Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Philips Intellectual Property & Standards Gmbh

Christian Findeklee

Christoph G Leussler

Peter Vernickel

Oliver Lips

Ingo Schmale

Peter Mazurkewitz

Christoph Günther Leussler

Ulrich Wolfgang Katscher

Ingmar Graesslin

Gordon D DeMeester

Michael Andrew Morich

Paul Royston Harvey

Volkmar Schulz

Sascha Krueger

Daniel Wirtz

Eberhard Sebastian Hansis

Falk Uhlemann

Hanno Heyke Homann

Peter Koken

George Randall Duensing

Zhiyong Zhai

Joachim Schmidt

Jan Jakob Meineke

Tobias Ratko Voigt

Thomas Hendrik Rozijn

Wilhelmus Reinerius Maria Mens

Kai-Michael Luedeke

Marinus J A M Van Helvoort

Hans H Tuithof

Christopher Günther Leussler

Peter H Notten

Peter Venickel

Graham Michael Place

Cornelis Jacobus Hendrikus Blom

For a radio frequency (RF) receiver system () for use in a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system, a solution for compensating residual coupling of RF receive coil elements () in the radio frequency (RF) receiver () system shall be created. This is achieved by a radio frequency (RF) receiver system for use in a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system, the RF receiver system () comprising at least two simultaneously used RF receive coil elements (), wherein the RF receive coil element () comprises a signal generator () for providing a compensation signal and an excitation path (), wherein the excitation path () is configured to couple the compensation signal into the RF receive coil element (), for reducing residual coupling in the RF receiver system () by means of the compensation signal coupled into the RF receive coil element (). The present invention also refers to a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system, a method for active decoupling of a radio frequency (RF) receiver system () of a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system, a software package for a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system, a software package for upgrading a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system and a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the steps of the method as described in the claims.

Radio frequency (RF) receiver system with active decoupling

According to the invention, a cable harness () for a magnetic resonance system is provided, wherein the cable harness () is adapted for being connected to a feeding point of a magnetic resonance radiofrequency coil device () on one end and for being connected to an input-output unit () for connecting the magnetic resonance radiofrequency coil device () with a control and analysis unit of the magnetic resonance system on the other end, wherein the cable harness () comprises at least one transmission line () for connecting the feeding point with the input-output unit () and multiple radiofrequency chokes () which are arranged within the cable harness (). In this way, a bulky resonant RF traps can be avoided while still the B1-excitation field of the MR system can be compensated for and coupling to local nearby coils can be reduced.

Cable harness with multiple RF chokes and magnetic resonance system

For a radio frequency (RF) receiver system a solution for a safe operation of the radio frequency (RF) receiver system in magnetic resonance imaging shall be ensured. This is achieved by a radio frequency (RF) receiver system for use in a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system the RF receiver system, wherein the RF receiver system comprises at least one RF receive coil with at least one detune circuit (). The detune circuit () comprises at least a pair of crossed diodes (D, D) with an interface, wherein the interface is configured to measure an electrical current in the detune circuit () to determine the proper function of the PIN diodes (D, D) by measuring the detune direct current for a first detune voltage polarity and for a second reversed detune voltage polarity. The present invention also provides a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system, a method for ensuring a safe radio frequency (RF) receiver system operation in magnetic resonance imaging, a software package for a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system, a software package for upgrading a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system and a computer program product.

Radio frequency receiver with detection of a malfunction of a detune circuit

The invention also refers to a flexible coil element for a flexible coil array, for a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus. The invention also refers to a flexible coil array, for a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, for indicating a loading state of a flexible coil element being positioned on at least one inductive element. The invention also refers to a method for indicating a loading state of a flexible coil element being positioned on at least one inductive element. The flexible coil element is comprised by a flexible coil array, wherein the flexible coil array comprises at least one flexible coil element. Furthermore, the invention refers to a software package comprising instructions for carrying out the method steps.

Indication of a loading state of a flexible coil element

The invention relates to a magnetic resonance coil array () of a magnetic resonance system having a distributed cable routing realized by a self-compensated radiofrequency choke (). The magnetic resonance coil array () comprises multiple magnetic resonance receive coils (), an input-output unit (), and multiple coaxial cables () interconnecting the magnetic resonance receive coils () with the input-output unit (). The coaxial cable () comprises the self-compensated radiofrequency choke (). The self-compensated radiofrequency choke () allows to replace conventional bulky resonant radiofrequency traps used in conventional magnetic resonance coil arrays and allows implementing the distributed cable routing. The self-compensated radiofrequency choke () comprises a choke housing () having a toroidal form and the coaxial cable (), wherein the coaxial cable () is wound around the choke housing () in a self-compensated winding pattern. The self-compensated winding pattern provides compensation for a B1-excitation field of a magnetic resonance system and eliminates the need for the self-compensated radiofrequency choke () to be resonant to the B1-excitation field.

Magnetic resonance coil array and self-compensated radiofrequency choke

The invention provides for a magnetic resonance imaging system (). The magnetic resonance imaging system comprises: a subject support () configured for moving a subject between a loading position () and an imaging position (); a receive magnetic resonance imaging coil () configured for being placed on the subject; and a light detection system () comprising at least one ambient light sensor for measuring light data (). The light detection system is any one of the following: mounted to the main magnet such that the light data is measured from the imaging zone and mounted to the receive magnetic resonance imaging coil. The execution of the machine executable () instructions by a processor () cause the processor to: move () the subject support from the loading position to the imaging position; acquire () the light data using the at least one ambient light sensor when the subject support is in the imaging position; determine () if the receive magnetic resonance imaging coil is positioned for acquiring magnetic resonance imaging data using the light data; and provide () a signal () if the receive magnetic resonance imaging coil is positioned for acquiring the magnetic resonance imaging data.

Automated detection of receive coil location

Disclosed is a medical system () comprising: a memory () storing machine executable instructions (); a processor () configured for controlling the medical system; and a pilot tone system (). The pilot tone system comprises a radio frequency system () comprising multiple transmit channels () and multiple receive channels (). The multiple transmit channels are configured for each transmitting unique pilot tone () signals via multiple transmit coils. The multiple receive channels are configured for receiving multi-channel pilot tone data () via multiple receive coils. Execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor to: transmit () multi-channel pilot tone signals by controlling at least a portion of the multiple transmit channels to transmit the unique pilot tone signals; acquire () multi-channel pilot tone data () by controlling at least a portion of the multiple receive channels to receive the multi-channel pilot tone data; and determine () a motion state () of the subject using the multi-channel pilot tone data.

Multi-channel pilot tone motion detection

A radio frequency (RF) system comprises an RF-array of antenna elements, a regulating arrangement to tune the antenna elements' impedances and a camera system to acquire image information of the RF-array. An analysis module is provided to derive operational settings such as resonant tuning settings, decoupling and impedance matchings of the antenna elements' impedances from the image information. The image information also represents the actual impedances and resonant properties of the RF-array. From the image information appropriate impedance settings can be derived that are the tuning parameters to render the RF-array resonant.

Adjusting of radiofrequency array using a camera system

When predicting required component service in an imaging device such as a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging device (), component parameters such as coil voltage, phase lock lost (PLL) events, etc. are sampled to monitor system components. Voltage samples are filtered according to their temporal proximity to coil plug-in and unplug events to generate a filtered data set that is analyzed by a processor () to determine whether to transmit a fault report. A service recommendation is received based on the transmitted report and includes a root cause diagnosis and service recommendation that is output to a user interface ().

Device and context specific signal pattern analysis for magnetic resonance imaging equipment component diagnostics and predictive maintenance

The present invention provides a radio frequency (RF) shield device () for a magnetic resonance (MR) examination system (), whereby the RF shield device () comprises a first shield () and a second shield (), the first shield () and the second shield () are arranged with a common center axis (), the first shield () has a shield structure () different from a shield structure () of the second shield (), and the first shield () and the second shield () are designed in accordance with different modes of operation of a RF coil device (). The present invention also provides a radio frequency (RF) coil device () for a magnetic resonance (MR) examination system (), whereby the RF coil device () comprises a first coil () and in a second coil (), the first coil () and the second coil () are provided as birdcage coils, the first coil () and the second coil () are arranged with a common center axis (), the first coil () and the second coil () have rungs (), which are arranged non-parallel to the center axis () of the RF coil device (), the first coil () has a coil structure () different from a coil structure () of the second coil (), and the first coil () and the second coil () are switchable to be active for different modes of operation. The present invention further provides a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system (), comprising such a RF coil device () and/or such a RF shield device ().

