less than or equal to 100 microseconds. The NMR data is analyzed to determine a measure of organic hydrogen content of the formation sample, such as (i) total organic hydrogen content, (ii) kerogen content, (iii) bitumen content, and/or (iv) oil content. | 01-22-2015 |
20150028868 | Local Coil for a Coil System of a Magnetic Resonance Imaging System - A local coil for a coil system of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system having a hot spot formed during operation of the magnetic resonance imaging system provides an MRI examination that is as pleasant as possible for a patient with a magnetic field strength that is as strong as possible. The local coil includes a heat dissipation plate arranged in a region of the hot spot. | 01-29-2015 |
20150028869 | Method for Multi-Mode, Multi-Load, and Multi-Domain Optimization of a Multi-Channel Near-Field RF Transmitter - The invention relates to a method for optimization of a performance of a multi-channel transmitter including several transmit elements, particularly in a magnetic resonance imaging device. The method includes: (a) Exciting the transmit elements of the multi-channel transmitter by electric excitation signals comprising a specific power, with the power of the excitation signals partially reflected by the transmit elements of the multichannel transmitter, (b) Determining a reflected power which is reflected by the multi-channel transmitter during excitation of the transmit elements, (c) Determining reflection coefficients S | 01-29-2015 |
20150035530 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REAL-TIME FREQUENCY CORRECTION FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING - Systems and methods for estimating frequency drifts in magnetic resonance signals acquired with a magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) system are provided. In one example, the frequency drifts are estimated from phase-correction data that are obtained during an echo-planar imaging (“EPI”), or other multiecho imaging, scan. The systems and methods of the present invention provide for efficiently and accurately computing frequency drift values that can be used for real-time, prospective frequency drift correction. | 02-05-2015 |
20150061666 | SAMPLE-PREPARATION METHOD TO MANIPULATE NUCLEAR SPIN-RELAXATION TIMES, INCLUDING TO FACILITATE ULTRALOW TEMPERATURE HYPERPOLARIZATION - A method of providing a material sample in a state favorable to retaining spin polarization includes cooling a material sample from a temperature above a freezing point of the material sample down to a second temperature below the freezing point of the material sample; maintaining the sample at about the second temperature for a period of about several hours; and reducing temperature of the material sample to a third temperature lower than the second temperature to provide the material sample in a state favorable to retaining spin polarization, where the steps of cooling, maintaining and reducing are performed in the absence of an adulterant material. The method of providing a sample of pyruvic acid in a state favorable to retaining spin polarization may include cooling the sample of pyruvic acid in the absence of an adulterant material from a temperature above a freezing point of the sample of pyruvic acid down to less than about 200 Kelvin to provide the sample. | 03-05-2015 |
20150061667 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACQUIRING MAGNETIC RESONANCE DATA AND GENERATING IMAGES THEREFROM USING A TWO-POINT DIXON TECHNIQUE - Magnetic resonance (MR) data are acquired with a two-point Dixon technique in which a first spectral component and a second spectral component, for example, a water component and a fat component, are determined. A computation grid of lower resolution in comparison to the MR data is determined, wherein each grid point of the computation grid encompasses a predetermined number of adjacent image points of the MR data. A numerical optimization is implemented for each image point of the MR data, and the first spectral component and the second spectral component are calculated analytically based on the result of the numerical optimization. | 03-05-2015 |
20150070011 | METHOD AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS TO GENERATE A SPATIALLY SELECTIVE EXCITATION - In a method to generate a spatially selective excitation in an imaging region of a magnetic resonance apparatus that precedes an acquisition of magnetic resonance data, in the course of the excitation an excitation trajectory in k-space is traversed, the excitation trajectory having a symmetry relative to the k-space center in at least one direction of k-space in the sense that a first traversed extreme value in this direction corresponds to the negative of the other extreme value traversed in this direction, so the excitation trajectory is shortened in the at least one directions on one side of the zero point between the extreme values, and the shortened excitation trajectory is used for excitation. | 03-12-2015 |
20150077104 | Multi-element Standard for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy - Organic compounds which contain nitrogen, fluorine, and phosphorus atoms together with carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms and which can be used as a multi-element standard for | 03-19-2015 |
20150084626 | METHOD FOR DETERMINING A POSITION-DEPENDENT ATTENUATION MAP OF HIGH-FREQUENCY COILS OF A MAGNETIC RESONANCE PET DEVICE - A method is disclosed for determining a position-dependent attenuation map of at least one high frequency coil of a combined magnetic resonance PET device. A magnetic resonance PET device and a computer program product are also disclosed. The method includes determining at least one first signal frequency for at least one coil element during a magnetic resonance PET examination; determining at least one second signal frequency, wherein at least one gradient field is applied during determination thereof; reconstructing the position of the at least one coil element using the at least one first and second signal frequency; reconstructing the position of the at least one high frequency coil using the reconstructed position of the at least one coil element; and determining a position-dependent attenuation map of the at least one high frequency coil using the reconstructed position of the at least one high frequency coil. | 03-26-2015 |
20150091561 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING - A mode matrix processor of a magnetic resonance imaging system includes an input unit, an output unit, an operation unit, and a control unit, wherein the input unit is used for receiving a number of digital magnetic resonance signals; the operation unit is used for performing a linear combination operation on the plurality of digital magnetic resonance echo signals, to obtain at least one digital mode signal; the output unit is used for sending the at least one digital mode signal; and the control unit controls, according to the number of the digital magnetic resonance signals, the operation unit to perform the linear combination operation. The mode matrix processor of a magnetic resonance imaging system according to a specific embodiment of the present invention has desirable portability between different systems. The mode matrix processor of a magnetic resonance imaging system according to a specific embodiment of the present invention can improve the compatibility of coils between different systems. | 04-02-2015 |
20150137807 | MINIATURIZED MAGNETIC RESONANCE PROBE - Described herein are a magnetic resonance probe and a NMR, MRI, or EPR apparatus including the same. The magnetic resonance probe includes a conductor electrically coupled to the resonator and configured to transmit and receive electromagnetic radiation to and from a sample, wherein the conductor includes one or more cascaded narrowed regions along its longitudinal dimension and a slot within one of the one or more cascaded narrowed regions; and an electrical circuit coupled to the conductor and the resonator. | 05-21-2015 |
20150293188 | METHOD FOR POSITIONING AT LEAST ONE LOCAL COIL FOR RECORDING MAGNETIC RESONANCE DATA WITH A MAGNETIC RESONANCE DEVICE AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM - A method for positioning at least one local coil for recording magnetic resonance data with a magnetic resonance device, wherein at least one surface data record, which describes the surface of the patient to be recorded who is already positioned for recording on a patient couch of the magnetic resonance device, is measured, the surface characteristic of the patient is extracted from the surface data record and at least one position and/or shape of at least one of the at least one local coil is chosen as a function of the surface characteristic in such a way that there is a pre-determined distance between the surface of the patient and the surface of the local coil is provided. | 10-15-2015 |
20150301134 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND OPERATING METHOD OF COOLING FAN MOTOR OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS - To prevent image quality deterioration of an image due to a variable magnetic field generated by a fan motor provided in a position where a measuring magnetic field leaks, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus has a gantry including a static magnetic field generating magnet; a gradient magnetic field generating coil; and an irradiation coil, a table for placing the object, and an input/output device including a display device and is provided with at least a pair of cooling fan motors arranged almost symmetrically to the central axis that extends along the long-axis direction of the cylindrical space and is located in the center in the horizontal direction of the static magnetic field generating magnet or the vertical plane passing through the central axis. | 10-22-2015 |
20150301135 | METHOD, SYSTEM AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS FOR COMPENSATING FOR INHOMOGENEITIES IN THE MAGNETIC FIELD - A method and a magnetic resonance apparatus compensate for inhomogeneities in a magnetic field generated by the magnetic resonance apparatus with a shim coil of the magnetic resonance apparatus. The shim coil is arranged at an object under investigation. A position and an orientation of the shim coil are automatically determined. The inhomogeneities of the magnetic field are determined. The inhomogeneities are compensated for via the shim coil depending on the position and the orientation of the shim coil. | 10-22-2015 |
20150309132 | APPARATUS, METHOD AND COIL ARRAY FOR PROVIDING SPLIT PARALLEL TRANSMISSION MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING - An exemplary coil arrangement can be provided that can include a lateral coil array(s) configured to transmit a set of tailored pulses, and a contralateral coil array(s) configured to transmit the pulses. The lateral coil array(s) and the contralateral coil(s) array can be substantially identical. The pulses can include a set of radio frequency tailored pulses. The lateral coil array(s) and the contralateral coil array(s) can be further configured to transmit a radio frequency shim. A radio frequency shield can be included which can he associated with one of the arrays, and can be located between medial coils. The set of tailored pulses can be parallel pulses. The coil arrangement can be configured to be used at at least about 7 Tesla. The lateral coil array(s) can include at least 2 lateral coils. The contralateral coil array(s) can include at least 2 contralateral coils. | 10-29-2015 |
