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:
Dec. 18, 2001
Filed:
Nov. 12, 1998
Weigno Zhang, Foster City, CA (US);
Leon Kaufman, San Francisco, CA (US);
Hector Avram, Foster City, CA (US);
Toshiba America MRI, Inc., Tustin, CA (US);
Abstract
An asymmetric spin-echo (ASE) sequence having a variable asymmetry (&Dgr;TE) with respect to the RF pulse is used for imaging paramagnetic, diamagnetic or ferromagnetic instruments within tissues during interventional MRI procedures. The degree of asymmetry introduced determines an apparent size of the imaged instrument. In one embodiment of the invention, the amount of asymmetry is varied as a function of the phase encoding gradient steps. In this manner, the sequence is made sensitive to local gradients in the magnetic field but left insensitive to large scale variations such as those introduced by main magnetic field inhomogeneities.