General Electric Company

Ge Precision Healthcare LLC

Margaret Ann Wiza

Melissa Freeman

Douglas John Link

Juan Antonio Sabate

Michael Thomas Rose

Tao Ma

Xi Lu

Pengcheng Zhu

Louis Martin Frigo

Garron Koch Morris

Wesley Michael Skeffington

Thomas G McFarland

Jeffrey Neal Slotnick

Yimeng Shi

Andrew John Panos

Tao Wu

Viswanathan Kanakasabai

Jie Zhou

Ruxi Wang

Fei Xu

Rajendra Naik

Jayanti Navilgone Ganesh

Jiabin Yao

Gaohong G Wu

Eric M Printz

Syedsaad Ali

Randy Hladilek

Timothy Strait

Zhenen Cao

Tiezheng Chen

Ke Li

Syed Saad Asif Ali

Tanzania Samone Sewell

Kenichi Kanda

Scott Richard Weber

Scott Walterman

Methods and systems for performing magnetic resonance diffusion weighted imaging of an object is provided. The method includes applying a plurality of diffusion gradients to a plurality of image slices of the object during a plurality of repetition times via an MRI system. A different diffusion gradient of the plurality is applied to each image slice during the same repetition time.

System and method for performing magnetic resonance diffusion weighted imaging of an object

A system for removing energy from an electrical choke is provided. The system includes one or more cores, at least one inductive coupling, and a resistor. The one or more cores are configured to form part of the electrical choke by generating magnetic energy. The at least one inductive coupling is operative to convert the magnetic energy into electrical energy. The resistor is electrically connected to the at least one inductive coupling and operative to dissipate the electrical energy as heat.

System and method for removing energy from an electrical choke

A gradient amplifier for use in a MRI system can be located in the scan room. The gradient amplifier includes pair of rails connected to a gradient power supply. The gradient amplifier also includes a H-bridge of switches which includes a first high side switch and a first low side switch connected in series between the pair of rails, and a second high side switch and a second low side switch connected in series between the pair of rails. The gradient amplifier further includes a first high side driver circuit, a first low side driver circuit, a second high side driver circuit, and a second low side driver circuit, each configured to drive the corresponding switch in the H-bridge. A common power source supplies power to all driver circuits, wherein power is supplied to the high side driver circuits through bootstrap circuits.

Magnetic resonance imaging gradient driver systems and methods

A switching amplifier includes a power device and a processing device. The power device is configured for powering a load and is comprised of a plurality of switches. The processing device configured to calculate a switch junction temperature for a bonding wire in each switch based at least in part on a power loss of each switch; generate a first accumulated fatigue damage of the bonding wire in each switch based on the switch junction temperature; and generate an estimated remaining lifetime of the switching amplifier based on the first accumulated fatigue damages of the bonding wires in each switch.

Switching amplifier and method for estimating remaining lifetime of a switching amplifier

A method for supplying electrical power to a gradient amplifier that drives a gradient coil for a magnetic resonance imaging system is provided. The method includes predicting a gradient voltage required to drive the gradient coil for a scan based at least in part on a gradient coil model. The method further includes calculating a voltage set point for a power supply based at least in part on the predicted gradient voltage. The method further includes providing electrical power to the gradient amplifier via the power supply based at least in part on the calculated voltage set point. The gradient coil model is based at least in part on historical data acquired prior to the scan.

System and method for supplying electrical power to a gradient amplifier

A method that includes deriving a first power spectral density function of a signal input to a ripple cancellation filter; deriving a second power spectral density function of a signal concurrently output from the ripple cancellation filter; frequency shaping the first power spectral density according to a spectral rejection image of the ripple cancellation filter to obtain a test power spectral density; and indicating a degraded performance of the ripple cancellation filter in the event that the test and second power spectral density functions fail to match within pre-determined criteria.

Method and apparatus for non-invasive assessment of ripple cancellation filter

An apparatus includes a self-coupled transformer, a first band stop filter and a tank circuit connected in series with the first band stop filter between first and second windings of the self-coupled transformer. An inductor of the tank circuit acts as an out-of-phase third winding of the self-coupled transformer.

Method and apparatus for dual notch ripple filtering

An apparatus that includes a power amplifier; a load that is operatively connected to be electrically driven from the power amplifier; and an impedance monitor that is configured to in real-time identify a favorable segment within an output waveform of the power amplifier, model the baseline power spectral density of a load driven by the power amplifier during the identified segment of the output waveform, sample an empirical power spectral density of the load during the identified segment of the output waveform, and indicate a load fault in the event that the empirical power spectral density deviates from the baseline power spectral density beyond at least one pre-determined error criteria.

Method and apparatus for active load impedance monitoring

The present disclosure relates possible implementations for utilizing energy storage elements in conjunction with a MRI system. Similarly, various associated control mechanisms are discussed. In certain embodiments, one or both of peak power shaving or energy backup may be facilitated by use of the energy storage elements. Certain such implementations may facilitate the use of higher-power MRI systems with an existing electrical infrastructure.

Energy storage solution for an MRI system

A resonant power supply is disclosed. The resonant power supply includes a series resonant configured to convert an input DC voltage to an output DC voltage. The resonant power supply further comprises a converter controller coupled to the series resonant converter and configured to receive a DC voltage feedback signal measured at the output of the series resonant converter, or a resonant current feedback signal representing a resonant current flowing through the series resonant converter. The converter controller is further configured to generate control signals to be applied to the series resonant converter to limit the output DC voltage of the series resonant converter according to the DC voltage feedback signal and a predetermined voltage threshold signal, or to limit the resonant current of the series resonant converter according to the resonant current feedback signal and a predetermined current threshold signal.

System and method for series resonant converter protection

A resonant power supply is provided. The resonant power supply comprises a series resonant converter configured to convert an input DC voltage to an output DC voltage to generate an output DC voltage. The series resonant converter includes a switching stage, a resonant inductor, a resonant capacitor, and an isolation transformer. The resonant power supply further comprises a converter controller configured to obtain an actual trajectory radius signal based on a resonant inductor current, a resonant capacitor voltage, and a voltage in association with the isolation transformer. The converter controller is further configured to generate a trajectory radius command signal based on a DC voltage command signal and a DC voltage feedback signal, and to generate control signals to be applied to the switching stage based on the actual trajectory radius signal and the trajectory radius command signal.

System and method for power supply control

Growing community of inventors

New Berlin, WI, United States of America

Margaret Ann Wiza