General Electric Company

Ge Precision Healthcare LLC

Andreas Ebel

Richard Scott Hinks

Clyve Konrad Rosales Follante

Melissa Freeman

Hua Li

Hyokwon Nam

A system and a method for measuring eddy currents with long time constants includes initiating, via a processor, a calibration scan of a phantom utilizing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. The system and the method also include utilizing, via the processor, a train of gradient echo sequences to simultaneously generate and measure the eddy currents during the calibration scan. Both eddy current generation and measurement are completed within each gradient echo sequence of the train of gradient echo sequences. The system and the method further include acquiring, via the processor, k-space data from the train of gradient echo sequences. The system and the method still further include converting, via the processor, the k-space data to eddy current gradient fields. The system and the method even further include estimating, via the processor, the eddy currents as a function of time based on the eddy current gradient fields.

System and method for measuring eddy currents with long time constants using a pseudo-continuous acquisition

Various methods and systems are provided for detecting an unplugged radio frequency (RF) coil in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. In one embodiment, a device for an RF coil comprises an alert generator, a power source, and a field-sensitive switch including an open state and a closed state, wherein the field-sensitive switch switches from the open state to the closed state responsive to sensing a magnetic field with a strength above a threshold, and wherein the field-sensitive switch in the closed state electrically couples the alert generator and the power source. In this way, an alert may be generated to notify an operator of an MRI apparatus of an unplugged RF coil.

Methods and devices for RF coils in MRI systems

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Waukesha, WI, United States of America

Andreas Ebel