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. 04, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 17, 1996
Ross Mark Henkelman, Toronto, CA;
Bruno Madore, North York, CA;
General Electric Company, Milwaukee, WI (US);
Abstract
A method is provided for use in constructing an MR image associated with the flow of blood or other fluid through an imaging volume, wherein material flowing through a selected voxel of the imaging volume is distinguished from static material. The method includes the step of applying a first MR pulse sequence to the imaging volume to produce a first MR data signal, having a magnitude which encodes first and second flow parameters for respective voxels comprising the volume, and having a phase which encodes a third flow parameter. The method further includes the step of applying a second MR pulse sequence to the volume, to produce a second MR data signal which indicates the content of respective voxels without flow encoding. The first and second MR data signals are compared to one another, such as by computing the difference therebetween, to determine the presence or absence of flowing material in respective voxels of the imaging volume. Information generated by such comparison is employed to construct an MR image which shows the flowing material.