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. 23, 2002
Filed:
Mar. 01, 2000
Michael Burl, Chagrin Falls, OH (US);
John W. Missal, Willoughby, OH (US);
Thomas Chmielewski, Willoughby Hills, OH (US);
Philips Medical Systems(Cleveland), Inc., Highland Heights, OH (US);
Abstract
A magnetic resonance apparatus includes a multi-mode receiver assembly which facilitates operation in both a quadrature combination mode and phased array mode. The multi-mode receiver assembly includes a receiver coil assembly ( ) comprising a first RF coil assembly ( ) and a second RF coil assembly ( ). A signal combining circuit, which includes a switch means, performs at least one of combining and splitting magnetic resonance signals received by the first and second RF coil assemblies ( ). The application of a DC bias potential to the switch means switches the multi-mode receiver assembly into the quadrature combination mode in which the received magnetic resonance signals are phase shifted and combined into a quadrature signal and an anti-quadrature signal. The absence of a DC bias potential to the switch means switches the multi-mode receiver assembly into the phased array mode in which the received magnetic resonance signals are phase shifted and passed individually to corresponding receivers. The multi-mode capability of the receiver assembly allows an operator to switch from a quadrature mode, which is provides faster reconstruction, to a phased array mode, which provides better image quality, within a single examination.