Magnetic resonance system and method employing a digital SQUID
First Claim
1. A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising:
- at least one magnetic flux antenna configured to transduce a radio-frequency magnetic flux from an object under examination to an electronic signal;
at least one digital flux detector configured to sample the electronic signal from the at least one magnetic flux antenna at a rate of at least 1 giga-samples per second to produce a sampled digital datastream; and
at least one image processor configured to receive the sampled digital datastream and to produce an image representation thereof.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A magnetic resonance system, comprising at least one SQUID, configured to receive a radio frequency electromagnetic signal, in a circuit configured to produce a pulsatile output having a minimum pulse frequency of at least 1 GHz which is analyzed in a processor with respect to a timebase, to generate a digital signal representing magnetic resonance information. The processor may comprise at least one rapid single flux quantum circuit. The magnetic resonance information may be image information. A plurality of SQUIDs may be provided, fed by a plurality of antennas in a spatial array, to provide parallel data acquisition. A broadband excitation may be provided to address a range of voxels per excitation cycle. The processor may digitally compensate for magnetic field inhomogeneities.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising:
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at least one magnetic flux antenna configured to transduce a radio-frequency magnetic flux from an object under examination to an electronic signal; at least one digital flux detector configured to sample the electronic signal from the at least one magnetic flux antenna at a rate of at least 1 giga-samples per second to produce a sampled digital datastream; and at least one image processor configured to receive the sampled digital datastream and to produce an image representation thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A magnetic resonance imaging method comprising:
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transducing a radio-frequency magnetic flux from an object under examination to at least one magnetic flux antenna to generate an electronic signal; sampling the electronic signal received from the at least one magnetic flux antenna at a rate of at least 1 giga-samples per second with at least one digital flux detector to produce a sampled digital datastream; and processing the sampled digital datastream to produce at least image information. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising:
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a plurality of magnetic flux antennas configured to transduce a radio-frequency magnetic flux from an object under examination to an electronic signal; at least one digital flux detector configured to sample the electronic signals received from the plurality of magnetic flux antennas, each electronic signal being sampled at a rate of at least 1 giga-samples per second to produce at least one sampled digital datastream; a magnetic field generator configured to generate a time-varying magnetic field which varies in time and space within at least a portion of the object under examination; at least one processor configured to control the magnetic field generator, and to receive and process the at least one sampled digital datastream to calculate at least one mathematical transform and produce image information; and at least one memory configured to store the image information, wherein the at least one digital flux detector comprises a superconductor which is proximate to the magnetic field generator and magnetically shielded from the time-varying magnetic field. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification