Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Siemens Medical Solutions Usa, Inc.

Brainlab Ag

Pro Med Instruments Gmbh

Siemens Healthcare Gmbh

Patrick Gross

Martin Ringholz

Joerg Roland

Hanns Eder

Antje Kickhefel

Björn Heismann

Rene Gumbrecht

Markus Schmidt

Rares Salomir

Jerry D Hopple

Chi-Yin Lee

Annemarie Hausotte

Caroline Maleke

David Grodzki

Stephan Biber

Sebastian Schmidt

Liexiang Fan

Hans-Peter Fautz

Stephen Roy Barnes

Martin Requardt

Eva Rothgang

Stephen J Hsu

Kevin Michael Sekins

Magalie Viallon

Brian Vasey

Xiaozheng Zeng

Nadja Heindl

Dimitrios Sapnaras

Tilman Niederführ

Bela Vajko

A magnetic resonance (MR) coil unit, comprising: &#x2014;an MR coil body which houses at least one MR coil, the MR coil body having a front surface for facing a patient, a reverse surface opposite to the front surface, and at least one opening through the MR coil body which connects the front and reverse surfaces; &#x2014;at least one MR marker located at least partly in said at least one opening in the MR coil body; and&#x2014;at least one optical marker located above the reverse surface of the MR coil body.

Magnetic resonance coil unit and method for its manufacture

In a method to determine a B1 phase map for at least two excitation modes of a radio-frequency coil arrangement of a magnetic resonance apparatus, the radio-frequency coil arrangement having multiple independently controllable transmission channels, and the B1 phase map describing, with spatial resolution, the phase of radio-frequency field this is generated in a respective excitation mode relative to a common reference phase map, first magnetic resonance data describing the phase change of a basic magnetic field of the magnetic resonance apparatus between a first echo time and a second echo time are acquired, and are evaluated to determine a spatially resolved Larmor frequency value that describes the deviation from a nominal Larmor frequency of the magnetic resonance apparatus. To correct raw phase maps derived from second magnetic resonance data acquired using a respective one of the excitation modes, a correction map, determined relative to the reference phase map, is calculated and subtracted from the raw phase map under consideration of the Larmor frequency value and the echo times in the acquisition of the second magnetic resonance data.

Method and magnetic resonance apparatus to determine a B1 phase map

An MR image is produced from data acquired by radiating an RF pulse and switching multiple bipolar magnetic field gradients to generate multiple gradient echoes that are acquired in a raw data set with multiple raw data lines by a reception coil, the multiple gradient echoes being acquired with bipolar magnetic field gradients of different polarity. Due to the bipolar magnetic field gradients of different polarity, in the raw data set first raw data lines are filled with MR signals in one direction in raw data space, and second raw data lines are filled with MR signals in the opposite direction. The MR image is reconstructed from MR signals that have simultaneously been acquired with at least two different reception coils, by generating a first coil raw data set from the raw data set in the image reconstruction, which coil raw data set has only the raw data lines of the raw data set that were filled with MR signals in one direction, and by selecting a second coil raw data set that has only the raw data lines of the raw data set that were filled with MR signals in the other set direction. The MR image is reconstructed from the two coil raw data sets using a parallel imaging reconstruction algorithm, under the assumption that the two coil raw data sets have been acquired by different reception coils.

Method and magnetic resonance apparatus for image reconstruction with multiple virtual coils

In order to position and simultaneously operate both a magnetic resonance (MR) coil and an ultrasound transducer adjacent to a target volume while minimizing interference between the MR coil and the ultrasound transducer, hybrid ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices are provided. One of the hybrid ultrasound and MRI devices includes a transducer array, a communications interface connected with the transducer array, and a housing that electromagnetically shields and encloses the transducer array and the communications interface. An electrically conducting side of the housing receives a radio frequency (RF) signal from an MRI system and transmits the RF signal to an electrically conducting side of a housing of another of the hybrid ultrasound and MRI devices.

Hybrid ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging device

In magnetic resonance (MR) thermometry, first and second magnetic resonance data that are acquired sequentially, from which a phase shift is determined between a measurement phase and a reference phase. In a first region of an examined person, the measurement phase is determined from the second magnetic resonance data and the reference phase is determined from the first magnetic resonance data. In a second region of the examined person, both the reference phase and measurement phase are determined from the second magnetic resonance data. Techniques for reference-based magnetic resonance thermometry and reference-free magnetic resonance thermometry can be applied.

Method and magnetic resonance system for magnetic resonance thermometry

A patient support apparatus is provided. The patient support apparatus may be used as an operating table apparatus for a neurosurgical intervention. The patient support apparatus includes a support couch and a transfer plate which may be moved relative to the support couch, wherein the transfer plate is designed to support a patient for the neurosurgical intervention, wherein the patient support apparatus includes a holding unit with a support shell, which is designed to support a head of the patient and/or a surgical head restraint unit, and a fastening unit for fastening the holding unit to the patient support apparatus.

