Picker International, Inc.

Alasdair Stewart Hall

Ian R Young

Joseph Vilmos Hajnal

A patient bed (,) of an MR imaging apparatus is provided with a tube (,) through which pre-polarised fluid can be injected into a patient in order to improve contrast when imaging veins, arteries or other vessels in the body. Fluid is delivered from pump (,) into a high field polarising magnet (,) and along a tube (,) to the patient. Valve (,) is provided so that fluid in the tube (,) downstream of the pre-polarised fluid can be discarded rather than being injected in the patient, and is associated with a reservoir into which the fluid to be discarded and the pre-polarised fluid can be rapidly injected. Then, when the pre-polarised fluid is injected into the patient, its magnetisation has not deteriorated by as much as it would have done if the tube (,) had been directly connected into the patient.

Injector for injection of pre-polarised fluid into a patient for magnetic resonance (MR) measurement

An RF coil arrangement (23) in a magnetic resonance apparatus wherein a static magnetic field for application to a body under examination is produced in a gap (3) between a pair of pole pieces (5). The RF coil arrangement comprises at least one coil (45 or 47) having a first part (49,51) fixed secured to a part (5) of the apparatus adjacent the gap and a further part (53) which is detachably electrically connected to the first part to provide easy access to the gap when placing in, or removing from, the gap a body to be imaged. The further part of the coil may be wholly detachable from the first part or pivotally mounted on a first portion (49) of the first part and detachable from a second portion (51) of the first part on pivotal movement of the further part with respect to the first portion of the first part.

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Northwood, United Kingdom

Alasdair Stewart Hall