Patent application number | Description | Published |
20150099824 | Treated Fillers, Compositions Containing Same, and Articles Prepared Therefrom - The present invention includes a process for producing treated filler that includes (a) treating a slurry that includes untreated filler where the untreated filler has not been previously dried, with a treating composition that includes a treating agent, thereby forming a treated filler slurry, and (b) drying the treated filler slurry to produce treated filler. The treating agent can include at least one of an anhydride, a cyclic imide, and a derivative thereof. The present invention also is directed to treated filler prepared by the process, as well as rubber compounding compositions and tires including the treated filler. | 04-09-2015 |
20150099825 | Treated Fillers, Compositions Containing Same, and Articles Prepared Therefrom - The present invention includes a process for producing treated filler that includes (a) treating a slurry that includes untreated filler where the untreated filler has not been previously dried, with a treating composition that includes a treating agent, thereby forming a treated filler slurry, and (b) drying the treated filler slurry to produce treated filler. The treating agent can include an unsaturated fatty acid, derivative of an unsaturated fatty acid, or salt thereof. The present invention also is directed to treated filler prepared by the process, as well as rubber compounding compositions and tires including the treated filler. | 04-09-2015 |
20150099826 | Treated Fillers, Compositions Containing Same, and Articles Prepared Therefrom - The present invention includes a process for producing treated filler that includes (a) treating a slurry that includes untreated filler where the untreated filler has not been previously dried, with a treating composition that includes a treating agent, thereby forming a treated filler slurry, and (b) drying the treated filler slurry to produce treated filler. The treating agent can include an amino acid or polypeptide. The present invention also is directed to treated filler prepared by the process, as well as rubber compounding compositions and tires including the treated filler. | 04-09-2015 |
20150126657 | Treated Fillers, Compositions Containing Same, and Articles Prepared Therefrom - The present invention includes a process for producing treated filler that includes (a) treating a slurry that includes untreated filler where the untreated filler has not been previously dried, with a treating composition that includes a treating agent, thereby forming a treated filler slurry, and (b) drying the treated filler slurry to produce treated filler. The treating agent can include a polymer having (i) at least one first group that interacts with the untreated filler and (ii) at least one second group that interacts with a rubber matrix into which the treated filler is incorporated. The present invention also is directed to treated filler prepared by the process, as well as rubber compounding compositions and tires including the treated filler. | 05-07-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080219879 | THIN CAST STRIP PRODUCT WITH MICROALLOY ADDITIONS, AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME - A steel product or thin steel cast strip comprised of, by weight, less than 0.25% carbon, between 0.20 and 2.0% manganese, between 0.05 and 0.50% silicon, less than 0.01% aluminum, and at least one of niobium between 0.01% and 0.20% and vanadium between 0.01% and 0.20%, and having a microstructure of a majority bainite and acicular ferrite, and more than 70% niobium and/or vanadium in solid solution. The steel product may have an increase in elongation and an increase in yield strength after age hardening. The age hardened steel product may have niobium carbonitride particles with an average particle size of 10 nanometers and less, and may have substantially no niobium carbonitride particles greater than 50 nanometers. The steel product may have a yield strength of at least 380 MPa or a tensile strength of at least 410 MPa, or both. The steel product or thin cast steel strip may have a total elongation of at least 6% or 10%. | 09-11-2008 |
20100186856 | HIGH STRENGTH THIN CAST STRIP PRODUCT AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME - A steel product or thin steel cast strip including, by weight, less than 0.25% carbon, between 0.20 and 2.0% manganese, between 0.05 and 0.50% silicon, less than 0.01% aluminum, and at least one of niobium between 0.01% and 0.20% and vanadium between 0.01% and 0.20%, and a microstructure of a majority bainite and acicular ferrite, and more than 70% niobium and/or vanadium in solid solution. The steel product may have an increase in elongation and an increase in yield strength after age hardening. The age hardened steel product may have niobium carbonitride particles with an average particle size of 10 nanometers and less, and may have substantially no niobium carbonitride particles greater than 50 nanometers. The steel product may have a yield strength of at least 380 MPa, a tensile strength of at least 410 MPa, or both. The product may have a total elongation of at least 6% or 10%. | 07-29-2010 |
20100215539 | HOT ROLLED THIN CAST STRIP PRODUCT AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME - A hot rolled steel strip made by the steps including assembling a twin roll caster, forming a casting pool of molten steel of such composition that the cast strip produced comprises by weight, greater than 0.25% and up to 1.1% carbon, between 0.40 and 2.0% manganese, between 0.05 and 0.50% silicon, less than 0.01% aluminum, counter rotating the casting rolls to solidify metal shells and forming a steel strip, hot rolling the steel strip such that mechanical properties at 10% and 35% reduction are within 10% for yield strength, tensile strength and total elongation, and coiling the hot rolled steel strip at a temperature between 550 and 750° C. to provide a majority of the microstructure comprising pearlite, along with bainite and acicular ferrite. The steel may have a free oxygen content between 5 and 50 ppm or between 25 and 45 ppm. | 08-26-2010 |
20100215981 | HOT ROLLED THIN CAST STRIP PRODUCT AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME - A hot rolled steel strip made by the steps including assembling a twin roll caster, forming a casting pool of molten steel having a free oxygen content between 20 and 75 ppm and having a composition such that the cast strip comprises by weight, less than 0.25% carbon, between 0.9 and 2.0% manganese, between 0.05 and 0.50% silicon, greater than 0.01% and less than or equal to 0.15% phosphorus, and less than 0.01% aluminum, counter rotating the casting rolls forming the steel strip, hot rolling the strip such that mechanical properties at 10% and 35% reduction are within 10% for yield strength, tensile strength and total elongation, and coiling the strip at a temperature between 300 and 700° C. to provide a majority of the microstructure comprising bainite and acicular ferrite. Alternatively, the steel may have between 0.20 and 0.60% copper and manganese as low as 0.08%. | 08-26-2010 |
20130202914 | HOT ROLLED THIN CAST STRIP PRODUCT AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME - A hot rolled steel strip made by the steps including assembling a twin roll caster, forming a casting pool of molten steel of such composition that the cast strip produced comprises by weight, greater than 0.25% and up to 1.1% carbon, between 0.40 and 2.0% manganese, between 0.05 and 0.50% silicon, less than 0.01% aluminum, counter rotating the casting rolls to solidify metal shells and forming a steel strip, hot rolling the steel strip such that mechanical properties at 10% and 35% reduction are within 10% for yield strength, tensile strength and total elongation, and coiling the hot rolled steel strip at a temperature between 550 and 750° C. to provide a majority of the microstructure comprising pearlite, along with bainite and acicular ferrite. The steel may have a free oxygen content between 5 and 50 ppm or between 25 and 45 ppm. | 08-08-2013 |
20130302644 | HOT ROLLED THIN CAST STRIP PRODUCT AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME - A hot rolled steel strip made by the steps including assembling a twin roll caster, forming a casting pool of molten steel having a free oxygen content between 20 and 75 ppm and having a composition such that the cast strip comprises by weight, greater than 0.1 and not more than 0.5% carbon, between 0.9 and 2.0% manganese, between 0.05 and 0.50% silicon, greater than 0.01% and less than or equal to 0.15% phosphorus, and less than 0.01% aluminum, counter rotating the casting rolls forming the steel strip, hot rolling the strip such that mechanical properties at 10% and 35% reduction are within 10% for yield strength, tensile strength and total elongation, and coiling the strip at a temperature between 300 and 700° C. to provide a majority of the microstructure comprising bainite and acicular ferrite. Alternatively, the steel may have between 0.20 and 0.60% copper and manganese as low as 0.08%. | 11-14-2013 |
20140014238 | HIGH STRENGTH THIN CAST STRIP PRODUCT AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME - A steel product or thin steel cast strip including, by weight, less than 0.25% carbon, between 0.20 and 2.0% manganese, between 0.05 and 0.50% silicon, less than 0.01% aluminum, niobium between 0.01% and 0.20%, and vanadium between 0.01% and 0.20%. The steel product may have a tensile strength of between 550 and 600 MPa after age hardening at a peak temperature of between 700 and 750° C. | 01-16-2014 |
20140261905 | METHOD OF THIN STRIP CASTING - A method for making alloy strip by continuous casting with tensile strength of at least 900 MPa and total elongation of at least 30%, strip with tensile strength of at least 1200 MPa and total elongation of at least 20%, or strip with tensile strength of at least 1500 MPa and total elongation of at least 15%. Molten metal is introduced forming a casting pool supported on the casting rolls and counter-rotating the A heat flux is provided with a peak heat flux >20 Mw/m2. The strip is cooled at 1000-3000 K/sec. A roll biasing force >40 kN/meter of casting roll length is applied to form thin metal strip. The strip is then conveyed through a first enclosure with an atmosphere having an oxygen content of <5%. The cast strip is rolled through a rolling mill and reduced and modification of the microstructure is initiated. | 09-18-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110132943 | Device for hanging a holster along a mattress - This application discloses a device for hanging a holstered handgun along a side of a mattress. The device includes a plate member to be inserted between the underside of the mattress and the supporting surface below the mattress, wherein the side adapted to extend outward from the mattress has a pair of spaced apart hinge barrels each adapted to receive a hinge pin. Another piece of the device is a basket member to receive a handgun holster, wherein the basket member has a hinge pin extending from each lateral side adapted to couple into hinge barrel of the plate member. In a preferred embodiment, the front side of the basket member has a slot for interlocking with a tab on a handgun holster. The tab is preferably located on a belt loop device attachable to a holster. | 06-09-2011 |
20120174455 | BUTT STOCK WITH ANGLED REAR FACE - A gun stock for a shoulder mounted firearm has a rear face with an upper portion extending downward from the heel of the stock at a first angle from about 0° to 10°, and a lower portion extending downward from the upper portion to the toe of the stock and forming a second angle greater than the first angle, preferably about 35° from vertical. The rear face may be part of a butt plate arranged as a door to cover a storage compartment in the stock, attached to the stock with a hinge at the toe and a latch at the heel. This configuration reduces the likelihood that the toe of the stock will catch on the shooter's armor or uniform, and places the hinge forward of the toe such that the butt plate may swing under the stock and out of the way when the storage compartment is opened. | 07-12-2012 |
20120174456 | Butt Stock With Accessory Mount - A accessory mounting system for a butt stock having a body, a tube cylinder integrally formed with a top end of the body, and a butt plate mounted to a rear end of the body, including a support structure on the body and a bracket having a pair of flanges arranged to be received by the support structure and a pair of mounting tabs arranged to receive an accessory such as a handheld electronic device. | 07-12-2012 |
20120174457 | Cheek Rest Assembly with Storage - A cheek rest assembly for mounting on a butt stock, including a cheek rest having a center portion and a pair of side portions, each side portion sloping downwardly and outwardly on opposite sides from the center portion, a pair of elongate storage compartments, each storage compartment being suspended from a lower end of one of the side portions and extending along at last a portion of the side portion, and at least one storage sleeve configured to be removably inserted into either of the storage compartments such that when the storage sleeve is fully inserted into the storage compartment, a watertight seal is formed to protect stored contents within the storage compartment. | 07-12-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100063452 | Flexible Disposable Surgical Port - A surgical apparatus for introduction of laparoscopic instruments into an anatomical cavity through tissue at an entry site. The apparatus includes a body with a frustoconical-shaped wall. The body defines an interior cavity, an open bottom, and a substantially closed top wall with openings from which a plurality of ports extend upward therefrom. The ports are adapted to receive the laparoscopic instruments for introduction through the interior cavity and open bottom of the body into the anatomical cavity. In the preferred embodiment, the frustoconical-shaped wall of the body is placed through an incision in the umbilicus. In one aspect of the invention, the body is a unitary one-piece molded structure. A reinforcing belt or plate formed from a relatively hard material can be integral to the body. In another aspect, the apparatus is formed from a block copolymer of poly(styrene-block-isobutylene-block-styrene), hereinafter referred to as “SIBS”, which unexpectedly provides the benefit that lubrication of the ports (or of the instruments extending through the ports) is avoided. | 03-11-2010 |
20110166425 | Flexible Disposable Surgical Port - A surgical apparatus for introduction of laparoscopic instruments into an anatomical cavity through tissue at an entry site. The apparatus includes a body with a frustoconical-shaped wall. The body defines an interior cavity, an open bottom, and a substantially closed top wall with openings from which a plurality of ports extend upward therefrom. The ports are adapted to receive the laparoscopic instruments for introduction through the interior cavity and open bottom of the body into the anatomical cavity. In the preferred embodiment, the frustoconical-shaped wall of the body is placed through an incision in the umbilicus. In one aspect of the invention, the body is a unitary one-piece molded structure. A reinforcing belt or plate formed from a relatively hard material can be integral to the body, and separately formed port caps each having a septum may be bonded to the ports. | 07-07-2011 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110310511 | APPARATUS INCLUDING MODIFIED WRITE POLE TIP - An apparatus that includes a write element including a write element tip having a leading edge, a trailing edge, and first and second side edges connecting the leading edge to the trailing edge, wherein the trailing edge is non-planar; a trailing shield proximate the trailing edge of the write element; a first side shield proximate the first side edge; and a second edge proximate the second side edge. | 12-22-2011 |
20140211339 | WRITE PRECOMPENSATION FOR HEAD MISALIGNMENT - Misalignment of a transducer head over a bit-patterned media (BPM) may cause a bit to experience conflicting magnetization forces from the writer, resulting in improperly written data and stored data corruption. The likelihood of data corruption is reduced when a write transition is performed when the write sync margin is increased or maximized. Therefore, a write precompensation system may calculate time shift information for adjusting the timing of an individual write current transition at the transducer that compensates for write sync margin degradation due to any or all of skew angle of the transducer, track misregistration, and write field curvature. | 07-31-2014 |
20150077882 | READER STRUCTURE - Implementations described and claimed herein provide a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) layer with canted pinning, wherein a down-track direction facing surface of the SAF layer has edges that are substantially parallel to pinning direction of the SAF layer. | 03-19-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130286511 | Biased Two Dimensional Magnetic Sensor - Apparatus for two dimensional reading. In accordance with some embodiments, a magnetic read element has a bias magnet disposed between a plurality of read sensors. The bias magnet may be configured to concurrently bias each read sensor to a predetermined magnetization. | 10-31-2013 |
20140055884 | MAGNETIC STACK WITH SEPARATED CONTACTS - An apparatus for two dimensional reading may be constructed, in accordance with some embodiments, with a number of magnetic stacks respectively configured to engage adjacent data tracks of a data storage media. Each magnetic stack can be disposed between top and bottom shields while each shield is segmented into a number of contacts different than the number of magnetic stacks. | 02-27-2014 |
20140098442 | WRITE POLE TIP WITH TRAILING EDGE RECESS - A data writer may be constructed, in accordance with some embodiments, with a write pole tip that is configured with leading and trailing edges on opposite sides of a tip body. The trailing edge may be shaped by a recess that extends into the tip body towards the leading edge. | 04-10-2014 |
20140153134 | WRITER WITH PROTRUDED SECTION AT TRAILING EDGE - A writer includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, a longitudinal axis defined between the leading and trailing edges, and a transverse axis orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. A writer region is provided at a protruded section of the trailing edge oriented along the longitudinal axis. A write pole is arranged at the protruded section to write data to two locations spaced apart from one another relative to the transverse axis for a range of skew angles. | 06-05-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20150120488 | Method, Medium, and System for Facilitating Vehicle Purchases - Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an effective, user-friendly approach to help a buyer of a car, truck, boat, or other vehicle to get a firm quote from a dealer on a vehicle that the buyer wants, and is financially qualified for, without the hassle and time expense involved in traditional vehicle sales. Embodiments of the present disclosure also help link dealers with buyers who are pre-qualified and motivated to purchase a vehicle, thus helping to eliminate the wasted time, money, and opportunity costs dealers often devote to customers who are not interested in purchasing, and/or who do not financially qualify to purchase, a vehicle. | 04-30-2015 |
20150120489 | Systems and Methods for Facilitating Vehicle Purchases - Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an effective, user-friendly approach to help a buyer of a car, truck, boat, or other vehicle to get a firm quote from a dealer on a vehicle that the buyer wants, and is financially qualified for, without the hassle and time expense involved in traditional vehicle sales. Embodiments of the present disclosure also help link dealers with buyers who are pre-qualified and motivated to purchase a vehicle, thus helping to eliminate the wasted time, money, and opportunity costs dealers often devote to customers who are not interested in purchasing, and/or who do not financially qualify to purchase, a vehicle. | 04-30-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080260802 | Biocompatible hydrogels made with small molecule precursors - Biocompatible crosslinked polymers, and methods for their preparation and use, are disclosed in which the biocompatible crosslinked polymers are formed from water soluble precursors having electrophilic and nucleophilic functional groups capable of reacting and crosslinking in situ. Methods for making the resulting biocompatible crosslinked polymers biodegradable, or not, are provided, as are methods for controlling the rate of degradation. The crosslinking reactions may be carried out in situ on organs or tissues or outside the body. Applications for such biocompatible crosslinked polymers and their precursors include controlled delivery of drugs, prevention of post-operative adhesions, coating of medical devices such as vascular grafts, wound dressings and surgical sealants. Visualization agents may be included with the crosslinked polymers. Embodiments that include hydrogels having isolated hydrolytically degradable esters are set forth. Embodiments including the use of low molecular weight amines to make degradable hydrogels are also set forth. | 10-23-2008 |
20080286333 | Medical devices having coating with improved adhesion - According to an aspect of the present invention, a medical device is provided which comprises a metallic substrate and polymeric region disposed over and in contact with the metallic substrate. The polymeric region comprises (a) a block copolymer that comprises (i) a hard polymer block that comprises a high Tg monomer and (ii) a soft polymer block that comprises a low Tg monomer, (b) an adhesion promoting copolymer that comprises (i) a first monomer that covalently or non-covalently bonds with the metallic substrate and (ii) a second monomer that is compatible with the low Tg monomer and/or the high Tg monomer and (c) a therapeutic agent. The polymeric region may further comprise an optional polymer that is used to tailor the release rate of the therapeutic agent. | 11-20-2008 |
20090076595 | Medical devices having bioerodable layers for the release of therapeutic agents - According to an aspect of the present invention, medical devices are provided which comprise: (a) a substrate and (b) bioerodable polymeric layer over the substrate that contains (i) one or more biodegradable polymers, (ii) one or more therapeutic agents, and (iii) one or more plasticizers. | 03-19-2009 |
20100030313 | MEDICAL ARTICLES COMPRISING BIODEGRADABLE BLOCK COPOLYMERS - The present invention is directed to medial articles having bioerodible polymeric regions that contain biodegradable block copolymers. The biodegradable block copolymers include at least one first biodegradable polymer block and least one second biodegradable polymer block that differs from the first biodegradable polymer block. The bioerodible polymeric regions comprise a first phase domain formed from the at least one first biodegradable polymer block and a second phase domain formed from the at least one second biodegradable polymer block. At least one of the first and second phase domains is a discontinuous phase domain in the form of dispersed phase elements, substantially all of which have a longest cross-sectional dimension that is less than 1 micron. | 02-04-2010 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
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 |
20090143666 | System And Method For Non-Contrast Agent MR Angiography - A system and method for imaging a desired region of the circulatory system uses the subtraction of data from two acquisitions using substantially different RF pulses and/or pulse sequence timing parameters. In one or both data sets, the longitudinal magnetization of spins within a selected imaging volume has been altered by the application of one or more RF preparatory (prep) pulses. The prep is applied in such a way that subtraction eliminates signals from static background spins, such as fat, while maintaining the signal intensity of intravascular spins. | 06-04-2009 |
20100134103 | System and Method For Ghost Magnetic Resonance Imaging - A system and method enables the creation of medical images using data related to ghost artifacts. The method thus allows components of an imaged subject to be segmented based on state changes in the components that lead to the controlled production of ghost artifacts. This is achieved in MR by performed a pulse sequence so that multiple sets of MR data are acquired in which the signals from a target tissue vary across the data sets while the signals from a background tissue do not vary across the data sets. A composite data set is generated by populating selected k-space lines of the composite data set with information from a first MR data set and populating the remaining k-space lines of the composite data set with information from a second MR data set. An MR image is then reconstructed from the composite data set. The MR image contains ghost artifacts that faithfully reproduce the 2D or 3D anatomic detail of the target tissues without signal contributions from the background tissues, allowing for background-suppressed or segmented MR images of a target tissue without the need for image subtraction. | 06-03-2010 |
20100201361 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PASSIVE CATHETER TRACKING WITH MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING - 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. | 08-12-2010 |
20100268062 | METHOD FOR NON-CONTRAST ENHANCED MAGNETIC RESONANCE ANGIOGRAPHY - A method for non-contrast enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (“MRA”) that has a short scan time and is insensitive to patient motion is provided. More particularly, the method provides significant arterial conspicuity and substantial venous signal suppression. A two-dimensional single shot acquisition is employed and timed to occur a specific time period after the occurrence of an R-wave in a contemporaneously recorded electrocardiogram. In this manner, k-space data is acquired that is substantially insensitive to variations in arterial flow velocity, or heart rate, and that further substantially suppresses unwanted venous signal in a prescribed imaging slice. | 10-21-2010 |
20110080166 | Parallel-Accelerated Complex Subtraction MRI - A method for producing background-suppressed MR images with improved resistance to subject motion and noise, particularly that associated with parallel imaging techniques. An MRI system is employed to acquire two sets of undersampled k-space data under different scan conditions. A differential k-space data set is then formed by complex, pairwise subtraction of the two undersampled k-space data sets and a background-suppressed MR is reconstructed from the differential k-space data set using an accelerated reconstruction technique, such as GRAPPA. | 04-07-2011 |
20110137146 | Method for Non-Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography - A method for non-contrast enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (“MRA”) that has a short scan time and is insensitive to patient motion is provided. More particularly, the method provides significant arterial conspicuity and substantial venous signal suppression. A two-dimensional single shot acquisition is employed and timed to occur a specific time period after the occurrence of an R-wave in a contemporaneously recorded electrocardiogram. In this manner, k-space data is acquired that is substantially insensitive to variations in arterial flow velocity, or heart rate, and that further substantially suppresses unwanted venous signal in a prescribed imaging slice. | 06-09-2011 |
20110166436 | System and Method For Non-Contrast MR Angiography Using Steady-State Image Acquisition - A system and method is provided to quickly acquire and produce an MR angiogram without the use of a contrast agent. In quick succession, two MR image data sets of the vasculature of interest are acquired using a steady-state free precession (SSFP) pulse sequence. The SSFP pulse sequence gradient pulses differ for each image acquisition in that gradient pulses are balanced, or first moment nulled, for one acquisition, but not the other. Magnitude images are reconstructed from the two acquired image data sets and the magnitude images are subtracted to produce the MR angiogram. Contrast is provided by spin motion without the use of contrast agents and without the time consuming addition of motion encoding gradients or preparatory pulse sequences. | 07-07-2011 |
20110260725 | Time Resolved Spin Labeled MRI Cineangiography - A sequence of magnetic resonance images of the beating heart depicts the flow of blood through the heart chambers. Blood appears bright and background tissues are darkened by acquiring MR data following a preparatory pulse sequence in which spin magnetization throughout the field of view is inverted using a non-selective RF inversion pulse and spin magnetization in a selected pool of blood moving into the heart is re-inverted by a selective RF inversion pulse. | 10-27-2011 |
20120314909 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE ANGIOGRAPHY COORDINATED TO CARDIAC PHASE USING SPIN LABELING - A system and method is provided for magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) that includes applying a labeling pulse sequence to a labeling region of a subject having a first portion of a vasculature extending through the labeling region to label spins moving within the labeling region and acquiring labeling data from labeled spins moving in the subject. The labeling data is analyzed to determine a velocity of the labeled spins and the velocity of the labeled spins is compared to a predetermined metric to determine when the subject is in a predetermined cardiac phase. When in a desired cardiac phase, an imaging pulse sequence is applied to an imaging region of the subject having a second portion of the vasculature extending through the imaging region to acquire medical imaging data from the imaging region. The imaging region is separate from labeling region. | 12-13-2012 |
20130184561 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PHASE CONTRAST IMAGING WITH IMPROVED EFFICIENCY - A system and method is provided for magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) that includes performing a pulse sequence using the MRI system, the pulse sequence including a phase-based flow encoding to collect a time-series of image data from the portion of the vasculature of the subject and identifying at least a portion of the time series of image data corresponding to a period of reduced flow through the portion of the vasculature. The portion of the time series of image data is subtracted from the time series of image data to create a time series of images of the portion of the vasculature having background tissue surrounding the portion of the vasculature substantially suppressed. | 07-18-2013 |
20130257429 | Method for Non-Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography - A method for non-contrast enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (“MRA”) that has a short scan time and is insensitive to patient motion is provided. More particularly, the method provides significant arterial conspicuity and substantial venous signal suppression. A two-dimensional single shot acquisition is employed and timed to occur a specific time period after the occurrence of an R-wave in a contemporaneously recorded electrocardiogram. In this manner, k-space data is acquired that is substantially insensitive to variations in arterial flow velocity, or heart rate, and that further substantially suppresses unwanted venous signal in a prescribed imaging slice. Alternatively, a two-dimensional multi-shot acquisition is employed to acquire k-space data using an echo train length that is sufficiently short so as to suppress flow-related artifacts, and such that cardiac gating is not required. | 10-03-2013 |
20140018666 | METHOD FOR NON-CONTRAST ENHANCED MAGNETIC RESONANCE ANGIOGRAPHY - A method for non-contrast enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of a three-dimensional (3D) volume of a subject having a vascular structure extending through the 3D volume and having flowing spins passing through vascular structure. The method includes applying at least one radiofrequency (RF) pulse to a first slice to label the flowing spins passing into a second slice located within the 3D volume adjacent to the first slice and acquiring imaging data from the second slice using a two-dimensional (2D) pulse sequence and sampling k-space using a non-Cartesian sampling pattern. The acquisition of the of the imaging data is repeated to acquire a series of second slices located across the 3D volume to acquire respective sets of imaging data spanning the 3D volume. The sets of imaging data is reconstructed into a time-series of image frames depicting the flowing spins passing through the vascular structure. | 01-16-2014 |
20140077807 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMAGING OF VASCULAR STRUCTURES USING NON-CONTRAST ENHANCED MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING - A system and method is provided for acquiring a medical image of a portion of a vascular structure of a subject using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. At least one radio frequency (RF) saturation pulse is applied to a selected region of a subject that is free of exogenous contrast agents using the MRI system to saturate spins of all tissues within the selected region. A delay time is selected to allow an inflow of unsaturated vascular spins that are free of influence from exogenous contrast agent into the selected region through vascular structures within the selected region. A sparse dataset is formed from a series of spatially-encoded views from the selected region using an undersampled radial k-space trajectory in which the center of k-space is sampled for each view in the series of spatially-encoded views. An image of the vascular structures within the selected region is reconstructed from the sparse dataset. | 03-20-2014 |
20140200435 | System and Method for Ungated Non-Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography - A system and method for producing an image of a vasculature of a subject using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system includes applying a saturation pulse to a prescribed imaging slice to substantially suppress MR signals in the prescribed imaging slice. A quiescent inflow time period (QITP) is observed that is at least equal to half a projected duration of a cardiac cycle of the subject. After the QITP, k-space data is acquired from the prescribed imaging slice, and a subset of the data representative of a desired portion of the cardiac cycle of the subject is reconstructed into an image of the subject including at least the prescribed imaging slice. | 07-17-2014 |
20140378826 | System and Method For Selective Magnetic Resonance Imaging Angiography Of Arteries Or Veins - A system and method for producing an image of a vascular structure of a subject using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system includes performing a first pulse sequence to acquire a flow-dependent imaging data set from the stack of prescribed imaging slices following a first quiescent inflow time period (QITP). The process also includes performing a second pulse sequence without suppressing signal from spins flowing into the stack of prescribed imaging slices through either of the veins or arteries to acquire a flow-independent imaging data set. The flow-dependent imaging data and the flow-independent imaging data are subtracted to create a difference image of the stack of prescribed imaging slices illustrating the at least one of the arteries and the veins as having a bright contrast and another of the arteries and veins as having a suppressed contrast. | 12-25-2014 |