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:
May. 06, 1997
Filed:
Oct. 02, 1995
Charles L Dumoulin, Ballston Lake, NY (US);
Steven P Souza, Williamstown, MA (US);
Robert D Darrow, Scotia, NY (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
A magnetic resonance (MR) active invasive device system employs a small, high-field polarizing magnet, and a large, possibly low-field magnetic resonance (MR) imaging magnet for the purpose of generating MR angiograms of selected blood vessels. A subject is positioned in a large MR imaging magnet. A catheter is inserted into the patient at or near the root of a vessel tree to be imaged. A fluid, intended to be used as a contrast agent is first cooled and frozen, and then passed through the small high-field polarizing magnet where it becomes highly polarized. The frozen fluid is then heated and melted to physiologic temperatures and introduced into the subject through the catheter. Radiofrequency (RF) pulses and magnetic field gradients are then applied to the patient as in conventional MR imaging. Since the fluid has a larger longitudinal magnetization than tissue which has not passed through the polarizing magnet, the fluid produces a much larger MR response signal than other tissue, resulting in vessel tree images with excellent contrast.