A magnetic resonance imaging system includes a lower body which has a flat upper surface, and contains a first magnetic pole, an upper body which has a lower surface disposed in opposed relation to the upper surface of the lower body, and contains a second magnetic pole, a bed disposed adjacent to the lower body, and a pair of support posts which are provided respectively on right and left sides of the lower body, and interconnect the lower body and the upper body. A space, formed between the lower surface of the upper body and the upper surface of the lower body, is open at least toward the bed between the pair of right and left support posts.

Magnetic resonance imaging system

Coated cored contoured crushable structural members and methods for making the same are described. The contoured structural members comprise composite or metal materials sandwiching a support or stabilizing structure. The cored and contoured structure can be provided by tube rolling (or roll wrapping) the composite or metal materials and the support structure together and then, if necessary, bonding them or connecting them. The coating for the coated structure is provided in or on the materials making up the structural member. The structural members are made crushable by incorporating an initiator into the structural member. The structural member crushes at the location of the initiator by absorbing the energy of an exerting load. With a coated, contoured, crushable, and generally non-flat structure, applications and uses for the structural members of the present invention are nearly limitless.

Shaped contoured crushable structural members and methods for making the same

A planar-magnetic electro-acoustic transducer including a support structure and a magnetic structure carried by the support structure, the magnetic structure comprising a multiplicity of high-energy magnets configured so as to have shared loop field maxima and local loop field maxima, and a diaphragm carried by the support structure, comprising a plurality of conductors carried by and coupled to the diaphragm, said conductors being disposed in relation to local loop maxima and configured to exploit the energy of local loop maxima, as well as the energy of shared loop maxima in driving the diaphragm to produce an acoustic output; and the magnetic structure can be configured so that it includes magnet rows, and the transverse cross-sectional width of the magnets does not exceed their transverse cross-sectional height, and the distance between adjacent elongated magnet rows is greater than one half the width of either of the magnets of the adjacent magnet rows.

Single-ended planar-magnetic speaker

An MRI control system for controlling the operation of an MRI scanner from within an RF shielded MRI exam room in which the MRI scanner is located includes an MRI compatible infrared remote control device located within the MRI exam room for producing infrared control signals within the MRI exam room. An infrared receiver is positioned for receiving infrared control signals emitted by the infrared remote control device and producing electrical control signals in response thereto. An MRI controller located outside the MRI exam room is operatively connected to the infrared receiver for receiving control information. The MRI controller is operatively connected to the MRI scanner for controlling the MRI scanner and receiving scan information and the MRI controller operable to control operation of the MRI scanner in response to control signals emitted by the infrared remote control device based upon control information received from the infrared receiver. The system enables a physician or technician to control the operation of the MRI scanner and the images produced from within the MRI exam room as needed, for example, during interventional procedures.

In-room mri display terminal and remote control system

A linear variable transformer (LVDT) for use in a transducer. The LVDT has a non-ferromagnetic core which may eliminate Barkhausen noise and thereby improve the sensitivity of the resulting measurements. In one aspect, this system may be used in an atomic force microscope.

Linear variable differential transformers for high precision position measurements

The conversation device of an MR imaging apparatus including a magnet for generating a static magnetic field, a gradient field coil disposed between pole pieces of the magnet and used for endowing an NMR signal with positional information, a high-frequency coil disposed in the gradient field coil for transmitting an electromagnetic wave and for detecting the NMR signal, and a bed disposed in the high-frequency coil for holding a person to be inspected, is disclosed. In this conversation device, a bone conduction microphone insensitive to a magnetic field and surrounding noise is mounted on an auxiliary member (which is used for placing the to-be-inspected person at a predetermined position on the bed) so that the bone conduction microphone can be kept in contact with that part of the to-be-inspected person which can conduct the voice of the to-be-inspected person by a bone.

Conversation device of MR imaging apparatus

There is disclosed a gradient magnetic field coil for use in a magnetic resonance imaging system for imaging an imaginary or virtual cross-section of a desired portion of a subject to be inspected, utilizing a magnetic resonance phenomenon. The gradient magnetic field coil includes a coil bobbin and coil windings fixedly mounted on the coil bobbin. The coil bobbin includes a tubular body portion of a honeycomb construction having a number of vacancies formed in a wall of the tubular body portion, a sheet-like outer peripheral portion of a constrained damping structure fixedly secured to an outer peripheral surface of the body portion to reinforce the body portion, and a sheet-like inner peripheral portion fixedly having at least one layer and secured to an inner peripheral surface of the body portion to reinforce the body portion. The generation and continuation of vibrations in the coil bobbin are controlled or suppressed directly by the coil bobbin itself, thereby minimizing the generation of noise.

Yoshiki Igarashi

Papers

Conversation device of MR imaging apparatus

Gradient magnetic field coil for magnetic resonance imaging system

Magnetic resonance imaging scanner

Silencer for magnetic field gradient coils in a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus