Patent classifications
G01R33/34015
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING SYSTEM WITH PROTECTION FROM OVERHEATING
A magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, system (2), comprises MRI electronics, including a transmitting coil (11) for transmitting radio frequency, RF, signals and a receiving coil (12) for receiving RF signals; and/or a transmitting/receiving coil (3) for transmitting and receiving RF signals; and cables (22), connecting the transmitting coil (11), receiving coil (12) and/or transmitting/receiving coil (3) to other electronic elements. The MRI system (2) further comprises an overheating detection unit to detect potential overheating of a patient's (1) tissue and/or a part of the MRI system (2) caused by at least one part of the MRI electronics; and a distance unit (16), wherein the distance unit (16) comprises a gas chamber (5), to be arranged between the at least one part of the MRI electronics and the patient (1) and/or between the at least one part of the MRI electronics and the part of the MRI system (2) and adapted to be filled with a gas such that a distance between the patient (1) and the part of the MRI electronics and/or between the part of the MRI system (2) and the part of the MRI electronics increases when the gas chamber (5) is filled with the gas, wherein the gas chamber (5) is in a deflated state when no significant overheating is detected, and an inflation unit (15) to fill the gas chamber (5) with the gas, wherein the overheating detection unit and the distance unit (16) are interconnected such that the inflation unit (15) fills the gas chamber (5) with the gas to increase the distance between the patient (1) and the part of the MRI electronics and/or between the part of the MRI system (2) and the part of the MRI electronics if the overheating detection unit detects significant overheating of the patients (1) tissue and/or the part of the MRI system (2).
Magnetic resonance imaging system with infrared thermometry sensors
A magnetic resonance imaging system (100, 300) for acquiring magnetic resonance data (142) from a subject (118) within an imaging zone (108) includes a magnetic resonance imaging antenna (113, 113′) comprising having multiple loop antenna elements (114, 114′) with multiple infrared thermometry sensors (115, 115′). The magnetic resonance imaging antenna is configured for being positioned adjacent to an external surface (119) of the subject and at least a portion of the multiple infrared thermometry sensors are directed towards the external surface. The magnetic resonance imaging system further includes a memory (134, 136) containing machine executable instructions (150, 152) and pulse sequence instructions (140). The machine executable instructions causes a processor controlling the system to: acquire (200) the magnetic resonance data by controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system with the pulse sequence instructions; repeatedly (202) measure at least one surface temperature (146) of the subject with the multiple infrared thermometry sensors during acquisition of the magnetic resonance data; and perform (204) a predefined action if the at least one surface temperature is above a predefined temperature.
Apparatus and method for tuning the permittivity of ultrahigh dielectric constant materials in an RF coil for MR imaging
An apparatus for transmitting and receiving radiofrequency (RF) signals in a magnetic resonance imaging system for proton and X-nuclear imaging includes at least one radiofrequency (RF) coil and an ultrahigh dielectric constant material incorporated within the at least one RF coil. The permittivity of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material depends on a temperature of the material and is tunable. The apparatus also includes a temperature controller that is thermally coupled to the ultrahigh dielectric constant material. The temperature controller is configured to control a temperature of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material to tune and optimize the permittivity of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material. A chemical structure and composition of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material is selected to control and optimize the permittivity and a dielectric loss of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material and a temperature dependence of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material. The apparatus provides denoising effect, high RF coil transmission and reception efficiencies, and improved signal-to-noise ratio for magnetic resonance or spectroscopic imaging applications and has a potential to advance clinical imaging for diagnosis.
Parallel MR imaging with spectral fat suppression
A magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique enables parallel imaging in combination with fat suppression at an increased image quality, notably in combination with EPI. The method includes acquiring reference MR signal data from the object in a pre-scan and acquiring imaging MR signal data from the object in parallel via one or more receiving coils having different spatial sensitivity profiles. The MR signal data are acquired with sub-sampling of k-space and with spectral fat suppression and an MR image is reconstructed from the imaging MR signal data. Sub-sampling artefacts are eliminated using sensitivity maps indicating the spatial sensitivity profiles of the two or more RF receiving coils. A B.sub.0 map is derived from the reference MR signal data and the spatial dependence of the effectivity of the spectral fat suppression is determined using the Bo map. In the image reconstruction step, signal contributions from water and fat are separated using regularisation taking the spatial dependence of the effectivity of the spectral fat suppression into account.
