Coronory artery imaging method and apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for enabling imaging of a coronary artery of a living body using nuclear magnetic resonance, comprising the steps of:
- locating the living body in a magnetic field;
detecting a cardiac cycle of the living body;
determining a dilation phase of a heart of the living body on the basis of the detected cardiac cycle; and
selectively generating a nuclear magnetic resonance signal for enabling imaging of the coronary artery during the determined dilation phase.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for imaging the coronary artery of a living body using nuclear magnetic resonance, wherein a patient is located in a static magneic field and the heart cycle of the patient is detected with the heart dilation period of the patient being determined in accordance with the detected heart cycle. Then, the coronary artery of the patient is portrayed on the nuclear magnetic resonance signal generated by applying high-frequency energy to the patient during the determined heart dilation period.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method for enabling imaging of a coronary artery of a living body using nuclear magnetic resonance, comprising the steps of:
-
locating the living body in a magnetic field; detecting a cardiac cycle of the living body; determining a dilation phase of a heart of the living body on the basis of the detected cardiac cycle; and selectively generating a nuclear magnetic resonance signal for enabling imaging of the coronary artery during the determined dilation phase. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A method for enabling imaging of a coronary artery of a living body using nuclear magnetic resonance, comprising the steps of:
-
locating the living body in a static magnetic field; detecting a cardiac cycle of the living body; determining a dilation phase of a heart of the living body on the basis of the detected cardiac cycle; generating first and second nuclear magnetic resonance signals during the determined dilation phase, the first nuclear magnetic resonance signal having a component depending on blood flow in the coronary artery, the component being substantially absent from the second nuclear magnetic resonance signal; and determining a difference between the first and second nuclear magnetic resonance signals for obtaining a signal for enabling imaging of the coronary artery. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. An apparatus for enabling imaging of a coronary artery of a living body using nuclear magnetic resonance, comprising:
-
means for generating a static magnetic field; means for applying a magnetic field gradient to the living body in the presence of the static magnetic field; means for generating high-frequency energy; means for detecting a cardiac cycle of the living body; means responsive to the cardiac cycle detecting means for determining a dilation phase of a heart of the living body on the basis of the detected cardiac cycle; and means for applying the high-frequency energy to the living body in the presence of the magnetic field gradient during the determined dilation phase so as to selectively generate a nuclear magnetic resonance signal for enabling imaging of the coronary artery. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. An apparatus for enabling a coronary artery of a living body using nuclear magnetic resonance, comprising:
-
means for generating a static magnetic field; means for applying a magnetic field gradient to the living body in the presence of the static magnetic field; means for generating high-frequency energy; means for detecting a cardiac cycle of the living body; means responsive to the cardiac cycle detecting means for determining a dilation phase of a heart of the living body on the basis oft he detected cardiac cycle; means for applying the high-frequency energy to the living body in the presence of the magnetic field gradient during the determined dilation phase so as to generate first and second nuclear magnetic resonance signals, the first nuclear magnetic resonance signal having a component depending on blood flow in the coronary artery, the component being substantially absent from the second nuclear magnetic resonance signal; and means for determining a difference between the first and second nuclear magnetic resonance signals so as to obtain a signal for enabling imaging of the coronary artery. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification