G01R33/5659

RF magnetic field homogeneity and magnetic resonance image uniformity using inductive coupling

An apparatus, method, and system are disclosed for improving uniformity of RF magnetic field in an MRI system, and thereby improving both signal-to-noise ratio and uniformity of imaging sensitivity across a sampling volume, to provide more uniform MRI images. A passive LC resonator develops induced EMF and induced currents in a primary RF magnetic field; the secondary magnetic field produced thereby can counteract magnetic field amplitude gradients to produce a more homogeneous RF magnetic field. In systems with separate transmit and receive coils, a shunt detuning circuit is pulsed ON to prevent interference during the transmit period. In a dual-frequency MRI machine (e.g. 19F and 1H), the RF magnetic field at the lower operating frequency can be homogenized by tuning the resonance of the passive resonator between the two operating frequencies. Another resonator can improve RF field uniformity at the higher operating frequency. Variants and experimental results are disclosed.

METHOD OF OPERATING A MAGNETIC RESONANCE SCANNER

A method of operating a magnetic resonance scanner includes determining a radio frequency (RF) pulse to be transmitted to jointly homogenize a flip angle and a semisolid saturation that would result from magnetization of a sample to be scanned by the MR scanner using the determined RF pulse. The method also includes controlling an RF transmit coil of the MR scanner to transmit the determined pulse. Homogenizing both semisolid saturation and excitation properties of the RF pulse allows for improved magnetic transfer ratio imaging.

An Apparatus for the Measurement of Ore in Mine Ore Benches
20230034745 · 2023-02-02 ·

Apparatus for the measurement of ore in mine ore benches or ore stockpiles is disclosed, the apparatus comprising: a mobile platform, defining a platform zone, wherein the mobile platform is positionable on or above a mine ore bench or stockpile; and at least one magnetic resonance (MR) sensor comprised in the mobile platform. The MR sensor includes a main loop and a drive loop located above the main loop. A magnetic resonance sensor control system is provided and configured to control at least one of: the positioning of the at least one MR sensor relative to the platform zone and/or mine ore bench or ore stockpile; the positioning of elements comprised in the MR sensor relative to each other; electromagnetic suppression characteristics of the at least one MR sensor; and/or sensitivity of the at least one MR sensor as a function of distance of the sensor from the mine ore bench or ore stockpile.

MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM
20230036285 · 2023-02-02 ·

Provided in the present invention are a magnetic resonance imaging system and method, and a computer-readable storage medium. The method comprises: performing a medical scan of a subject and acquiring a first medical image having a first noise interference artifact, and performing an additional scan of the subject to acquire a second medical image, wherein the second medical image has a second noise interference artifact, and the location mapping of the second noise interference artifact in the first medical image is symmetrical to the location of the first noise interference artifact relative to a pixel center of the first medical image; and performing synthesis-related processing on the first medical image and the second medical image to acquire a post-processed image with reduced noise interference artifacts.

COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGE OPTIMISATION METHOD

A computer-implemented magnetic resonance image optimisation method is disclosed. An image of an object is mapped using a static magnetic field and divided into a plurality of voxels. Each voxel is represented in a Euclidean n-dimensional space, where n≥3, and clustered by grouping together voxels having similar characteristics to create homogenous clusters. The centre or centroid of each cluster is determined, and used, or the voxel closest to either the centre or the centroid is used, as a super-voxel in an optimisation procedure. An optimised diagnostic image of the object is then generated.

COIL ASSEMBLY AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE SYSTEM

The present disclosure may provide a coil assembly. The coil assembly may include a supporting assembly and a radio frequency (RF) coil supported on the supporting assembly. The RF coil may have a plurality of coil units and a plurality of transmission ports. At least one of the plurality of transmission ports may be operably connected to a single coil unit of the plurality of coil units. Each of the plurality of transmission ports may be configured to transmit a drive signal to one of the plurality of coil units for generating a magnetic field.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPRESSING AT LEAST ONE OF AN ELECTRIC OR A MAGNETIC FIELD EMITTED DURING MAGNETIC RESONANCE RECORDINGS
20230088438 · 2023-03-23 · ·

According to one or more example embodiments, a computer-implemented method for at least partially suppressing a field emitted by a magnetic resonance device during an examination, the emitted field being at least one of an electric field or a magnetic field, the method comprises measuring a signature of the emitted field with a sensor facility; providing a trained function which is configured, based on a signature to generate a field information item relating to the emitted field upon which the respective signature is based; creating a field information item for the emitted field by inputting the signature into the trained function; and suppressing the emitted field by generating a counterfield with a transmitting facility based on the created field information item, the counterfield being at least one of an electric counterfield or a magnetic counterfield, wherein the counterfield is generated such that the counterfield least partially suppresses the emitted field.

Method and system of automatic selection for the suppression of a tissue component
11604241 · 2023-03-14 · ·

In a method for automatic control of an examination sequence in magnetic resonance (MR) system during recording of MR signals in an examination segment of a person being examined, which has two tissue components with two different MR resonant frequencies, an examination sequence for examination of the examination segment is determined. Further, whether the examination sequence includes an imaging sequence in which one of the two tissue components is to be suppressed and for which at least two different suppression options exist to reduce the one of the two tissue components during the recording of the MR signals is determined. In response to the determination that the examination sequencing included the imaging sequence, the method can include determining a sequence parameter of the examination for the imaging sequence; and selecting one of the at least two suppression options as a function of the sequence parameter determined for the imaging sequence.

Automated co-registration of prostate MRI data

Medical imaging analysis systems are configured to perform automatic image registration algorithms that perform three-dimensional (3D), affine, and/or intensity-based co-registration of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, such as multiparametric MRI (mpMRT) data, using mutual information (MI) as a similarity metric. An apparatus comprises a computer-readable storage medium storing a plurality of imaging series of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data for imaged tissue of a patient; and a processor coupled to the computer-readable storage medium. The processor is configured to receive the imaging series of MRI data; identify a volume of interest (VOI) of each image of the imaging series of MRI data; compute registration parameters for the VOIs through the maximization of mutual information of the corrected VOIs; and register the VOIs using the computed registration parameters.

A RF RESONATOR ARRAY DEVICE FOR USE IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF
20230160983 · 2023-05-25 ·

A radiofrequency (RF) resonator array device for use in magnetic resonance imaging (MRT), The RF resonator array device includes a substrate. An army of coupled split ring resonators are located on the substrate. Each of the coupled split ring resonators includes a first split ring resonator positioned on a first side of the substrate and a second split ring resonator positioned on a second side of the substrate located opposite the first side. The second split ring resonator is inductively coupled to the first split ring resonator. Methods of making and using the RF resonator device are also disclosed.