MAGNETIC RESONANCE LOCAL COIL HAVING ROTATABLE CONNECTION CABLE

Abstract

A magnetic resonance (MR) local coil and a magnetic resonance apparatus are disclosed. The MR local coil includes an antenna unit having at least one antenna for receiving and/or transmitting high frequency (HF) signals; a connection cable for connecting the MR local coil to a magnetic resonance apparatus; and a two-dimensional, (e.g., ribbon-shaped), transmission element for transmitting energy, (e.g., electrical energy), and/or signals, (e.g., electrical and/or optical signals), between the connection cable and the antenna unit. In this case, the transmission element is at least in part arranged about an axis of rotation in a spiral manner.

Claims

1. A magnetic resonance (MR) local coil comprising: an antenna unit having at least one antenna configured to receive and/or transmit high frequency (HF) signals; a connection cable configured to connect the MR local coil to a magnetic resonance apparatus; and a two-dimensional transmission element configured to transmit energy and/or signals between the connection cable and the antenna unit, wherein the two-dimensional transmission element is at least in part arranged about an axis of rotation in a spiral-shaped arrangement.

2. The MR local coil of claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional transmission element comprises a flexible circuit board and/or a two-dimensional ribbon cable.

3. The MR local coil of claim 1, wherein the antenna unit comprises multiple antennas, and wherein the two-dimensional transmission element comprises multiple electrical and/or optical conductors arranged adjacent to one another in order to transmit signals of the multiple antennas.

4. The MR local coil of claim 1, wherein the antenna unit is two-dimensional.

5. The MR local coil of claim 1, wherein the antenna unit is flexible.

6. The MR local coil of claim 1, further comprising: a housing having a first housing part and a second housing part, wherein the two-dimensional transmission element is arranged in the housing, and wherein the second housing part is configured to be rotated relative to the first housing part about the axis of rotation.

7. The MR local coil of claim 6, wherein the housing comprises a tongue and groove connection, and wherein the second housing part is configured to be guided relative to the first housing part by the tongue and groove connection in a rotatable manner about the axis of rotation.

8. The MR local coil of claim 7, wherein the housing further comprises a stop and/or a limiting element arranged within the spiral-shaped arrangement of the two-dimensional transmission element, and wherein the stop is configured to limit a rotational range about the axis of rotation.

9. The MR local coil of claim 8, further comprising: a rigid-flexible circuit board, wherein the two-dimensional transmission element is a flexible part of the rigid-flexible circuit board, wherein the rigid-flexible circuit board comprises a first rigid part connected by a first connection to the first housing part, and wherein the rigid-flexible circuit board comprises a second rigid part connected by a second connection to the second housing part.

10. The MR local coil of claim 9, wherein the first connection and/or the second connection is/are configured in a detachable manner.

11. The MR local coil of claim 6, wherein the housing comprises a stop and/or a limiting element arranged within the spiral-shaped arrangement of the two-dimensional transmission element, and wherein the stop is configured to limit a rotational range about the axis of rotation.

12. The MR local coil of claim 6, further comprising: a rigid-flexible circuit board, wherein the two-dimensional transmission element is a flexible part of the rigid-flexible circuit board, wherein the rigid-flexible circuit board comprises a first rigid part connected by a first connection to the first housing part, and wherein the rigid-flexible circuit board comprises a second rigid part connected by a second connection to the second housing part.

13. The MR local coil of claim 12, wherein the first connection and/or the second connection is/are configured in a detachable manner.

14. The MR local coil of claim 6, wherein the first housing part and/or the second housing part comprises a gap that extends perpendicular to the axis of rotation, and wherein the two-dimensional transmission element is guided through the gap.

15. The MR local coil of claim 6, wherein the housing comprises a guiding element, and wherein at least a part of the two-dimensional transmission element is arranged in a spiral manner about the axis of rotation is arranged in the guiding element and is guided by the guiding element.

16. The MR local coil of claim 1, wherein the spiral-shaped arrangement of the two-dimensional transmission element has a first end and a second end around the axis of rotation, and wherein the two-dimensional transmission element is angled at the first end and/or at the second end.

17. The MR local coil of claim 16, wherein the two-dimensional transmission element is angled at the first end and/or the second end by 90 °.

18. A magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus comprising: at least one MR local coil having: an antenna unit having at least one antenna configured to receive and/or transmit high frequency (HF) signals; a connection cable configured to connect the MR local coil to a magnetic resonance apparatus; and a two-dimensional transmission element configured to transmit energy and/or signals between the connection cable and the antenna unit, wherein the two-dimensional transmission element is at least in part arranged about an axis of rotation in a spiral-shaped arrangement.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Further advantages, features, and details of the disclosure are provided in the exemplary embodiments that are described below and also with reference to the drawings. Parts that correspond to one another are provided with the same reference characters in all the figures.

