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. 03, 2001
Filed:
May. 08, 1998
Michael Burl, Chagrin Falls, OH (US);
Michael A. Morich, Mentor, OH (US);
Picker International, Inc., Highland Heights, OH (US);
Abstract
In a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, a whole-body RF coil (,) disposed circumferentially around an examination region (,) is tuned to a first Larmor frequency, e.g., that of hydrogen. A first transmitter (,) transmits RF signals at the first Larmor frequency. A first T/R switch (,) electronically switches the whole-body RF coil (,) between a transmit mode in which it is electronically connected to the first transmitter (,) for exciting resonance in hydrogen nuclei, and a receive mode in which it is electronically connected to a first receiver channel for demodulating magnetic resonance signals received from resonating hydrogen nuclei. An insertable lung coil (,) is positioned inside the whole-body RF coil (,) around the examination region. The lung coil (,) is tuned, while the whole-body RF coil (,) is enabled, to a second Larmor frequency corresponding to a non-hydrogen nuclei such that the tuning compensates for reactance from the whole-body RF coil that is inductively coupled to the lung coil. A second T/R switch (,) electronically switches the lung coil (,) between a second transmitter (,) for exciting resonance in non-hydrogen nuclei, and a second receiver channel.