OPTIMIZATION OF A CHRONOLOGICAL SEQUENCE IN AN MR CONTROL SEQUENCE
Method for optimizing a chronological sequence in an MR control sequence according to which a magnetic resonator having a gradient coil unit including first and second gradient coils and a cooling layer is controllable. The MR control sequence has a first and second sequence modules configured to control the first and second gradient coils, respectively. The method comprises detecting a property including a cooling power of the cooling layer for the first gradient coil or the second gradient coil, or a feature which is representative of a chronologically preceding use of the gradient coil unit; determining a first requirement of the first sequence module on the first gradient coil; determining a second requirement of the second sequence module on the second gradient coil; and optimizing the chronological sequence in the first and second sequence module by taking into account the property and the first and second requirements.
Non-invasive sample-interrogation device
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an interrogation device that is operable to apply one or more source signals to one or more coils surrounding a volume, where a material is disposed within the volume. Each of the one or more source signals may excite one of the one or more coils, and the behavior of each the one or more coils responsive to the exciting may be monitored. One or more parameters may be determined based on the behavior of each the one or more coils, and the one or more parameters may be utilized to generate a signature for the material within the volume. The signature may be compared to one or more signatures of known materials to identify the material within the volume.
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TUNING THE PERMITTIVITY OF ULTRAHIGH DIELECTRIC CONSTANT MATERIALS IN AN RF COIL FOR MR IMAGING
An apparatus for transmitting and receiving radiofrequency (RF) signals in a magnetic resonance imaging system for proton and X-nuclear imaging includes at least one radiofrequency (RF) coil and an ultrahigh dielectric constant material incorporated within the at least one RF coil. The permittivity of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material depends on a temperature of the material and is tunable. The apparatus also includes a temperature controller that is thermally coupled to the ultrahigh dielectric constant material. The temperature controller is configured to control a temperature of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material to tune and optimize the permittivity of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material. A chemical structure and composition of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material is selected to control and optimize the permittivity and a dielectric loss of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material and a temperature dependence of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material. The apparatus provides denoising effect, high RF coil transmission and reception efficiencies, and improved signal-to-noise ratio for magnetic resonance or spectroscopic imaging applications and has a potential to advance clinical imaging for diagnosis.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AN ABDOMINAL RADIO FREQUENCY COIL FOR MR IMAGING
Various systems and methods are provided for radio frequency coil assemblies for a magnetic resonance imaging system. In one example, a method comprises: flowing air through a plurality of airflow passages formed in a radio frequency (RF) coil assembly for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system; and receiving magnetic resonance (MR) signals from an RF coil array of the RF coil assembly, wherein the RF coil array comprises a plurality of RF coil elements, each RF coil element having a loop portion which comprises two distributed capacitance wire conductors encapsulated and separated by a dielectric material.
Magnetic resonance signal detection module
A magnetic resonance signal detection module includes an insulator block having a coil mounting section including a through hole serving as a detection hole into which a sample container is inserted. A low-frequency coil is provided on an inner surface of the through hole. A high-frequency primary resonator is embedded in the coil mounting section so as to surround the low-frequency coil.
RADIO FREQUENCY COIL ASSEMBLIES FOR MAGNETIC RESONANANCE IMAGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MAKING THEM
A radio frequency coil assembly for an MRI system. A support structure extends between a first end and a second end in a first direction and between an inner surface and an opposite outer surface in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The support structure has channels that extend into the support structure in the second direction. An RF coil is configured to transmit and/or receive RF signals. The RF coil is supported by the outer surface of the support structure. The channels are at least partially positioned between the support structure and the RF coil in the first direction and are configured to convey a cooling medium to cool the support structure in use.