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Healthcare: Radiology

Latest Innovations
RF Coil for Improving Tuning Range, Cost and Maintaining Q A radio frequency (RF) coil comprising a plurality of electrically uninterrupted conductive legs, each leg having a first end and a second end, and at least one... Read More A radio frequency (RF) coil comprising a plurality of electrically uninterrupted conductive legs, each leg having a first end and a second end, and at least one continuous conductor electrically connected to the first ends of the legs. Frequency tuning of the coil is achieved by translating, along the legs, an electrically continuous tuning band that includes a capacitor closed about the axis of the coil in proximity to the conductive legs. Maintaining electrical symmetry of the coil results in tuning ranges of at least 30 percent of the nominal value of the resonant frequency.
Adaptive Acquisition and Reconstruction of Dynamic Magnetic Resonance Images This invention is a new method for real time cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging that produces high-spatial and temporal resolution motion movies of the... Read More This invention is a new method for real time cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging that produces high-spatial and temporal resolution motion movies of the beating heart non-invasively using a MRI scanner, even in the presence of breathing. MRI's use in the cardiovascular system has been limited. The basic challenge in cardiac MRI is posed by the dynamic motion of the imaged object during the MR data acquisition; unless special methods are adopted this produces unwanted artifacts in the reconstructed MR images in the presence of physiological motion. Also, instead of simply capturing "snap-shot" images one could reconstruct a dynamic movie of the moving object, providing further information of possible diagnostic value. Methods designed to deal with the motion of objects caused by the beating of the heart and respiration can be classified into three categories: 1) general fast imaging approaches 2) methods dealing with respiration-induces motion 3) methods dealing with cardiac-induced motion This technology improves on the existing methods in several ways. Does not require breath holding, and the drawbacks associated with it. Acquires data throughout the respiratory cycle and can reconstruct real-time images of a cardiac slice. Uses estimates of the respiration-induced motion to select the ideal set of MR data to be acquired and thus reduces the complexity of the reconstruction algorithm while improving the reconstruction quality. Uses a more accurate motion model for respiratory motion to produce still and moving images with fewer artifacts and wider applicability. Compensates for affine respiration-induce motion exactly. It can also optimize the MR acquisition and reconstruction process and can produce a motion-movie of the dynamically beating heart. Does not assume cardiac cyclicity, acquires data throughout the heartbeat and can produce real-time cardiac motion movies. Explicitly models the effects of both cardiac and respiration-induced motion effects and hence overcome the drawbacks of these models. Benefits Easy to integrate - This system can be combined with pre-existing static and dynamic MR imaging methods to make them insensitive to affine respiratory motion and tolerant of more general (non-affine) respiratory motion. Improved image quality - The quality of dynamic cardiac reconstructions obtainable by MR scanners is improved in current applications by reducing image artifacts. Also improves the MR imaging (MRI) of other organs (such as the liver) whose images are otherwise degraded by respiratory motion Extends clinical applications of cardiac MRI - Improves the spatial and temporal resolution and enables real time 3-D imaging. Helps more people - Increases the reach of cardiac MR to a larger set of patients by eliminating constraints imposed by breath-holding requirements.
Functional Imaging Method Using FENSI: Flow Enhanced Signal Intensity A method for imaging a brain of a subject includes providing a cognitive task for the subject or measuring resting state blood flow without a cognitive task,... Read More A method for imaging a brain of a subject includes providing a cognitive task for the subject or measuring resting state blood flow without a cognitive task, applying a saturation pulse sequence to saturate a slice within an imaging volume in the subject, and applying an imaging pulse sequence to acquire data from the imaging volume. A saturated image is acquired shortly after termination of the saturation pulse sequence and a non-saturation image is acquired after spins flowing through the saturated slice have recovered. The saturation image and the non-saturation image are subtracted to generate a blood velocity or perfusion enhanced difference image indicating portions of the brain active during the cognitive task. When measuring resting state blood flow without a cognitive task, the method includes acquiring a calibration scan and performing a quantitative evaluation of the blood velocity perpendicular to the saturated slice.
