Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080208035 | Device for superposed MRI and PET imaging - A device is disclosed for superposed magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography imaging. The device includes a magnetic resonance imaging magnet which defines a longitudinal axis; a magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil arranged radially within the magnetic resonance imaging magnet; a magnetic resonance imaging RF coil arranged radially within the magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil; and a multiplicity of positron emission tomography detection units arranged in pairs opposite one another about the longitudinal axis. In at least one embodiment, the many positron emission tomography detection units are arranged radially within the magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil and can be inserted into the device and can be removed from the device along the longitudinal axis. In at least one embodiment, a carrier tube is provided having a multiplicity of pockets, which in each case extend along the longitudinal axis, for accommodating at least one positron emission tomography detection unit. | 08-28-2008 |
20080231276 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM WITH RADIO-FREQUENCY SHIELD WITH FREQUENCY-DEPENDENT SHIELDING EFFECT - A magnetic resonance system has a basic magnet that generates a static basic magnetic field in an examination volume, and a whole-body antenna that emits a homogeneous radio-frequency field in the examination volume, the homogeneous radio-frequency field exhibiting an excitation frequency so that nuclei in an examination subject in the examination volume are excited to emit magnetic resonance signals, and a radio-frequency shield. The radio-frequency shield is arranged between the whole-body antenna and the basic magnet. The whole-body antenna is arranged between the radio-frequency shield and the examination volume. The radio-frequency shield is fashioned to exhibit a high shielding effect in a shielding frequency range that encompasses the excitation frequency. The shielding effect drops to a significantly lower shielding effect on both sides at side bands adjoining the shielding frequency range. The shielding frequency range and the side bands exhibit bandwidths that are significantly smaller than the excitation frequency. | 09-25-2008 |
20080267478 | Device consisting of a combination of a magnetic resonance tomograph and a positron emission tomograph - A sandwich structure which attenuates the PET radiation only very slightly, is used as a support tube for the transmit antenna. In at least one embodiment, it includes a thin strong inner wall, a likewise thin and strong outer wall and an interior of the support tube which is of the honeycomb type or is made of foam material. | 10-30-2008 |
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 |
20080287775 | ARRANGEMENT FOR AFFIXING A MAGNETIC RESONANCE RF COIL TO A PATIENT - In an arrangement to affix RF coils (in particular local coils) on a patient in examinations with a magnetic resonance apparatus, using a horizontal board to accommodate the patient for a magnetic resonance examination to be implemented; with the RF coil that has coil electronics; a fastening strap is fashioned to affix the coil on the patient and the fastening strap has an connection cable integrated therewith. The coil electronics are supplied with energy via the integrated connection cable. | 11-20-2008 |
20090005671 | Combined positron emission tomography / magnetic resonance imaging apparatus - A combined positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for imaging organs of an examination object in an examination space is disclosed, including a positron emission tomography apparatus having at least one radiation detector, and a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus having at least one gradient coil and a radio-frequency antenna device. In order to prevent mechanical oscillations being induced in the PET gantry by the gradient coil, at least one embodiment of the combined position emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging apparatus is developed further in that a first molding is provided, whose surface coincides with the inner shell of the at least one gradient coil, and a second molding is provided, whose surface coincides with the outer shell of the radiation detector, the distance between the two shells being virtually constant over the circumference of the shells, and a vacuum seal being arranged in each case along at least a first and a second circumferential line such that a closed cavity is formed between the vacuum seals. | 01-01-2009 |
20090051362 | Antenna unit for a PET/MRI scanner - An antenna unit for a PET/MRI scanner is disclosed, including a supporting tube in which at least one antenna for MR signals is arranged. In at least one embodiment, the supporting tube has at least one permeable section and one impermeable section, the permeable section of which has a greater permeability to PET quanta than the impermeable section. The antenna unit further includes a screen for radio-frequency signals which is arranged outside of the supporting tube and surrounds the latter. In at least one embodiment, an intermediate layer is arranged between the supporting tube and the screen and, in the region of the permeable section of the supporting tube, is composed of, at least in part, a material which has a permeability to PET quanta comparable to the permeable section. | 02-26-2009 |