20150316635 | MOTION DETECTION AND CORRECTION METHOD FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE DIFFUSION WEIGHTED IMAGING (DWI) - A magnetic resonance imaging system ( | 11-05-2015 |
20150338484 | METHOD AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS FOR RECORDING USAGE DATA FOR LOCAL COILS AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE DEVICE - In a method and apparatus for recording usage data describing the use of local coils in a magnetic resonance scanner, when a trigger event occurs at least one item of coil information relating to the current configuration of the local coils, and an associated time stamp, are automatically stored as usage data. | 11-26-2015 |
20150346309 | SYSTEM CALIBRATION IN AN MR SYSTEM - In a method for making calibration measurements in a magnetic resonance (MR) system, in order to acquire an MR image of an examination subject, wherein the MR unit has a computer for operating the MR scanner, and a system control computer designed to control multiple system components of the MR scanner, a preparation step is executed by the computer to prepare a first calibration step, in which a first parameter of a system component is matched to the examination subject via the system control computer, and to prepare a second calibration step, in which a second parameter of a system component is matched to the examination subject via the system control computer. The first calibration step is executed by the system control computer as is the second calibration step. The preparation step is executed by the computer to prepare one of the first or second calibration steps before one of the calibration steps is initiated by the system control computer. | 12-03-2015 |
20150369888 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCTION OF GRADIENT COIL VIBRATION IN MRI SYSTEMS - A cylindrical superconducting magnet system for use in magnetic resonance imaging has axially aligned primary superconducting coils surrounded by a thermal radiation shield within a vacuum vessel. A gradient coil assembly is axially aligned with and located radially within the primary superconducting coils. An assembly support is, radially positioned outside of the primary superconducting coils and is mechanically attached to the gradient coil assembly at a number of locations around the circumference of the gradient coil assembly, and at a number of axial locations along the gradient coil assembly, by radially-directed mechanical attachments that pass though through-holes through the vacuum vessel and the thermal radiation shield, and mechanically isolated from the vacuum vessel. At least some of the mechanical attachments each comprise an active force transducer arranged to provide impulses of force onto a surface of the gradient coil assembly to oppose vibrations of the gradient coil assembly. | 12-24-2015 |
20160003929 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING WITH DIFFERENT FREQUENCY ENCODING PATTERNS - In a method and control device for magnetic resonance imaging, raw magnetic resonance data are acquired from one region of an examination object by a number of magnetic resonance receiving antennas of a magnetic resonance system. Calibration values are determined that represent the sensitivity of at least one of the magnetic resonance receiving antennas. An image reconstruction is performed on the basis of the raw magnetic resonance data, taking into consideration the determined calibration values. The determination of the calibration values is frequency-dependent. | 01-07-2016 |
20160011172 | TRIMETHYLAMINE-N-OXIDE AS BIOMARKER FOR THE PREDISPOSITON FOR WEIGHT GAIN AND OBESITY | 01-14-2016 |
20160018502 | SIGNAL INHOMOGENEITY CORRECTION AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION APPARATUS - Methods for correcting inhomogeneities of magnetic resonance (MR) images and for evaluating the performance of the inhomogeneity correction. The contribution of both transmit field and receiver sensitivity to signal inhomogeneity have been separately considered and quantified. As a result, their negative contributions can be fully corrected. The correction method can greatly enhance the accuracy and precision of MRI techniques and improve the detection sensitivity of pathophysiological changes. The performance of signal inhomogeneity correction methods has been evaluated and confirmed using phantom and in vivo human brain experiments. The present methodologies are readily applicable to correct signal intensity inhomogeneity artifacts produced in different imaging modalities, such as computer tomography, X-ray, ultrasound, and transmission electron microscopy. | 01-21-2016 |
20160033597 | GALLIUM ARSENIDE (GAAS) BASED AMPLIFIER AND TRANSMIT/ RECEIVE SWITCH FOR CRYOGENIC DEVICES AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS - A cryogenic switching device includes a radio frequency (RF) signal input node, a coil interface, an RF signal output node, and a plurality of gallium arsenide (GaAs) diode units configured for transmitting an RF input signal from the RF signal input node to the coil interface, and an RF output from the coil interface to the signal output node. The device may be operative at temperatures below 77 K, and may be utilized as a transmit/receive switch in a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) cold probe for increasing NMR sensitivity, obtaining a strong NMR spectrum with reduced or non-noticeable amplitude and phase distortion. | 02-04-2016 |