EMCCD Scintillation Camera for Low Energy X and Gamma Ray Imaging A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an ionizing radiation sensor having a first scintillator for generating... Read More A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an ionizing radiation sensor having a first scintillator for generating photons from incoming ionizing radiation, an imaging intensifier for amplifying the photons, and an electron-multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD) coupled to the imaging intensifier for sensing the amplified photons generated by the imaging intensifier.
Ultrasonic Biopsy Needle Shear Wave Imaging An apparatus and method for estimating and imaging mechanical properties of biological tissues. The apparatus includes one or two ultrasound emitting devices (... Read More An apparatus and method for estimating and imaging mechanical properties of biological tissues. The apparatus includes one or two ultrasound emitting devices (transducers) that first apply an acoustic radiation force to vibrationally displace a sphere embedded in the medium. Alternatively, a biopsy needle may be inserted into the medium and vibrated along its axis to generate shear waves. During and after vibration, ultrasound is again applied to image shear waves in the medium that propogate from the vibrating sphere or needle. By measuring the local wavelength of the shear waves, the shear modulus and viscous coefficient of the medium surrounding the vibrating element are estimated.
Auto-Calibrating Parallel MRI Technique with Distortion-Optimal Image Construction This invention provides a new computational method for the formulation of magnetic resonance (MR) images to 1) reduce the scan time and complexity and 2) improve... Read More This invention provides a new computational method for the formulation of magnetic resonance (MR) images to 1) reduce the scan time and complexity and 2) improve upon existing MRI methods. This is all accomplished while maintaining the integrity and functionality of other MRI methods. This invention describes the development of a computational method for the formulation of magnetic resonance (MR) images. It achieves this by utilizing data acquired by multiple receiver channels available on standard MRI scanners to 1) automatically identify the receiver characteristics without the need for additional data acquisition, 2) using the identification results to enable high quality imaging with fewer data samples than current methods and 3) improving upon the existing parallel MRI methods. This technology addresses two of the key issues/challenges (faster data retrieval and artifact free images) that MRI industry currently faces. Applications Neurological Musculoskeletal Cardiovascular Oncological Benefits Reduced scan time Increased set of clinical applications Reduced complexity Better, high quality MR images (Artifact-Free Imaging) Software can be uploaded to existing machines
System and Method for Designing Multi-Channel RF Pulses for MR Imaging A system and method for designing RF pulses for multi-channel and/or multi-dimensional spatially-selective applications using a linear approximation. Embodiments... Read More A system and method for designing RF pulses for multi-channel and/or multi-dimensional spatially-selective applications using a linear approximation. Embodiments of the system and method may use a generalized linear-class large tip angle approximation to design RF pulses for multi-channel and parallel transmission. Further, some of these approximations allow for the design of arbitrarily large flip angles, irregularly-shaped flip angle profiles, or arbitrary initial magnetization values. Embodiments of the system and method may also provide for the design of k-space trajectories which aid in maintaining assumptions of the various linear class approximations.
X-Ray Fluorescence Computed Tomography with an Emission Tomography System A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an apparatus having a collimator having at least one aperture and a... Read More A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an apparatus having a collimator having at least one aperture and a fluorescence detector. The collimator can be positioned next to a compound. The compound can emit fluorescence X-rays when impacted by an X-ray beam generated by an X-ray source. The collimator can absorb at least a first portion of the fluorescence X-rays emitted by the compound and release at least a second portion of the fluorescence X-rays at the at least one aperture. The second portion of the fluorescence X-rays released by the at least one aperture have known directional information based on a position of the collimator. The fluorescence detector can detect the second portion of the fluorescence X-rays released by the at least one aperture. A three-dimensional (3-D) rendering of an elemental distribution of the compound can be determined from the fluorescence X-rays detected and the directional information.