Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

U.S. Philips Corporation

Koninklijle Philips N.v.

Philips Gmbh

Philips Intellectual Property & Standards Gmbh

Christoph G Leussler

Peter Vernickel

Daniel Wirtz

Christian Findeklee

Peter Mazurkewitz

Oliver Lips

Ingo Schmale

Ingmar Graesslin

Gereon Vogtmeier

Gordon D DeMeester

Steffen Weiss

Michael Andrew Morich

Sascha Krueger

Tim Nielsen

Thomas Erik Amthor

Ulrich Wolfgang Katscher

Jochen Keupp

Zhiyong Zhai

Michael Gunter Helle

Cecilia Possanzini

Peter Boernert

Miha Fuderer

Johannes Adrianus Overweg

Paul Royston Harvey

Volkmar Schulz

Holger Eggers

Peter Forthmann

Falk Uhlemann

Kay Nehrke

Peter Koken

Rajendra Singh Sisodia

Gerardus Bernardus Jozef Mulder

Philippe Abel Menteur

Jan Jakob Meineke

Andreas H Wichern

Jan Hendrik Wuelbern

Sunil Kumar Vuppala

Wilhelmus Reinerius Maria Mens

Kai-Michael Luedeke

Peter Mazurewitz

Kai-michael Luekeke

Daniel Zahn

Christian Findeklkee

Andreas H Wilchern

Jan Schommer

Christian Findelkee

The invention may improve image quality of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The invention is directed to a coil arrangement () for magnetic resonance imaging. It comprises a base structure having a variable shape, an RF coil arranged on or in the base structure, an actuator means at least partially extending along the base structure such that the base structure is deformable along and/or about at least one axis, a position detecting means adapted to detect a current position of at least a portion of the subject to be examined relative to the RF coil, and control means coupled to the position detecting means and the actuator means, wherein the control means is adapted to adjust the shape of the base structure to maintain a contact of an outer surface of the base structure () and/or the RF coil () with the at least portion of the subject by driving the actuator means in response to a detected change of the current position relative to a previous position. The invention is further directed to a (MRI) system, a method for positioning an RF coil for a magnetic resonance imaging system relative to a subject to be examined, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

Coil arrangement for magnetic resonance imaging system

The invention provides for a medical instrument () comprising a magnetic resonance imaging system (). The medical instrument further comprises a subject support () with a support surface () configured for supporting at least a portion of the subject within an imaging zone (). The subject support comprises a radar array () embedded below the support surface. The medical instrument further comprises a radar system () for acquiring a radar signal () from the subject. The medical instrument further comprises a motion detection system () configured for acquiring a movement signal (). Execution of machine executable instructions () causes a processor () to: continuously () receive the radar signal; continuously () receive the movement signal; continuously () calculate a combined motion signal () from the radar system and the movement signal; and control () the magnetic resonance imaging system with the pulse sequence commands to acquire the magnetic resonance imaging data, wherein the acquisition of the magnetic resonance imaging data is controlled using the combined motion signal.

Motion tracking in magnetic resonance imaging using RADAR and a motion detection system

Embodiments of the present application provide a radio frequency head coil (), RE head coil. The RE head coil () comprises a coil former () comprising at least a first leg and a second leg arranged at a distance from each other to define a space there between, the coil former () being at least sectionally flexible and having at least one first fastening portion () arranged adjacent to the space (), and a respiratory mask () comprising a gas outlet () and at least one second fastening portion (), wherein in an operable condition in which the RE head coil () is adapted to be arranged at least in sections around a head of a patient (S) and in which the second fastening portion () is adapted to be fastened to the first fastening portion (), the gas outlet () is disposed within the space ().

Radio frequency head coil with respiratory mask

The invention provides for a medical instrument () comprising a magnetic resonance imaging system. The medical instrument comprises: a radio frequency system () configured for sending and receiving radio frequency signals to acquire magnetic resonance imaging data (). The radio frequency system is configured for connecting to a magnetic resonance imaging antenna (). The medical instrument further comprises a subject support () configured for supporting at least a portion of a subject () in an imaging zone () of the magnetic resonance imaging system. The subject support comprises an antenna connector () configured for connecting to the magnetic resonance imaging antenna. The radiofrequency system is configured for connecting to the magnetic resonance imaging antenna via the antenna connector. The subject support comprises a remotely controllable actuator () configured for translating the antenna connector to a connector position () along a path (). The medical instrument further comprises a memory () comprising machine executable instructions (). The medical instrument further comprises a processor () for controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system. Execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor to: receive () the connector position (); and control () the remotely controllable actuator to move the antenna connector along the path to the connector position ().

Automatic positioning of antenna connectors for magnetic resonance imaging

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

The present disclosure relates to a multi-channel magnetic resonance imaging RF coil () with at least four channels and comprising a coil element for each of the channels, the RF coil () further comprising for each coil element a socket (-) that is electrically coupled to said coil element via a respective first transmission line (), each socket (-) being adapted for receiving a plug for providing an RF signal via the respective first transmission line () to the respective coil element, wherein with respect to a predefined RF signal the differences in electrical length between any of the transmission lines is kλ/4 where k is an integer and λ is the wavelength of the RF signal.

Multi-channel magnetic resonance imaging RF coil

The present invention is directed to a RF transmit system () for a magnetic resonance examination system where it is intended to provide a solution for the problem of rapidly switching between operation modes of different peak power requirements at good power efficiencies. For this purpose the RF transmit system () comprises at least one RF channel () wherein the RF channel () has an RF amplifier (), at least two power supply devices () wherein each of the power supply devices () is configured to supply a voltage to the amplifier (). The RF transmit system () further comprises a DC switch () configured to switch the voltage supplied to the amplifier () between the power supply devices () and a controller () configured to switch the voltage based on sensor data.

RF transmit system with switchable power supply device

The present disclosure relates to a method for configuring a radio frequency, RF, transmit assembly () for a magnetic resonance imaging system () for acquiring magnetic resonance imaging data from a subject within an imaging zone using an RF pulse sequence, the RF transmit assembly () comprising an RF amplifier () and a transmit coil (), wherein the RF transmit assembly () is configurable with a set of configuration parameters. The method comprises: providing () operating conditions of the RF transmit assembly, the operating conditions being indicative of at least: a property of the RF pulse sequence and a measurable parameter that influences the RF pulse sequence property when operating the RF transmit assembly using the RF pulse sequence; using () a predefined machine learning model for determining, for the operating conditions, at least part of the set of configuration parameters and associated values; configuring () the RF transmit assembly () in accordance with the determined configuration parameters and associated values.

Method for configuring a RF transmit assembly

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

A multi-channel RF transmit system () especially for use in a magnetic resonance examination system comprising, a plurality of RF channels () wherein each of the RF channels () has an RF amplifier. The multi-channel RF transmit system () further comprises a power supply device () configured to supply power to the amplifiers (), a first capacitor bank (), wherein the first capacitor bank () is connected to the power supply device () and connected to a first RF amplifier (), a second capacitor bank (), wherein the second capacitor bank () is connected to the power supply device () and connected to a second RF amplifier () and a third capacitor bank () also connected to the power supply device (). The third capacitor bank () is connected to a DC switch (), wherein the DC switch () is configured to switch the power supplied by the third capacitor bank () to the first amplifier () or the second amplifier (). Therefore, a multi-channel RF transmit system () is disclosed where parts of the total available capabilities of discrete stored energy can be directed to one or the other RF amplifier channel () leading to a more effective and cost saving design of the DC power supply chain.

Multi-channel RF transmit system

The invention provides for a magnetic resonance antenna assembly () comprising one or more antenna elements (), wherein the magnetic resonance antenna assembly further comprises multiple electronic dosimeters () operable for measuring a cumulative radiation dose () of ionizing radiation () received by the magnetic resonance antenna assembly.

Magnetic resonance antenna with electronic dosimeters

A cryogenic cooling system () comprising a cryostat (), a two-stage cryogenic cold head () and at least one thermal connection member () that is configured to provide at least a portion of a heat transfer path () from the second stage member () to the first stage member () of the two-stage cryogenic cold head (). The heat transfer path () is arranged outside the cold head (). A thermal resistance of the provided at least portion of the heat transfer path () at the second cryogenic temperature is larger than a thermal resistance of the provided at least portion of the heat transfer path () at the first cryogenic temperature.

Cryogenic cooling system with temperature-dependent thermal shunt

The present invention provides a radiation shield (), in particular for shielding main coils () of a magnetic resonance imaging system (), whereby the radiation shield () comprises a cavity () for housing at least one main coil (), whereby the cavity () is formed between an inner cylindrical wall (), an outer cylindrical wall (), which are arranged essentially concentrically to each other, and two ring-shaped base walls (), which interconnect the inner cylindrical wall () and the outer cylindrical wall (), wherein at least one out of the inner cylindrical wall (), the outer cylindrical wall (), and the two ring-shaped base walls () is provided at least partially with an inner layer (), which faces the cavity (), and an outer layer (), wherein the inner layer () is a layer comprising carbon fiber reinforced plastic, and the outer layer () comprises a metal, which is paramagnetic or diamagnetic. The present invention also provides a shielded main magnet () comprising at least one main coil () for generating a static main magnetic field in a magnetic resonance imaging system (), and a radiation shield () as specified above, wherein the at least one main coil () is housed in a cavity () of the radiation shield ().

Magnetic resonance radiation shield and shielded main magnet

The invention provides for a magnetic resonance imaging system () comprising a main magnet () for generating a main magnetic field within an imaging zone (). The magnetic resonance imaging system further comprises an RF coil () for acquiring magnetic resonance data () from the imaging zone, wherein the RF coil comprises multiple RF ports (). The RF coil comprises a switch unit () for at least one of the multiple RF ports to individually couple or uncouple the at least one of of the multiple RF ports from the RF coil. The magnetic resonance imaging system further comprises a radio-frequency system () for supplying radio-frequency power to each of the multiple RF ports and an RF matching detection system () for measuring impedance matching data () between the radio-frequency system and the RF coil. Execution of the machine executable instructions causes a processor controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system to measure () the impedance matching data using the RF matching detection system; determine () switch unit control instructions () using the impedance matching data, wherein the switch control instructions contain commands that control the at least one of the multiple RF ports to couple or decouple to impedance match the radio-frequency system to the RF coil; and control () the switch unit of the at least one of the multiple RF ports with the switch unit control instructions.

Impedance matching using multiple ports

Growing community of inventors

Hamburg, Germany

Christoph G Leussler