US5277182A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Coronory artery imaging method and apparatus
Assignee: Hitachi Healthcare Manufacturing Ltd
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Filing: 1991-06-24
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Granted: 1994-01-11
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Expires: 2011-06-24
Abstract
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.
Inventors
- 👤 Hideaki Koizumi
- 👤 Ryuzaburo Takeda
- 👤 Hideki Kohno
- 👤 Tetsuo Yokoyama
- 👤 Yoshiyuki Miyamoto
- 👤 Koichi Sano
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 22:21
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/05; A61B5/055; G; G01; G01R; G01R33/00; G01R33/20; G01R33/44; G01R33/48; G01R33/54; G01R33/56; G01R33/563
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
76 words
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.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
76 words
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.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the cardiac cycle of the living body is detected by an electrocardiograph.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining a dilation phase includes determining when a difference between blood velocity in the coronary artery and blood velocity in a left ventricle of the heart is at a maximum.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of imaging the coronary artery.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
137 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of selectively generating a nuclear magnetic resonance signal for enabling imaging of the coronary artery includes applying high frequency energy to the living body in the presence of a magnetic field gradient flow encoding pulse to obtain a first nuclear magnetic resonance signal sensitive to blood flow in the coronary artery when blood flow in a main artery is substantially stationary and applying high-frequency energy to the living body in the presence of a magnetic field gradient flow canceling pulse to obtain a second nuclear magnetic resonance signal which is insensitive to blood flow in the coronary artery and main artery, and obtaining a difference signal of the first and second nuclear magnetic resonance signals as the nuclear magnetic resonance signal for enabling imaging of the coronary artery.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
123 words
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.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
123 words
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.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to claim 6, wherein the component is one of phase, direction, velocity, acceleration, eddy flow, laminar flow, and flow rate of the blood flow in the coronary artery.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 6, wherein the cardiac cycle of the living body is detected by an electrocardiograph.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method according to claim 6, wherein the step of determining a dilation phase includes determining when a difference between blood velocity in the coronary artery and blood velocity in a left ventricle of the heart is at a maximum.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of imaging the coronary artery.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
128 words
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.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
128 words
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.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the cardiac cycle detecting means comprises an electrocardiograph.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
40 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the means for determining a dilation phase further determines when a difference between blood velocity in the coronary artery and blood velocity in a left ventricle of the heart is at a maximum.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
14 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for imaging the coronary artery.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
127 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the means for applying the high-frequency energy applies the high-frequency energy to the living body in the presence of a magnetic field gradient flow encoding pulse to obtain a first nuclear magnetic resonance signal sensitive to blood flow in the coronary artery when blood flow in a main artery is substantially stationary and applies the high-frequency energy to the living body in the presence of a magnetic field gradient flow canceling pulse to obtain a second nuclear magnetic resonance signal which is insensitive to blood flow in the coronary artery and main artery, and obtains a difference signal of the first and second nuclear magnetic resonance signals as the nuclear magnetic resonance signal for enabling imaging of the coronary artery.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
176 words
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.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
176 words
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.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the component is one of phase, direction, velocity, acceleration, eddy flow, laminar flow, and flow rate of the blood flow in the coronary artery.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the cardiac cycle detecting means comprises an electrocardiograph.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
40 words
An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the means for determining a dilation phase further determines when a difference between blood velocity in the coronary artery and blood velocity in a left ventricle of the heart is at a maximum.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
14 words
An apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising means for imaging the coronary artery.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-01-10 | 1997-07-12 | 1998-01-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-01-10 | 2001-07-12 | 2002-01-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-01-10 | 2005-07-12 | 2006-01-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |