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US 4,354,499 AGranted
Apparatus and method for nuclear magnetic resonance scanning and mapping
OwnerRaymond V. Damadianinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved apparatus and method for analyzing the chemical and structural composition of a specimen including whole-body specimens which may include, for example, living mammals, utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. A magnetic field space necessary to obtain an NMR signal characteristic of the chemical structure of the specimen is focused to provide a resonance domain of selectable size, which may then be moved in a pattern with respect to the specimen to scan the specimen.
Claims15
A method of detecting selected nuclei within a specimen utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance pheonomenon comprising:
- (a) providing a nonuniform primary static magnetic field space;
- (b) focusing the primary static magnetic field space by a time-independent shaping of the primary static magnetic field space to provide a three dimensional resonance domain of selectable size wherein the field strength is substantially uniform;
- (c) positioning the specimen such that the resonance domain impinges on the specimen;
- (d) directing oscillating magnetic radiation to the resonance domain such that the magnetic field orientation of the oscillating magnetic radiation is orthogonal to the magnetic field orientation of the primary static magnetic field to cause a nuclear magnetic resonance signal to be generated by selected nuclei within the resonance domain;
- (e) receiving the nuclear magnetic resonance signal generated;
- and
- (f) processing the nuclear magnetic resonance signal to determine a nuclear magnetic resonance value directly which nuclear magnetic resonance valve represents the selected nuclei extant in the resonance domain impringing on the specimen.
4 more elements
A method of detecting selected nuclei within a specimen utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance phenomenon comprising:
- (a) providing a nonuniform primary static magnetic field having a known field configuration with a region of uniformity where the field strength is substantially uniform;
- (b) providing a time-independent focusing static magnetic field having a selectable field configuration with a region of uniformity where the field strength is substantially uniform;
- (c) superimposing the time-independent focusing static magnetic field on the primary static magnetic field such that the respective regions of uniformity coincide to produce a resulting static magnetic field having a three dimensional resonance domain located within a region where the regions of uniformity coincide, the field strength of the resulting static magnetic field within the resonance domain being substantially uniform;
- (d) selecting the field configuration of the time-independent focusing static magnetic field to adjust the size of the resonance domain;
- (e) positioning the specimen such that the resonance domain impinges on the specimen;
- (f) directing oscillating magnetic radiation to the resonance domain such that the magnetic field orientation of the oscillating magnetic radiation is orthogonal to the magnetic field orientation of the resulting static magnetic field to cause a nuclear magnetic resonance signal to be generated;
- (g) receiving the nuclear magnetic resonance signal generated;
- and
- (h) processing the signal to determine a nuclear magnetic resonance value directly which nuclear magnetic resonance valve represents the selected nuclei extant in the resonance domain within the specimen.
6 more elements
Nuclear magnetic induction apparatus for detecting selected nuclei within a specimen comprising:
- (a) means for providing a nonuniform primary static magnetic field space;
- (b) means for focusing the primary static magnetic field space by a time-independent shaping of the primary magnetic field space to provide a three dimensional resonance domain of selectable size wherein the field strength is substantially uniform;
- (c) means for positioning the specimen such that the resonance domain impinges on the specimen;
- (d) means for directing oscillating magnetic radiation to the resonance domain such that the magnetic field orientation of the oscillating magnetic radiation is orthogonal to the magnetic field orientation of the primary static magnetic field to cause a nuclear magnetic signal to be generated by selected nuclei within the resonance domain;
- (e) means for receiving the nuclear magnetic resonance signal generated;
- and
- (f) means for processing the nuclear magnetic resonance signal to determine a nuclear magnetic resonance value directly which nuclear magnetic resonance value represents the selected nuclei extant in the resonance domain impinging on the specimen. PG,37
4 more elements
Nuclear magnetic induction apparatus for detecting the selected nuclei within a specimen comprising:
- (a) means for providing a nonuniform primary static magnetic field having a known field configuration with a region of uniformity where the field strength is substantially uniform;
- (b) means for providing a time-independent focusing static magnetic field having a selectable field configuration with a region of uniformity where the field strength is substantially uniform;
- (c) superimposing the time-independent focusing static magnetic field upon the primary static magnetic field such that the respective regions of uniformity coincide to produce a resulting static magnetic field having a three dimensional resonance domain located within a region where the regions of uniformity coincide, the field strength of the resulting static magnetic field within the resonance domain being substantially uniform;
- (d) means for selecting the field configuration of the time-independent focusing static magnetic field to adjust the size of the resonance domain;
- (e) means for positioning the specimen such that the resonance domain impinges on the specimen;
- (f) means for directing oscillating magnetic radiation to the resonance domain such that the magnetic field orientation of the oscillating magnetic radiation is orthogonal to the magnetic field orientation of the resulting magnetic field to cause a nuclear magnetic resonance signal to be generated;
- (g) receiving the nuclear magnetic signal generated;
- and
- (h) processing the signal to determine a nuclear magnetic resonance value directly which nuclear magnetic resonance value represents the selected nuclei extant in the resonance domain within the specimen.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.