US5581183A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method for the operation of a magnetic resonance apparatus
Assignee: Siemens AG
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Filing: 1995-09-29
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Granted: 1996-12-03
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Expires: 2015-09-29
Abstract
Abstract In a method for operating a magnetic resonance apparatus, having a radio frequency system for transmitting radio frequency excitation pulses and/or for receiving magnetic resonance signals and a gradient system for generating temporally variable, magnetic gradient fields the excitation pulses and gradient fields are activated dependent on time-variant signals. The time-variant signals are made available in the form of discrete signal values. Each discrete signal value of at least one signal is generated by a virtual machine by processing a virtual machine program.
Inventors
- 👤 Werner Lindstedt
- 👤 Georg Pirkl
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 19:15
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01R; G01R33/00; G01R33/20; G01R33/44; G01R33/48; G01R33/54; G01R33/543
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
91 words
A method for operating a magnetic resonance apparatus having a radio-frequency system for transmitting radio-frequency excitation pulses and for receiving magnetic resonance signals from a subject arising from said radio-frequency excitation pulses, and a gradient system for generating chronologically variable, magnetic gradient fields, comprising the steps of: activating said radio-frequency system and said gradient system dependent on time-variant signals containing discrete signal values; and generating each discrete signal value of at least one of said time-variant signals in a virtual machine by processing a virtual machine program in said virtual machine.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
91 words
A method for operating a magnetic resonance apparatus having a radio-frequency system for transmitting radio-frequency excitation pulses and for receiving magnetic resonance signals from a subject arising from said radio-frequency excitation pulses, and a gradient system for generating chronologically variable, magnetic gradient fields, comprising the steps of: activating said radio-frequency system and said gradient system dependent on time-variant signals containing discrete signal values; and generating each discrete signal value of at least one of said time-variant signals in a virtual machine by processing a virtual machine program in said virtual machine.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
59 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of activating said radio-frequency system and said gradient system dependent on time-variant signals comprises generating control signals and function signals for activating said radio-frequency system and said gradient system, and generating said function signals to describe a chronological curve for each of said excitation pulses and said gradient fields.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising the additional step of generating acoustic signals by said virtual machine by processing said virtual machine program.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the step of generating acoustic signals comprises generating voice signals.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
76 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of generating each discrete signal value of at least one time-variant signal in said virtual machine by processing said virtual machine program comprises: identifying a time grid having a plurality of time grid points; forming internal signal values which change from time grid point-to-time grid point; and emitting output signal values, dependent on said internal signal values, which are unaltered from time grid point-to-time grid point.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of generating each discrete signal value of at least one time-variant signal in said virtual machine by processing said virtual machine program comprises emitting said discrete signal values as an output in the form of a plurality of time grids.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as claimed in claim 6 comprising the additional steps of: generating each time grid by a respective controllable clock generator supplied with control information; and generating the control information for each clock generator in said virtual machine by processing said virtual machine program.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as claimed in claim 7 comprising the additional step of intermediately storing said control information in a buffer memory.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising the additional step of intermediately storing each discrete signal value of said at least one signal in a buffer memory.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as claimed in claim 9 comprising the additional step of forming said buffer memory in said virtual machine.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as claimed in claim 10 comprising the additional step of organizing said buffer memory in said virtual machine according to the first in, first out principle.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as claimed in claim 9 comprising the additional steps of: writing said discrete signal values into said buffer memory with respectively different write pointers; and reading said discrete signal values out of said buffer memory with a common read pointer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method as claimed in claim 9 comprising the additional steps of: writing said discrete signal values into said buffer memory with a write pointer shared by all of said discrete signal values; and reading said signal values out of said buffer memory with respectively different read pointers.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as claimed in claim 9 comprising the additional step of: controlling output of said discrete signal values from said buffer memory with a control module.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as claimed in claim 14 comprising the additional step of employing a DMA controller as said control module.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as claimed in claim 14 comprising the additional step of employing an interrupt controller as said control module.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as claimed in claim 14 comprising the additional step of storing selected data preceding said discrete signal values in said buffer memory dependent on a temporal relation in a time grid between said selected information and said discrete signal values.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as claimed in claim 14 comprising the additional step of storing selected data following said discrete signal values in said buffer memory dependent on a temporal relation in a time grid between said selected information and said discrete signal values.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
74 words
A method as claimed in claim I wherein the step of activating said radio-frequency system and said gradient system dependent on time-variant signals comprises activating said radio-frequency system and said gradient system dependent on a plurality of function signals, and comprising the additional step of: operating said virtual machine as an interpreter for an instruction with which at least two different ones of said function signals are superimposed to form a new function signal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
90 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of activating said radio-frequency system and said gradient system dependent on time-variant signals comprises activating said radio-frequency system and said gradient system dependent on a plurality of function signals, and comprising the additional steps of: operating said virtual machine as an interpreter for an instruction with which respective signal values of three of said function signals are multiplied with a rotational matrix to obtain a multiplication result; and storing said multiplication result in a buffer memory as a resultant vector.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
71 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of activating said radio-frequency system and said gradient system dependent on time-variant signals comprises activating said radio-frequency system and said gradient system dependent on a plurality of function signals, and comprising the additional steps of: operating said virtual machine as an interpreter for an instruction with which respective signal values of at least three of said function values are simultaneously stored.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
85 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of activating said radio-frequency system and said gradient system dependent on time-variant signals comprises activating said radio-frequency system and said gradient system dependent on a plurality of function signals, and comprising the additional steps of: operating said virtual machine as an interpreter for an instruction for loading a register from a table, said table having a table header with an index; and simultaneously updating said index of said table header upon loading of said register.
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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) | 1999-12-03 | 2000-06-03 | 2000-12-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-12-03 | 2004-06-03 | 2004-12-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-12-03 | 2008-06-03 | 2008-12-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |