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. 22, 2000
Filed:
Nov. 25, 1998
Josef P Debbins, Waukesha, WI (US);
William J Balloni, Menomonee Falls, WI (US);
Paul E Licato, Wauwatosa, WI (US);
General Electric Co., New York, NY (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for producing an imaging plane on a primary, real-time image of a structure positioned in a MRI system having a display screen and an input device. An operator interactively acquires the primary, real-time image of a planar section of the structure of interest, such as an anatomical structure. Using an input device, the operator initiates the acquisition of a first localizer data set from the same orientation as the primary, real-time image of the structure under study. The present invention then acquires such data as a first localizer image and displays such image along side the primary, real-time image on a display screen of the MRI system. The present invention then acquires a second and third localizer data sets which are orthogonal to the primary, real-time image and to each other and generating and displaying said second and third localizer image. All three localizer images are displayed in three separate displays along side the primary, real-time image of the structure of interest with each localizer image having a graphic cross-reference, typically a line, which depicts the intersection of the primary, real-time image in each of the mutually orthogonal localizer images. The operator of the present invention may then see the relative position of the primary, real-time image plane of the structure of interest relative to the mutually orthogonal views of such structure of interest.