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:
Apr. 01, 1997
Filed:
Dec. 14, 1995
Erika Schneider, Rexford, NY (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
A method is described which corrects magnetic field inhomogeneities in a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system that takes into account the effects of a subject on the magnetic fields. A magnetic resonance sequence is applied to the subject to extract MR response signals from the subject indicating the magnetic field inhomogeneity over space. The changes of magnetic field inhomogeneity with a change in radial variable .rho. (or r, in a cylindrical coordinate system) are calculated. A derivative with respect to a radial variable is calculated of a generalized 3D infinite series polynomial, such as a Legendre polynomial expressed in spherical coordinates. These inhomogeneity changes are then fit to 3D polynomial derivative to result in coefficients [dI.sub.c ]. Similarly coefficients of a derivative shim coil calibration matrix [dM] are determined for each shim coil modeling the effect of each shim coil is on the magnetic field within the imaging volume. An inverse derivative matrix [dM] is calculated to result in the inverse derivative matrix [dM.sup.-1 ]. The inverse derivative matrix [dM.sup.-1 ] is multiplied by the coefficients [dI.sub.c ] to determine current coefficients [C] which define currents to be passed through each shim coil to correct the magnetic field inhomogeneities.