20090079428 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE RF TRANSMISSION SYSTEM AND MR SYSTEM AND METHOD USING SAME - A radio-frequency transmission system for a magnetic resonance system has a radio-frequency amplifier and a signal splitter with two inputs and two outputs. The signal splitter is fashioned so that the power of a radio-frequency signal provided at one of the two inputs is divided between the two outputs. A first input the two inputs of the signal splitter is thereby coupled with the output of the radio-frequency amplifier, and the two outputs of the signal splitter respectively serve for connection to different inputs of a transmission antenna of the magnetic resonance system in order to feed the output signals present at the two outputs of the signal splitter into the transmission antenna. The second input of the signal splitter is terminated with a terminating resistor arrangement with a variable reflection factor. | 03-26-2009 |
20090085567 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS WITH SHIM ARRANGEMENT - A magnetic resonance apparatus has an examination region to accommodate a patient to be examined, and a body coil that circumferentially encompasses the examination region and is designed for magnetic resonance examination of the patient. A gradient coil circumferentially encompasses the examination region and the body coil and is designed to detect the position of magnetic resonance measurement values. A basic field magnet is designed to form a basic magnetic field in the examination region for a patient examination to be conducted. The basic field magnet at least partially encompasses the examination region, the body coil and the gradient coil. A shim device is used that is designed to influence the basic magnetic field. Components of the shim device and components of the body coil are associated to exhibit a common distance relative to the longitudinal axis of symmetry of the examination region and thus encompass the examination region. | 04-02-2009 |
20090146066 | Device for superposed magnetic resonance and positron emission tomography imaging - A device is disclosed for superposed magnetic resonance and positron emission tomography imaging. In at least one embodiment the device includes a gradient coil and a positron emission tomography unit (PET unit). The PET unit is arranged within the gradient coil and has a first shield against radiofrequency radiation which in part surrounds the PET unit, and a second shield against radiofrequency radiation is arranged on the gradient coil. The first shield is connected to the second shield to form a shield which is at least partly closed. This makes a closed shield for the PET unit possible, which nevertheless is still easily accessible for maintenance purposes due to the two-part design of the shield. | 06-11-2009 |
20090192382 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM, ANTENNA SYSTEM, METHOD FOR DESIGNING A MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM AND METHOD TO GENERATE MAGNETIC RESONANCE EXPOSURES - A magnetic resonance system obtaining magnetic resonance exposures of an examination subject, has an examination tunnel, a whole-body antenna with two connection terminals. The whole-body antenna cylindrically extends around the examination tunnel along a longitudinal axis. The system has a radio-frequency supply device in order to respectively supply the whole-body antenna with radio-frequency signals for emission of a radio-frequency field in the examination tunnel. The radio-frequency supply device has a radio-frequency generator for generation of a radio-frequency signal, a signal splitter that divides a radio-frequency signal coming from the radio-frequency generator into two partial signals that are phase-shifted by 90° relative to one another. Two radio-frequency feed lines are connected with the two connection terminals of the whole-body antenna. Via these radio-frequency feed lines, the two partial signals are fed into the whole-body antenna. The whole-body antenna has an intrinsic transmission characteristic such that a radio-frequency field is emitted that is elliptically polarized in a defined manner in a plane lying perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (at least in the unloaded state of the examination tunnel). | 07-30-2009 |
20090201022 | CONTROL APPARATUS FOR A MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING ANTENNA ARRANGEMENT - An apparatus to control an antenna arrangement in a magnetic resonance apparatus has an amplifier with an input connected to a radio-frequency transmission signal to be amplified. The antenna arrangement has at least one antenna element for emission of the amplified transmission signal. The antenna element has an infeed point with two terminals, wherein the amplified transmission signal is connected at the terminals. The amplifier is connected on the output side with two terminals of the infeed point. The antenna element has at the infeed point, a mounting surface to accommodate the amplifier. | 08-13-2009 |
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 |
20090256571 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS WITH RF AMPLIFIER(S) DISPOSED WITHIN THE SPACED DISTANCE BETWEEN THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY GRADIENT COIL WINDINGS - An arrangement for controlling an antenna arrangement in a magnetic resonance device has an antenna arrangement that surrounds an examination region and that has at least one antenna element for emitting an amplified transmit signal. At least one amplifier is provided, at the input of which a high-frequency transmit signal is connected, which is present on the output side of the amplifier as an amplified transmit signal. The amplifier is connected to a feed point of the antenna arrangement on the output side, in order to emit the amplified transmit signal. Coil windings of a primary gradient coil are also provided, which at least partially include the antenna arrangement and the examination region. Coil windings of a secondary gradient coil at least partially include the coil windings of the primary gradient coil, the antenna arrangement (and the examination region). The coil windings of the secondary gradient coil and the coil windings of the primary gradient coil are at a distance from one another, in which the at least one amplifier is arranged. | 10-15-2009 |
20090267606 | BIRDCAGE-LIKE TRANSMITTING ANTENNA FOR MRI - A transmission antenna for magnetic resonance applications has a birdcage-like structure that includes antenna rods proceeding between first and second terminating elements respectively located at opposite ends of the antenna rods. A detuning circuit is located at the second terminating element. Either the second terminating element is formed as a completely continuous short circuit ring and the detuning circuit is arranged between the ends of the antenna rods and the second terminating element, or the second terminating element has a number of ferrule segments, between which the detuning circuit is arranged. The second terminating element has a larger cross-section than a the first terminating element. | 10-29-2009 |
20090299170 | Magnetic resonance scanner with PET unit - A magnetic resonance scanner including a PET unit includes a magnet system and a gradient system having a patient bore. In at least one embodiment, the magnet system and the gradient system are each split by an azimuthal gap and the PET unit is disposed within the gap. | 12-03-2009 |
20090315784 | ANTENNA STRUCTURE FOR A MAGNETIC RESONANCE DEVICE - An antenna structure for a magnetic resonance device constructed as a radiating or transmitting antenna of the magnetic resonance device, has a non-metallic antenna conductor containing a discharge gas. When energy is imparted to the discharge gas, the antenna conductor forms an electrically conducting gas discharge column and can be used as an electrically conducting antenna element. | 12-24-2009 |
20090322329 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING A PULSE SEQUENCE TO FEED AN RF RADIATING COIL - In a magnetic resonance apparatus having an RF radiating coil and gradient coils, and in a method for operating such a magnetic resonance apparatus, a pulse sequence, composed of multiple time steps, is specified for operating the gradient coils to time-dependently select regions of a selected slice of a selected volume of a subject. A non-linear equation system is then solved to obtain feed parameters for individual channels of the transmit coil for each time step, with specification of a desired target magnetization, and dependent on the pulse sequence specified for the gradient coils. The non-linear equation system is based on discrete values for time and space variable and, in addition to equations resulting from the Bloch equation, which are non-linear in their feed parameters, includes at least one additional equation that describes boundary conditions for the examination of the subject. | 12-31-2009 |
20100036237 | DETECTOR UNIT FOR ARRANGEMENT WITHIN A FIELD GENERATING UNIT OF AN MR DEVICE - A detector unit for arrangement in a field generating unit of a magnetic resonance device has an RF transmission/reception system for transmitting RF pulses into, or receiving magnetic resonance signals from, an examination volume of the field generation unit. The RF transmission/reception system surrounds a patient tunnel at a radial distance from a tunnel axis thereof, and is divided into two sub-systems located at a distance from each other along the direction of the tunnel axis, so as to form a substantially annular cavity or interstice therebetween. | 02-11-2010 |
20100056902 | PATIENT POSITIONING COUCH AND MEDICAL DEVICE WITH A PATIENT POSITIONING COUCH - A patient positioning couch includes an illumination apparatus having at least one light source that is arranged in the patient positioning couch. The patient positioning couch is capable of being placed in an examination area of a medical device. Through the arrangement of the at least one light source of the illumination apparatus of the patient positioning couch, it is always ensured that the illumination does not lose its location relative to a patient or another object positioned on the patient positioning couch, even if the position of the patient positioning couch changes, e.g. if the patient positioning couch is moved into or out of the examination area. At the same time an especially space-saving illumination of the examination area can thus be achieved. | 03-04-2010 |