20160033598 | FAILSAFE PROTECTION FROM INDUCED RF CURRENT FOR MRI RF COIL ASSEMBLY HAVING TRANSMIT FUNCTIONALITY - An electrically-controlled failsafe switch is included in an MRI transmit-and-receive RF coil assembly so as to protect it from induced RF currents in the event it is disconnected from an MRI system, but inadvertently left linked to strong MRI RF fields during imaging procedures using other RF coils. | 02-04-2016 |
20160054414 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM - A magnetic resonance tomography system has a magnetic resonance scanner for performing a magnetic resonance examination, and a portable control processor having a first, wireless data interface for receiving control data for the magnetic resonance scanner from a data network, and a second, wireless data interface for transferring the control data to the magnetic resonance scanner. | 02-25-2016 |
20160077173 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF - In method for operating a magnetic resonance apparatus that has a gradient power amplifier that supplies a voltage to a gradient coil, and a gradient power amplifier control processor that provides control a control signal thereto that predetermines the aforementioned voltage, and a simulation computer that models an operational characteristic of each of the gradient coil the gradient power amplifier, an actual current value of a current fed into the gradient coil by the gradient power amplifier is measured and a target current value of the current fed into the gradient coil by the gradient power amplifier is determined by the simulation computer, using the control signal as an input variable. A fault signal is generated as a function of a determined deviation in the actual current value from the target current value. | 03-17-2016 |
20160091585 | METHOD AND MEDICAL IMAGING APPARATUS OF DETERMINING TIME WINDOWS IN A SCAN SEQUENCE - In a method for determining time windows in a scan sequence, in which values of setting parameters of a scan can be changed during a current scan without adversely affecting the scan data obtained with the scan, comprising the following a scan sequence is loaded into a control computer, that then determines the time windows in the scan sequence in which values of setting parameters can be changed during a current scan, on the basis of an analysis of useful coherences in the scan sequence. The determined time windows are stored or processed so as to be available to operate an imaging apparatus to execute the scan sequence. | 03-31-2016 |
20160109543 | METHOD AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING A MINIMIZED ECHO TIME - In a method for determining a minimum possible echo time for a radio-frequency coil used in a magnetic resonance scanner, magnetic resonance signals are acquired with the radio-frequency coil in a magnetic resonance measurement of a free induction decay at fixed time intervals, the minimum possible echo time being determined by evaluating the time series of magnetic resonance signals as the instant from which an exponential signal decay was measured. | 04-21-2016 |
20160116556 | RF COIL ELEMENTS WITH SPLIT DC LOOPS FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING SYSTEMS FOR INTEGRATED PARALLEL RECEPTION, EXCITATION, AND SHIMMING AND RELATED METHODS AND DEVICES - Systems, methods and devices are configured for integrated parallel reception, excitation, and shimming (iPRES) with RF coil elements with split DC loops. Parallel transmit/receive (which can include B | 04-28-2016 |
20160146912 | SHIMMING ASSISTANCE UNIT, SHIMMING ASSISTANCE METHOD, MRI APPARATUS AND MAGNET APPARATUS - The shimming work assistance unit performs singular value decomposition of a response matrix, which represents the relationship between an error magnetic field distribution and an adjusted magnetic moment placement distribution. From the multiple eigenmodes obtained, the eigenmodes are selected and added one by one in order from the eigenmode with the highest singular value, and the residual magnetic field error, which represents the fluctuation range of the difference between the magnetic field distribution, generated by the placement of the shimming magnetic moments corresponding to said eigenmode, and the error magnetic field distribution, is displayed on a display unit as a function graph of eigenmode order (line graph (1)). | 05-26-2016 |
20160154076 | METHOD AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING BASIC SHIM SETTINGS OF THE MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS | 06-02-2016 |
20160178717 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENERGIZING MAGNETS OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) SYSTEMS | 06-23-2016 |
20160187444 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR NON-INVASIVE ASSESSMENT OF RIPPLE CANCELLATION FILTER - A method that includes deriving a first power spectral density function of a signal input to a ripple cancellation filter; deriving a second power spectral density function of a signal concurrently output from the ripple cancellation filter; frequency shaping the first power spectral density according to a spectral rejection image of the ripple cancellation filter to obtain a test power spectral density; and indicating a degraded performance of the ripple cancellation filter in the event that the test and second power spectral density functions fail to match within pre-determined criteria. | 06-30-2016 |
20160252592 | SAFETY MONITORING FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING | 09-01-2016 |
20160377692 | RETRACTABLE MR COIL DEVICE - A magnetic resonance coil apparatus, a magnetic resonance apparatus and a method for handling a magnetic resonance coil apparatus are provided. The magnetic resonance coil apparatus includes a first coil unit and a second coil unit. The first coil unit and the second coil unit are configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis relative to one another. | 12-29-2016 |