[0045] FIG. 1 depicts an example of a magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus having an MR local coil in a schematic representation.

[0046] FIGS. 2-3 depict an example of an arrangement having a transmission element for transmitting energy and/or signals between a connection cable and an antenna unit of the MR local coil.

[0047] FIG. 4 depicts an example of a transmission element in a rolled-out state.

[0048] FIG. 5 depicts an example of a transmission element in spiral shape in a first rotation state.

[0049] FIG. 6 depicts an example of a transmission element in spiral shape in a second rotation state.

[0050] FIG. 7 depicts an example of an element of the arrangement having a gap in which the transmission element is guided.

[0051] FIG. 8 depicts an example of an intermediate housing for receiving the transmission element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] A magnetic resonance apparatus 10 is illustrated schematically having an MR local coil 100 that is arranged on a patient 15. The magnetic resonance apparatus 10 includes a magnet unit 11 that has a main magnet 12 for generating an intense and in particular temporally constant main magnetic field 13. Moreover, the magnetic resonance apparatus 10 includes a patient receiving region 14 for receiving the patient 15. The patient receiving region 14 in the present exemplary embodiment is designed in a cylindrical manner and is surrounded in a peripheral direction in a cylindrical manner by the magnet unit 11. Fundamentally, however, a design of the patient receiving region 14 that differs from this is possible. The patient 15 may be pushed into the patient receiving region 14 by a patient positioning apparatus 16 of the magnetic resonance apparatus 10. The patient positioning apparatus 16 in this regard has a patient table 17 that is configured as movable within the patient receiving region 14.

[0053] The magnet unit 11 furthermore has a gradient coil unit 18 for generating magnetic field gradients that are used for a location encoding during imaging. The gradient coil unit 18 is controlled by a gradient control unit 19 of the magnetic resonance apparatus 10. The magnet unit 11 furthermore includes a high frequency antenna unit 20 that in the present exemplary embodiment is configured as a body coil that is fixedly integrated into the magnetic resonance apparatus 10. The high frequency antenna unit 20 is controlled by a high frequency antenna control unit 21 of the magnetic resonance apparatus 10 and radiates magnetic resonance sequences in the form of high frequency (HF) signals into an examination space that is formed from a patient receiving region 14 of the magnetic resonance apparatus 10. As a consequence, an excitation of atomic nuclei is set by the main magnetic field 13 that is generated by the main magnet 12. Magnetic resonance signals that are in turn HF signals are generated by relaxation of the excited atomic nuclei. The high frequency antenna unit 20 is configured to receive magnetic resonance signals. Moreover, the MR local coil includes an antenna unit 120 having antennas that are likewise configured to receive and/or to transmit HF signals. Advantageously, the antenna unit 120 is designed as flexible, for example, as a cover so that the antennas may be attached particularly close to the body of the patient 15.

[0054] In order to control the main magnet 12, the gradient control unit 19 and in order to control the high frequency antenna control unit 21, the magnetic resonance apparatus 10 has a system control unit 22. The system control unit 22 controls the magnetic resonance apparatus 10 in a centralized manner such as, for example, the implementation of a predetermined imaging gradient echo sequence. Moreover, the system control unit 22 includes an evaluating unit that is not further illustrated for evaluating the magnetic resonance signals that are detected during the magnetic resonance examination. Furthermore, the magnetic resonance apparatus 10 includes a user interface 23 connected to the system control unit 22. Control information such as, for example, imaging parameters, and also reconstructed magnetic resonance images may be displayed on a display unit 24, (e.g., on at least one monitor), of the user interface 23 for medical operating personnel. Furthermore, the user interface 23 has an input unit 25 by which information and/or parameters may be input during a measuring procedure by the medical operating personnel.

[0055] The MR local coil 100 is connected via a connection cable 116 to a plug socket of the magnetic resonance apparatus 10, the plug socket being arranged on the patient table 17, and signals and/or energy may be transmitted from and/or to the high frequency antenna control unit 21 via the plug socket.

[0056] A two-dimensional transmission element 107 is located at the connection site between the connection cable 116 and the antenna unit 120 of the MR local coil so as to transmit energy and/or signals between the connection cable 116 and the antenna unit 120 illustrated in detail in the following figures. In particular, in this case, an exemplary embodiment is illustrated as to how a mechanical and electrical connection from the connection cable to the antenna unit 120 of the MR local coil 100 may be configured in a rotatable manner.

[0057] As is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the arrangement is of multiple housing parts that may rotate with respect to one another. A first housing part 101 is fixedly connected to the local coil. For this purpose, the first housing parts may include two parts and a cover layer of the antenna unit 120 may be clamped between the two parts.