20100066369 | Full-Body Antenna For A Magnetic Resonance System Comprising Hollow Rods - A whole-body antenna for a magnetic resonance apparatus has an antenna structure composed of a number of antenna rods extending in a rod direction between first and second ends of the antenna structure. The antenna rods are distributed around a central axis of the antenna structure, forming an examination region for an examination subject in a magnetic resonance examination. The antenna rods are coupled to each other at their first ends by a ferrule. Each of the rods is a hollow rod, and each rod is connected at its second end to ground via a hollow ring. Conductors are routed in the interior of the hollow rods, and can be routed through the hollow ring to the exterior of the antenna structure. | 03-18-2010 |
20100072997 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM WITH TRANSMISSION OF A DIGITIZED MAGNETIC RESONANCE SIGNAL ACROSS AN AIR GAP - A magnetic resonance system has a patient receptacle and a base body. The patient receptacle has a subframe and a patient bed supported thereon so as to move a patient thereon through the base body. The base body has a basic field magnet system, a gradient system and an RF system that are operable to obtain an analog magnetic resonance signal from the patient. The patient receptacle has a signal conversion device composed of an A/D converter, a modulator, and a transmitter. The base body has a signal conversion device composed of a receiver and a demodulator. The A/D converter receives the magnetic resonance signal and digitizes it. The modulator modulates a carrier signal with the digitized magnetic resonance signal. The transmitter transmits the modulated carrier signal via an air gap to the receive. The receiver receives the transmitted carrier signal. The demodulator extracts the digitized magnetic resonance signal from the received carrier signal by demodulation and supplies it to an evaluation device for continuing evaluation. | 03-25-2010 |
20100176800 | COIL POSITION DETECTION - A simple position determination is enabled by a device and a method to determine the position of a local coil in a magnetic resonance apparatus, wherein at least one signal emitted by at least one transmission coil is received by the local coil and is evaluated with a position determination device in order to determine the position of the local coil. | 07-15-2010 |
20100182010 | CIRCUIT BOARD AND METHOD FOR ATTACHING AN ELECTRONIC MODULE TO A BODY COIL OF A MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS - Efficient mounting of a module to a whole-body coil of a magnetic resonance apparatus is enabled by a circuit board with conductive contact regions located at least in the area of an edge of the circuit board, with which contact regions contacts of an electronic module for a magnetic resonance apparatus are connected in a conductive manner. The contact regions of the circuit board are configured for electrical contact with the whole-body coil. | 07-22-2010 |
20100194391 | COMPENSATION DEVICE TO REDUCE THE ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD LOAD DUE TO A MEDICAL INTERVENTION APPARATUS IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE EXAMINATIONS - A compensation device to reduce the electromagnetic field load due to the presence of a medical intervention apparatus in magnetic resonance examinations, has: a control device that has a radio-frequency input and a radio-frequency output, an injection device that is connected with the radio-frequency output and that injects the radio-frequency power delivered by the control device into the medical intervention apparatus, a measurement device that measures at least one electrical variable at the intervention apparatus, and a regulator that is connected with the control device and the measurement device. The regulator adjusts the control device to deliver the radio-frequency power so that the electrical variable at the intervention apparatus is reduced. | 08-05-2010 |
20100213939 | REMOTE BODY ARRAYS FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING AND SPECTROSCOPY - In a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and method, radio frequency signals are radiated into an examination subject and/or received from the examination subject by an array of radio frequency coils that completely encircles the examination subject, and that is located at a distance from the examination subject out of contact with the examination subject. | 08-26-2010 |
