Thomas E Lowery

US Patent:

8570035, Oct 29, 2013

Filed:

Dec 12, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/747488

Inventors:

David Wemmer - Berkeley CA, US
Alexander Pines - Berkeley CA, US
Louis Bouchard - Los Angeles CA, US
Shoujun Xu - Houston TX, US
Elad Harel - Chicago IL, US
Dmitry Budker - El Cerrito CA, US
Thomas Lowery - Berkeley CA, US
Micah Ledbetter - Oakland CA, US

Assignee:

The Regents of the University of California - Oakland CA

International Classification:

G01V 3/00

US Classification:

324309

Abstract:

A novel approach to magnetic resonance imaging is disclosed. Blood flowing through a living system is prepolarized, and then encoded. The polarization can be achieved using permanent or superconducting magnets. The polarization may be carried out upstream of the region to be encoded or at the place of encoding. In the case of an MRI of a brain, polarization of flowing blood can be effected by placing a magnet over a section of the body such as the heart upstream of the head. Alternatively, polarization and encoding can be effected at the same location. Detection occurs at a remote location, using a separate detection device such as an optical atomic magnetometer, or an inductive Faraday coil. The detector may be placed on the surface of the skin next to a blood vessel such as a jugular vein carrying blood away from the encoded region.

US Patent:

20070205767, Sep 6, 2007

Filed:

Nov 27, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/563537

Inventors:

Shoujun Xu - Berkeley CA, US
Thomas Lowery - Belmont MA, US
Dmitry Budker - El Cerrito CA, US
Valeriy Yashchuk - Richmond CA, US
David Wemmer - Berkeley CA, US
Alexander Pines - Berkeley CA, US

International Classification:

G01V 3/00

US Classification:

324304000, 324301000, 324307000

Abstract:

A laser-based atomic magnetometer (LBAM) apparatus measures magnetic fields, comprising: a plurality of polarization detector cells to detect magnetic fields; a laser source optically coupled to the polarization detector cells; and a signal detector that measures the laser source after being coupled to the polarization detector cells, which may be alkali cells. A single polarization cell may be used for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) by prepolarizing the nuclear spins of an analyte, encoding spectroscopic and/or spatial information, and detecting NMR signals from the analyte with a laser-based atomic magnetometer to form NMR spectra and/or magnetic resonance images (MRI). There is no need of a magnetic field or cryogenics in the detection step, as it is detected through the LBAM.