Patient support apparatus

A patient positioning device has an electromagnetically transparent transfer plate for positioning an examination subject, and at least one patient bed. The electromagnetically transparent transfer plate can be disposed on the patient bed for imaging an examination region of the examination subject with a first imaging device. For imaging the examination region of the examination subject with the second imaging device that has an electromagnetic localization device, the electromagnetically transparent transfer plate is disposed above the electromagnetic localization device. An imaging system and a corresponding method for medical imaging make use of such a patient position device.

Patient positioning device, and medical imaging method and apparatus employing same

In a method and magnetic resonance (MR) system for the creation of an artifact-free image data set of an imaging area located in a measurement volume of the MR system, measurement data are acquired from which an image data is to be reconstructed, with gradients for spatially coding of the measurement data are ramped continuously over time to a strength desired for the acquisition of the measurement data, without abrupt changes in the gradient strength. The actual gradients present in the measurement volume are measured by a field mapping device in the measurement volume of the MR system. The trajectories along which k-space is scanned during the acquisition of the measurement data are calculated on the basis of the measured actual gradients. An artifact-free image data set is reconstructed from the acquired measurement data under consideration of the calculated trajectories, and is displayed and/or stored.

Method and magnetic resonance apparatus to generate an artifact-free magnetic resonance image data set

A method for stable support of a needle to be introduced into a patient, a body to be penetrated by the needle is arranged on the patient. The body is made of a substance corresponding in terms of its mechanical properties to body tissue (in particular corresponding to body tissue in terms of visco-elastic coefficients and density) and/or is made of a gel-like substance.

Method, retention device and medical treatment device for stable support of a needle to be inserted into a patient

A patient support apparatus for a medical imaging apparatus includes a base unit and a table, wherein the table is designed so as to be movable relative to the base unit. A position detection apparatus detects a position of the table relative to the base unit, wherein the position detection apparatus has an optical sensor unit which includes a fiber optic element and a punched tape mask. The punched tape mask is movable relative to the optical sensor unit. Optical signals are transmitted via the fiber optic element.

Patient support apparatus and a medical imaging apparatus comprising the patient support apparatus

Disclosed is a patient support apparatus having a patient support couch, a moveable support plate for supporting a patient, a surgical head fastening unit for fastening a head of the patient in an examination position and/or in an operation position. The patient support apparatus includes a marker unit for marking a maximum occupancy area for the surgical head fastening unit.

Patient support apparatus, a medical imaging apparatus with the patient support apparatus and a method for marking a maximum occupancy area

A patient positioning apparatus is provided. The patient positioning apparatus includes a positioning table, a transfer plate, which is arranged on the positioning table so as to be moveable relative to the positioning table, and a positioning unit for a positioning of a surgical head securing unit on the transfer plate, wherein the positioning unit exhibits a joint unit with at least one first rotational joint unit, wherein the at least one first rotational joint unit exhibits a predetermined stop position for a rotational movement.

Patient positioning apparatus and a medical imaging apparatus comprising the patient positioning apparatus

Scan timing of contrast agent study is provided. Ultrasound is used to determine timing of contrast agent inflow and/or outflow. The timing based on the ultrasound scanning controls scanning for MR or CT imaging. The MR or CT contrast agent imaging for MR or CT contrast agents may be synchronized using the ultrasound contrast agent flow.

System scan timing by ultrasound contrast agent study

A radiotherapy treatment device comprising an image acquisition device, in particular a magnetic resonance device, an irradiation device comprising in particular a linear accelerator, and a patient positioning device having a patient positioning platform, wherein a movement device is provided for jointly moving the image acquisition device and the irradiation device between an irradiation position, in which a radiotherapeutic treatment of a patient located on the patient positioning platform is possible by means of the irradiation device, and an image acquisition position, in which an image acquisition of the patient located on the patient positioning platform is possible by means of the image acquisition device is provided. A radiotherapy method for treating an irradiation target in a patient by means of such a radiotherapy treatment device is also disclosed.

Radiotherapy treatment device comprising image acquisition device and irradiation device, and radiotherapy method

Magnetic resonance and ultrasound parametric image is fused or combined. MRI and ultrasound imaging are used to acquire the same type of parametric images. Fused data is created by combining ultrasound and MRI parametric data at times for which both types of data are available. Rather than sacrificing rate, fused data is created for times for which MRI data is not acquired. A curve representing the values of the parameter over time is fit to the available MRI and ultrasound data of each location, resulting in fused data at times for which MRI data is not available.

Growing community of inventors

Langensendelbach, Germany

Patrick Gross