An ambulance-compatible magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system for on-site emergency diagnosis includes a mid-field super-conducting head-only magnet including a bore and an active shield arranged relative to the magnet, a passive shield arranged relative to the magnet, the passive shield including a first flange arranged adjacent to a first side of the magnet bore, a second flange arranged adjacent to a second side of the magnet bore, wherein the first flange and the second flange are electrically connected to each other, and wherein the passive shield is operative to capture flux extending out from the magnet bore and return the flux to the magnet. An asymmetric head gradient assembly for generating magnetic gradient field in the mid-field super-conducting magnet is also provided, the magnetic gradient field being between 100-150 mT/m or having a slew rate between 400-800 T/m/s. The MRI system includes a receiver coil and a controller operatively coupled to the receive coil, the controller configured to produce an image based on data obtained from the receive coil. The MRI system is mountable in an ambulance vehicle.

The invention relates to an MRI apparatus and a method of MRI involving the acquisition of a first and a second MRI image with mutually different orientations between the BO magnetic field and the object to be investigated. For instance, when imaging structures such as a tendon, due to the magic angle effect, this results in a change in image contrast. According to the invention, a coregistration can be performed between the first and the second MRI image. Moreover, the orientation of a structure within the object can be determined on the basis of the different orientations and the image intensity in the first and the second MRI image. The invention further discloses an apparatus for carrying out the method and a method of shimming the BO magnetic field of the apparatus.

A system for minimizing MGI in a superconducting magnet system of an MRI system includes a thermal shield having bi-metal material. The thermal shield is configured to be disposed about a cold mass of the superconducting magnet system, wherein the bi-metal material is configured to minimize MGI.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems and methods, involving: a main magnet configured to generate a magnet field for MRI; a transmit radio frequency (RF) coil assembly configured to transmit an RF pulse into a portion of a subject; an RF coil assembly configured to, in response to the an RF pulse, receive MR signals emitted from the portion of the subject; and a gradient coil assembly having coil windings arranged in a radial layer and a first set of electrical connectors embedded in the radial layer to reduce a radial extent occupied by the gradient coil assembly, an electrical connector in the first set of electrical connectors configured to cross over a portion of the coil windings in the radial layer, the first set of electrical connectors configured to drive the coil windings with a current sufficient to generate a perturbation in the magnet field such that the MR signals encode an MR image based on the perturbation, and the radial layer having a depressed area configured to radially constrain the electrical connector.

In a method for performing a magnetic resonance measurement of an organ structure of a patient using a magnetic resonance imaging system adapted to the imaging of the organ structure: a correct positioning of the organ structure of the patient is ascertained, a correct positioning of the magnetic resonance imaging system with regard to the positioning of the organ structure of the patient is ascertained, a magnetic resonance scanning protocol is selected, a spatial coverage of the magnetic resonance measurement with regard to the organ structure to be imaged is adjusted, and the magnetic resonance measurement is performed to acquire magnetic resonance image data of the organ structure.

An MR measuring assembly (3) with an MR device (2) is provided, which has a main magnet (4) generating a stray magnetic field and a platform (1), having a side border (5), on which the MR device (2) is placed. The border (5) marks an iso-contour surface of the stray field at a specified magnetic field strength. The platform (1) therefore forms a natural barrier that prevents people or objects being exposed to magnetic field strengths that are too high. To this end provision is additionally made, in accordance with the invention, for a step (15) for the marking of an iso-contour surface of a stray magnetic field of an MR device (2) at a specified magnetic field to be used.

In a superconducting coil used in an MRI apparatus, it is necessary to arrange a superconducting wire at a desired position to obtain a desired coil shape in order to obtain a temporally stable static electromagnetic field with high strength and high uniformity. A superconducting coil includes a winding frame, a spacer disposed on an outer periphery of winding frame and including a winding groove having a spiral shape and a communication groove provided between winding grooves, and includes a coil group having a superconducting wire wound in winding groove. It is therefore possible to obtain superconducting coil having a desired coil shape.

According to some aspects, an apparatus is provided comprising a deployable guard device, configured to be coupled to a portable medical imaging device, the deployable guard device further configured to, when deployed, inhibit encroachment within a physical boundary with respect to the portable medical imaging device. According to some aspects, an apparatus is provided comprising a deployable guard device, configured to be coupled to a portable magnetic resonance imaging system, the deployable guard device further configured to, when deployed, demarcate a boundary within which a magnetic field strength of a magnetic field generated by the portable magnetic resonance imaging system equals or exceeds a given threshold.

Techniques are disclosed with respect to the manufacture of formerless, multi-coil, cylindrical superconducting magnets, and a formerless, multi-coil, cylindrical superconducting magnet structure as may be formed by such techniques.

According to some aspects, a magnetic resonance imaging system capable of imaging a patient is provided. The magnetic resonance imaging system comprising at least one BO magnet to produce a magnetic field to contribute to a BO magnetic field for the magnetic resonance imaging system and a member configured to engage with a releasable securing mechanism of a radio frequency coil apparatus, the member attached to the magnetic resonance imaging system at a location so that, when the member is engaged with the releasable securing mechanism of the radio frequency coil apparatus, the radio frequency coil apparatus is secured to the magnetic resonance imaging system substantially within an imaging region of the magnetic resonance imaging system.