• Journal of Electrical Engineering and information Science
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• v.2 no.6
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• pp.95-105
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• 1997

In this paper, we have studied about design and fabrication of the actively shielded superconducting MRI magnet. Nonlinear optimization methods are usually used to find optimum coil configurations. However the selection of initial coil configurations is very difficult. In case bad initial data are used, it is even impossible to find optimum coil configurations which satisfy predefined constraints. We have developed computer optimization program which consists of two steps. Initial coil configurations are easily selected through linear optimization in the first step and optimum coil configurations are found through nonlinear optimization in the second step. We have also studied about superconducting shim coils to cancel error fields caused by coil fabrication errors. Many researchers published design concepts of shim coil. However all these studies are for shim coil design using filamentary coils with single turn, Shim coils with multi-turns should be used to produce enough field strength to cancel error fields. We have developed computer program for the design of shim coils which have proper thickness and length. An actively shielded superconducting MRI magnet with a small warm bore was fabricated and four sets of superconducting shim coils were equipped. The magnetic field distributions were measured and field correction was carried out using shim coils.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.15-21
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• 2009

Purpose : A method to estimate a real k-space trajectory based on a circuit model of the gradient system is proposed for spiral imaging. The estimated k-space trajectory instead of the ideal trajectory is used in the reconstruction to improve the image quality in the spiral imaging. Materials and Methods : Since the gradient system has self resistance, capacitance, and inductance, as well as the mutual inductance between the magnet and the gradient coils, the generated gradient fields have delays and transient responses compared to the input waveform to the gradient system. The real gradient fields and their trajectory in k-space play an important role in the reconstruction. In this paper, the gradient system is modeled with R-L-C circuits, and real gradient fields are estimated from the input to the model. An experimental method to determine the model parameters (R, L, C values) is also suggested from the quality of the reconstructed image. Results : The gradient fields are estimated from the circuit model of the gradient system at 1.5 Tesla MRI system. The spiral trajectory obtained by the integration of the estimated gradient fields is used for the reconstruction. From experiments, the reconstructed images using the estimated trajectory show improved uniformity, reduced overshoots near the edges, and enhanced resolutions compared to those using the ideal trajectory without model. Conclusion : The gradient system was successfully modeled by the R-L-C circuits. Much improved reconstruction was achieved in the spiral imaging using the trajectory estimated by the proposed model.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.345-351
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• 2014

Purpose: Rapid detection of bacteria is very important in agricultural and food industries to prevent many foodborne illnesses. The objective of this study was to develop a portable nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based system to detect foodborne pathogens (E. coli). This study was focused on developing a method to detect low concentrations of magnetic nanoparticles using NMR techniques. Methods: NMR relaxometry was performed to examine the NMR properties of iron nanoparticle mixtures with different concentrations by using a 1 T permanent magnet magnetic resonance imaging system. Exponential curve fitting (ECF) and inverse Laplace transform (ILT) methods were used to estimate the NMR relaxation time constants, $T_1$ and $T_2$, of guar gum solutions with different iron nanoparticle concentrations (0, $10^{-3}$, $10^{-4}$, $10^{-5}$, $10^{-6}$, and $10^{-7}M$). Results: The ECF and ILT methods did not show much difference in these values. Analysis of the NMR relaxation data showed that the ILT method is comparable to the classical ECF method and is more sensitive to the presence of iron nanoparticles. This study also showed that the spin-spin relaxation time constants acquired by a Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) pulse sequence are more useful for determining the concentration of iron nanoparticle solutions comparwith the spin-lattice relaxation time constants acquired by an inversion recovery pulse sequence. Conclusions: We conclude that NMR relaxometry that utilizes CPMG pulse sequence and ILT analysis is more suitable for detecting foodborne pathogens bound to magnetic nanoparticles in agricultural and food products than using inversion recovery pulse sequence and ECF analysis.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1995.07a
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• pp.144-146
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• 1995

A superconducting 2 tesla MRI magnet for the animal magnetic resonance imaging has been developed as a basic model for the application of the precise supercoducting magnet technology. MRI cryostat with 210mm room temperature bore was designed and manufactured for this magnet. The cryostat was designed basically not only to extract the principal design parameters at the performance test but also for the convenience of the manufacturing. The most extinct feacture of the cryostat is that it does not have $LN_{2}$ tank and the 77K thermal shield is cooled by circuling $LN_{2}$ through copper pipe which is welded around the shield plate. It results in reduction of the total cryostat size(about 30%).

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.124-128
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• 2022

NdFeB magnets have been positioned as the core materials in advanced technologies such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), FA (factory automation system), robot, motors, and so on based on the highest magnetic properties. To effectively improve the refined microstructure, the plastic deformation has been known as the good alternatives by the recrystallization. However, it has been regarded as being impossible because of the few slip systems in the RE-Fe-B magnets at room temperature. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of control of grain refinement and magnetic anisotropy of NdFeB alloy powder by the severe plastic deformation. The NdFeB magnet powder was fabricated by gas atomization process, and the powder was pre-compacted at high temperature. The pre-compacted billets were deformed by HPT (high pressure torsion), and then the deformed billets were observed microstructure and magnetic properties. After the HPT process at room temperature, the grain size decreased with increasing because of the melted Nd-rich phase, and the anisotropy of Nd₂Fe₁₄B phase was formed after the HPT process.