20110012810 | DETUNABLE WAVEGUIDE ANTENNA ASSEMBLY - A waveguide antenna assembly for a magnetic resonance tomography apparatus, particularly a waveguide antenna assembly that can be detuned for an operation with local coils, is composed of multiple metal surfaces connected by diodes respectively located between the metal surfaces. Only when the diodes are through-connected between these metal surfaces are the surfaces connected with one another in terms of RF signals via these diodes, so the assembly operates as a waveguide antenna. When the diodes are disabled between these metal surfaces, the surfaces are unconnected with one another for RF signals. | 01-20-2011 |
20120071750 | METHOD FOR AFFIXING A MAGNETIC RESONANCE RF COIL TO A PATIENT - In a method to affix RF coils (in particular local coils) on a patient in examinations with a magnetic resonance apparatus, a horizontal board accommodates the patient for a magnetic resonance examination to be implemented, an RF coil that has coil electronics is affixed with a fastening strap on the patient, and the fastening strap has a connection cable integrated therewith. The coil electronics are supplied with energy via the integrated connection cable. | 03-22-2012 |
20120161763 | HF ATTENUATION - The present embodiments relate to a device and a method for attenuating a high-frequency field of a magnetic resonance tomography system, where at least one attenuation element attenuating high-frequency fields is provided outside a magnetic resonance tomography field of view. | 06-28-2012 |
20130008726 | PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUS FOR A MEDICAL IMAGING APPARATUS AND A MEDICAL IMAGING APPARATUS HAVING THE PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUS - A patient support apparatus for a medical imaging apparatus, such as a magnetic resonance apparatus, is proposed. The patient support apparatus has a couch, a lifting unit for vertical movement of the couch, a travel unit, and at least one sensor unit to detect at least one weight variable for determining the weight of a patient. The at least one sensor unit has at least one sensor element, which is disposed on the lifting unit and/or on the travel unit. | 01-10-2013 |
20130096415 | METHOD TO DETERMINE SODIUM VALUES DESCRIBING THE CONTENT OF 23NA+, AND LOCAL COIL FOR USE IN SUCH A METHOD - In a method to determine at least one sodium value describing the 23Na+ content in at least one region of interest in a target region in the body of a patient, at least one sodium image data set of the target region is acquired with a magnetic resonance imaging device using sodium-23 imaging, the sodium image data set including image data dependent on the occurrence of sodium. The at least one region of interest is defined for which the sodium value is to be determined in the sodium image data set. The sodium value is determined by comparison of the image data in the region of interest with reference image data of at least one subject with a defined 23Na+ content, the reference image data having been acquired with the same sequence. A local coil can be used to implement the method that has a phantom integrated therein that allows the sodium image data set and the reference image data to be acquired together. | 04-18-2013 |
20140077800 | MAGNETIC FIELD APPARATUS AND METHOD OF OPERATING A MAGNETIC FIELD APPARATUS - A magnetic field apparatus comprises a generator for generating a magnetic field of the magnetic field apparatus and a sensor for measuring the interaction between electrical charge carriers in an object and the magnetic field, wherein the electrical as charge carriers and the magnetic field are in relative motion to each other. The magnetic field apparatus may in particular be an MRI apparatus and the sensor may use the magnetohydrodynamic effect for deriving a cardiac trigger signal at any target area positioned off-centre to the heart. | 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 |
20140218134 | Conductor Arrangement with a Dielectric Standing Wave Trap - A conductor arrangement includes a conductor that extends along a conductor axis. The conductor arrangement also includes a standing wave trap to which the conductor is coupled in order to damp standing waves that are excited by an RF field from outside the conductor arrangement. The standing wave trap is in the form of a dielectric resonator device. | 08-07-2014 |
20140300355 | Method and Local Coil System for Producing a Magnetic Resonance Radio Frequency Field - A magnetic resonance RF field is produced in a magnetic resonance imaging system that includes a main magnetic field apparatus and an object-bearing table movable relative to the main magnetic field apparatus and on which a local coil system is arranged. The local coil system includes a plurality of transmission elements. A current location of the object-bearing table relative to the main magnetic field apparatus is established. The transmission elements are automatically connected based on the current location of the object-bearing table. | 10-09-2014 |
20150061681 | Local Specific Absorption Rate Reduction - The embodiments relate to a method, a MRI device, and a circuit for an imaging magnetic resonance imaging device that includes at least one transmission coil for transmitting a magnetic field, where the circuit includes a hybrid coupler and at least one phase shifter that may be or are arranged in the transmission path between an amplifier and at least one transmission coil of the magnetic resonance imaging device. | 03-05-2015 |