RF coil device and RF shield device for different MRI modes

The invention relates to a magnetic resonance receive coil including a resonator for use in a magnetic resonance imaging system. The radio frequency receive coil according to the invention comprises a first conducting element of the resonator having a conductive loop wherein the received signal is induced in that loop, configured to form a primary resonant circuit tunable to at least one first resonance frequency and a second conducting element of the resonator configured to form an electric circuit electrically insulated from and reactively coupled to the primary resonant circuit, the electric circuit being adapted to detune the primary resonant circuit to at least one second resonance frequency. The second conducting element of the resonator has a conductive loop with a pair of ends connected to a preamplifier. The radio frequency receive coil further comprises an energy harvesting circuit electrically coupled in parallel over the pair of ends of the second conducting element, wherein the energy harvesting circuit is adapted for being connected to the second conducting element during transmission by a switch. A rechargeable power source is coupled to the energy harvesting circuit, wherein the rechargeable power source is adapted for being charged by the energy harvesting circuit. A switching component is circuited in parallel to the energy harvesting circuit, wherein is adapted to redirect a current as soon as the rechargeable power source is charged to a sufficient voltage. In this way, a magnetic resonance receive coil with a detune circuit and an energy harvesting circuit for energy harvesting is provided without a significant loss of detuning performance.

Magnetic resonance receive coil with detune circuit and energy harvesting circuit

The present invention is directed to a system comprising a body coil () for magnetic resonance imaging and an RF amplifier connected to the body coil () for feeding the body coil () with an RF signal, wherein the body coil () comprises two different ports () for feeding the RF signal into the body coil (), the body coil () is provided with a switch for selectively activating only one single port () for feeding the RF signal to the body coil () at a time, and the two ports () are located at different locations of the body coil () such that the dependence of the reflected part of the RF signal fed into the body coil () from the weight of the examination object () to which the body coil () is applied is different for the two ports (). In this way, a possibility for adapting a MRI measurement to different load situations due to different weights of an examination object () in an easy and efficient way is provided, thereby providing the possibility for impedance matching of the body coil by selecting the appropriate driven port.

Feeding a coil for magnetic resonance imaging

The present invention provides a passive radio frequency (RF) shim resonator () for field homogenization of an RF field emitted by an RF antenna device () of a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system (), whereby the passive RF shim resonator () has a first resonating capability and a second resonating capability, and the passive RF shim resonator () comprises a switching device, whereby the switching device is adapted to switch between the first and the second resonating capability in accordance with a TX-mode and a RX-mode of the RF field emitted by the RF antenna device () of the MR imaging system (). The present invention further provides a patient bed () or a patient mattress for use in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system (), whereby the patient bed () or the patient mattress comprises an above passive RF shim resonator (). The present invention further provides a RF antenna device for generating and/or receiving a RF field for use in a MRI system (), whereby the RF antenna device () comprises a coil housing and an above passive RF shim resonator (), wherein the passive RF shim resonator () is located within the coil housing. The present invention also provides a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system (), comprising an above patient bed () or patient mattress or at least one above RF antenna device ().

Passive RF shim resonator FR field homogenization of an RF antenna device for TX mode and RX mode

The invention concerns to a radio frequency (RF) body coil (), for use in a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system, comprising: an RF shield (), an RF coil element (), distantly arranged from the RF shield (), and at least one distance setting element (), arranged and designed in such a way that the relative distance () between the RF shield () and the RF coil element () is adjustable via the distance setting element () which may lead to locally deforming the RF coil element () and/or the RF shield (). Thus, a radio frequency coil for use in an Magnetic Resonance Imaging system is provided that can be tuned to desired resonances in a comfortable and economic way.

Tunable RF coil for magnetic resonance imaging

The invention provides for a metal detector () with at least a first coil () for generating a first magnetic field () along a first direction (). The first coil is a split coil with a first () and a second () portion (). A coil power supply () separately supplying time varying electrical power to the coil portions. At least one electrical sensor () measures electrical data () descriptive of the electrical power supplied to at least the first coil portion and the second coil portion. The coils are controlled such as to move a field-free region in a predetermined pattern within a measurement zone. If metal is detected, the pattern is modified for refining localisation of the metallic object.

Growing community of inventors

Norderstedt, Germany

Christian Findeklee