[0058] A further housing part including two parts 102, 103 is rotatably mounted with respect to the first housing part 101. The rotating joint is realized via a tongue and groove connection 104. The first housing is divided into two parts 102 and 103 for improved mountability and is connected to one another for example via screws or detents. A stop between the rotating parts. In other words, the first housing part 101 and the second housing part 102, 103, may limit the angle of rotation.

[0059] The contacting arrangement is provided via a rigid-flexible circuit board 105 that is illustrated in FIG. 4. The rigid-flexible circuit board 105 includes two rigid parts 106, 108 and also a flexible part in the form of a flexible circuit board that forms a two-dimensional transmission element 107.

[0060] The rigid part 106 is fixedly connected to the first housing part 101. The transmission element 107 forms a spiral owing to angling twice at the sites AP and rolling and the spiral may tense like a spiral spring by rotating, cf. FIG. 6, or may relax, cf. FIG. 5. The transmission element 107 is, in other words, in part arranged about an axis of rotation R in a spiral manner.

[0061] The length of the transmission element 107 and the minimal winding diameter in the form of a limiting element 112, that prevents the conductor tracks of the transmission element 107 breaking on account of continuous tensing and relaxing of the spiral, defines the angle of rotation that may be achieved. The longer the flexible part the greater the angle of rotation that may be achieved by the connection cable 116 with respect to the antenna unit 120 of the MR local coil.

[0062] A circuit board 114 is arranged on the second housing part 102, 103 and the circuit board may rotate together with the second housing part 102, 103 with respect to the first housing part 101. The rigid part 108 of the rigid-flexible circuit board 105 includes a plug 113 (or a socket) that is plugged on the circuit board 114 in a socket 115 (or a plug) and consequently forms a detachable connection. This intermediate plug connection renders it possible to exchange the connection cable 116 of the MR local coil 100. It is also conceivable to omit this intermediate plug connection; then the rigid part 108 functionally corresponds to the rotatable circuit board 114. The connection cable 116, which connects the MR local coil 100 to the magnetic resonance apparatus 10, (e.g., by a solder connection), is connected to this rotatable circuit board 114. The rotatable circuit board 114 allows a more delicate assembly and is easy to install via the intermediate plug connection during final assembly of the MR local coil 100.

[0063] As is apparent in FIG. 7, the rotatable circuit board 114 has recesses 117 that form a positive-locking connection with spigots in the parts 102 and 103 of the second housing part. This positive-locking connection functions as a carrier between the circuit board 114 and the second housing part 102, 103. The circuit board 114 has a gap 119. The angled end of the transmission element 107 is pushed into this gap 119 with the rigid part 108 and thus arrives at the plug 113 of the intermediate plug connection. This gap 119 is used as a carrier of the spiral-shaped transmission element 107 that consequently tenses and relaxes when the circuit board 114 is rotated, cf. FIGS. 5 and 6. An intermediate housing, as is illustrated in FIG. 8, is used as a guiding element 118 in which the spiral-shaped transmission element 107 may tense and relax. Moreover, the intermediate housing is used so as to guide the transmission element. The intermediate housing is fixedly connected to the first housing part 101.

[0064] The ability to rotate may bring the output of the connection cable 116 from the MR local coil 100 into the optimal position with respect to the plug socket 26 of the magnetic resonance apparatus. This improves the handling and optimizes the location of the connection cable 116 on the patient 15. It is possible, owing to the connection cable 116 configured in a rotatable manner, for the necessary cable length to be shortened. It follows from this in particular that fewer decoupling coils are required for the connection cable 116. As a consequence, the flexibility of the connection cable 116 increases (the region of the decoupling coil stiffens the connection cable 116) and the weight of the connection cable decreases.

[0065] In conclusion, reference is once again made to the fact that the MR local coil that is described in detail above and the magnetic resonance apparatus are merely exemplary embodiments that may be modified by the person skilled in the art in various ways without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, the use of the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not rule out that the relevant features may also be provided multiple times. Likewise, the term “unit” does not rule out that the relevant components are provided from multiple cooperating part components that may also likewise be spatially distributed where applicable.

[0066] It is to be understood that the elements and features recited in the appended claims may be combined in different ways to produce new claims that likewise fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, whereas the dependent claims appended below depend on only a single independent or dependent claim, it is to be understood that these dependent claims may, alternatively, be made to depend in the alternative from any preceding or following claim, whether independent or dependent, and that such new combinations are to be understood as forming a part of the present specification.

[0067] While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail with the help of the embodiments, the disclosure is not limited to the disclosed examples. Other variations may be deduced by those skilled in the art without leaving the scope of protection of the claimed disclosure.