Patent · US Expired

NMR blood vessel imaging method and apparatus

US4739766A · kind A · utility

38Cited by
12References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 18, 1986
Grant dateApr 26, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 18, 2006

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R33/563
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

High speed selective imaging of blood vessels is accomplished by subjecting an area of interest to a plurality of short repetition time NMR pulse sequences during each high velocity period and low velocity period of a heart beat cycle for several or more heart beats. The imaging data from each NMR pulse sequence is collected and weighted according to whether it corresponds to a high velocity period or a low blood velocity period. The weighted imaging data corresponding to high blood velocity periods is then subtracted from weighted imaging data corresponding to low blood velocity periods and the resulting data used to form an image which depicts only the blood vessels of interest. Also, an imaging data processing apparatus is disclosed which operates in real time so as to permit an operator to optimize diagnostic performance.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.