Patent · US Expired

Simultaneous magnetic resonance imaging of multiple human organs

US5374890A · kind A · utility

27Cited by
11References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 17, 1993
Grant dateDec 20, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 17, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R33/54
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Superconducting magnets (10) of a magnetic resonance imager create static magnetic fields through an examination region (12). Gradient magnetic field coils (30) under control of a gradient magnetic field control (42) generate gradient magnetic fields across the examination region (12), as a whole. A plurality of surface coils (36, 38) receive radio frequency signals from each of two distinct subregions within the examination region (12). The two receiver coils are connected with separate receivers (60.sub.1, 60.sub.2) which demodulate the received magnetic resonance signals. The magnetic resonance signals are reconstructed (76) into an image representation (80, 82) of the first and second subregions. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, a radio frequency transmitter (40) and a whole body coil (32) generate and manipulate the magnetic resonance signals within the first and second subregions. In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, a plurality of transmitters (40.sub.1, 40.sub.2, . . . ) convey RF signals to the surface coils such that the surface coils operate in both a transmit and receive mode. Regardless whether a single transmitter or a series of transmitters is utilized, a sequence …

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