• Proceedings of the KSMRM Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.103-105
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• 2003

After fifteen years of development, Magnetic Resonance (MR) technology for human imaging and spectroscopy is reaching a refined state with FDA approved 3T clinical products from Siemens, GE, and Philips. Broker has cleared CE approval with a 4T system. Varian supports a 4T system platform as well. Shielded magnets are standard at 3T from GE, Oxford, Magnex, and IGC. A shielded 4T whole body magnet is available from Oxford. Stronger switched gradients and dynamic shim coils, desired at any field, areespecially useful at higher static magnetic fields B0. In addition to the higher currents required for higher resolution slice or volume selection afforded by higher SNR, whole body gradient coils will be driven at increasing slew rates to meet the needs of new cardiac applications and other requirements. For example 3T and 4T systems are now being equipped with 2kV, 500A gradient coils and amplifiers capable of generating 4G/cm in 200msec, over a 67+/-cm bore diameter. High field EPI applications require oscillation rates at 1 kHz and higher. To achieve a benchmark 0.2 ppm shim over a 30cm sphere in a high field magnet, at least four stages of shimming need to be considered. 1) A good high field magnet will be built to a homogeneity spec. falling in the range of 100 to 150 ppm over this 30cm spherical "sweet spot" 2) Most modern high field magnets will also have superconducting shim coils capable of finding 1.5 ppm by their adjustment during system installation. 3) Passive ferro-magnetic shimming combined with 4) active, high order room temperature shim coils (as many as five orders are now being recommended) will accomplish 0.2 ppm over the 30cm sphere, and 0.1 ppm over a human brain in even the highest field magnets for human studies. Safety concerns for strong, fast gradients at any B0 field include acoustic noise and peripheral nerve stimulation. One or more of the mechanical decoupling methods may lead to quieter gradients. Patient positioning relative to asymmetric or short gradient coils may limit peripheral nerve stimulation at higher slew rates. Gradient designs combining a short coil for local speed and strength with a longer coil for coverage are being developed for 3T systems. Local gradients give another approach to maximizing performance over a limited region while keeping within the physiologically imposed dB0/dt performance limits.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.385-392
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• 2001

This study Proposes a quadrature-typed inside-out receiver coil to obtain magnetic resonance(MR) images of lumen wall. This means that the coil should receive the signals from out-side of receiver coil. This coil has wide and uniform sensitive region to compare with previous coils such as anti-solenoid coil, octal-pole coil and so on. These coils have the disadvantages that sensitive region is narrow and inhomogenous. The proposed coil is consist of two saddle coils of which directions are orthogonal to one another. The sensitivity maps of octal-Pole coil single-saddle coil and quadrature-typed inside-out coil were obtained by computer simulation. And phantom images for each coil were obtained to evaluate the performances of the coil using both 1.5T superconducting and 0.3 Permanent magnet MRI system. The uniformity of quadrature coil's sensitivity map was superior to that of octal-polel coil. Experimentally measured SNR of quadrature coil is also 36% higher than that of single-saddle coil This study shows the possibility of quadrature-typed inside-out receiver coil for the MR lumen wall images.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1999.07a
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• pp.211-213
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• 1999

This paper describes a new method for source current optimization of the electromagnetic devices. In a conventional method of current distribution optimization using design sensitivity based on a finite element method, position and width of coils are generally optimized under condition that shape of those is given. they cannot find the global minimum because the number of coils is pre-determined. To avoid this local minimum, source current region which is discretized uniformly is considered as design parameter. This discretized regions have zero or one current value during the optimization process. The proposed method is applied to magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) magnet.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.142-147
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• 2008

Purpose : By using the micro-imaging unit modified from NMR spectrometer, the high resolution MRI protocols of finer than 100 micron in 5 minutes, is sought for mouse, which plays a central role in animal studies Materials and Methods : C57BL/6 mouse, lighter than 50 gram, is used for the experiments. The superconducting magnet is vertical type with 89 mm inner diameter at 4.9 Tesla. The diameter of rf-coil is 30 mm. Mostly used techniques are the fast spin echo and the gradient echo pulse sequence. Results : For 2D images, proton density and T2 weighted images are obtained and their optimum experimental variables were sought. Minute structure of mouse brain can be recognized and 3D brain image is also obtained additionally. 3D image will be useful particularly for the dynamic contrast study using various contrast agents. Conclusion : Like the case of human and other small animals, the high resolution of mouse brain is enough to recognize the minute structure of it. Recently, similar studies are reported domestically, but it seems only a beginning stage. Due to easiness of breeding/control, mouse MRI study will soon play a vital part in brain study.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1993 no.05
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• pp.28-30
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• 1993

We have investigated the feasibility study, especially for optimal TR, to obtain 3-D MR neurographic imaging (neurograms or nervography) which shows the distribution of peripheral nerve fibers at the human forearm using 4.7 T magnet. To peform a successful formation of MR neurographic imaging, nerve signal should be separated from the other signal comes from surrounding muscle or fat, because nerves are usually embeded in muscle or fat. Generally, it is well known that nerve has shoter T1 value than that of muscle. Thus, repetition time was optimized to maximize the signal intensity defference between the muscel and nerve. We have also used spin-echo(SE) sequence with long echo time($60{\sim}90\;msec$) to enhance the different signal intensity between muscles and pheriperal nerves base on the fact that muscle tissue has longer T2 relaxation lime than that or nerve.