The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 11, 1992
Filed:
Nov. 21, 1990
David A Molyneaux, Willowick, OH (US);
William McLemore, Cleveland, OH (US);
Picker International, Inc., Highland Hts., OH (US);
Abstract
A whole body RF antenna (22) surrounds an examination region (14). A localized coil array (40) having a plurality of coils (42a, 43b, . . . ) is mounted in the examination region. A switch array (48) selectively connects a selected one of the coils with an output (46). In a pilot or alignment scan, an imaging sequence is conducted using the whole body antenna (22) to generate an image of a portion of the surface coil array and the patient in the examination region. The coil array includes a marker (82) that is readily identifiable in the resultant image displayed on a video monitor (36). The location of slices for more detailed imaging are selected by positioning a cursor (64) on the video display. The position or coordinate system of the selected slices is aligned with the position or coordinate system of the coil array by positioning the cursor over the image of the marker and noting its position. Properties or parameters of each coil of the array are stored in a look up table (74). The parameters of each selected slice and imaging sequence are compared (72) with the properties in the look up table in order to determine an optimal one or more of the coils (42) for use in each imaging sequence. An imaging sequence along each of the slices is conducted utilizing the corresponding selected coils.