General Electric Company

Ge Precision Healthcare LLC

Derek Seeber

Jean-Baptiste Mathieu

William Louis Einziger

Timothy Elden Wise

Sung Man Moon

Shahed Ashraf

Seung-Kyun Lee

Anthony Mantone

Eric George Budesheim

Tomas Duby

Garrett William Astary

Timothy John Havens

Weijun Yin

Naveenan Thiagarajan

Edwin L Legall

Michael Parizh

Dominic Michael Graziani

Erman Citirik

Fengshun Tan

Justin Michael Ricci

Charles Franklin Helms

Michael Dominic Graziani

Charles Critcher

Namratha Reganti

Hannah Leigh Aaronson

Garrett Astary

Andrew John Panos

David Glenn Lee

A conductive coil assembly for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system includes a substrate. The conductive coil assembly also includes a first hollow conductor coil. The conductive coil assembly further includes a second hollow conductor coil. The first hollow conductor coil and the second hollow conductor coil are both disposed on the substrate relative to each other in an interleaved spiral pattern. Respective interiors of both the first hollow conductor coil and the second hollow conductor coil are configured to receive and to circulate a coolant to cool the conductive coil assembly.

Uniform field generating coil cooling configuration and lead routing

A system, method, and computer-readable medium for evaluating structural integrity of a gradient coil disposed in a magnetic resonance imaging system is provided. A sensor obtains a parameter reading of the gradient coil, wherein the parameter reading includes a back electromotive force (back EMF) measurement. The structural integrity of the gradient coil is determined as function of the back EMF measurement.

System, method and computer-readable medium for evaluating structural integrity of a gradient coil

A system for monitoring a health status of a gradient coil disposed in a magnetic resonance imaging system is provided. The system includes one or more sensors and a controller. The one or more sensors are operative to obtain one or more parameter readings of the gradient coil, wherein the one or more parameter readings include at least one of an acoustic measurement and a back electromotive force measurement. The controller is in electronic communication with the one or more sensors and operative to generate the health status based on at least one of the acoustic measurement and the back electromotive force measurement.

System and method for monitoring health status of a gradient coil

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) coil system is provided that includes a gradient coil and a flow inlet. The gradient coil includes a flow channel passing therethrough. The gradient coil defines an eye and an end. The eye is disposed proximate the center of the gradient coil. The flow inlet is disposed along the gradient coil between the eye and the end. Cooling fluid is provided to the gradient coil via the flow inlet, and removed from the gradient coil via the eye and the end.

Gradient coil cooling systems

An MRI system for imaging a subject is provided. The MRI system includes a magnet assembly that includes a gradient coil having a hollow conducting wire. The hollow conducting wire includes a body defining a passageway, and one or more conductors disposed within the body around the passageway.

System and method for magnetic resonance imaging one or more subjects

Methods and systems are provided for a variable wire dimension gradient coil. In one example, a gradient coil includes a length of coiled wire, the wire comprising a first segment having a first width and a second segment having a second width, the second width smaller than the first width.

Gradient coil with variable dimension

A method for improving image quality in a magnetic resonance imaging system, the method includes rapidly modulating an electrical current in a matrix shim coil of the magnetic resonance imaging system to compensate high order eddy currents in the system.

Magnetic resonance imaging matrix shim coil system and method

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) gradient coil assembly includes a substrate and first hollow conductor coil. The substrate has a surface. The first hollow conductor coil includes a first coiled portion and a first end run portion joined by a first eye lead portion. The first coiled portion defines a series of increasing radius loops disposed on the surface of the substrate, with an outer loop of the first coiled portion defining a coiled portion boundary. The first eye lead portion is disposed in a central portion of the first coiled portion. The first end run portion extends continuously from the first coiled portion via the first eye lead portion beyond the coiled portion boundary.

Systems and methods for MRI continuous gradient coils

A connection system includes a connector electrically connected and fixedly secured to a gradient coil assembly of a magnetic resonance imaging device, a cable block fixedly secured to a magnet of the magnetic resonance imaging device substantially above the connector, and a cable having a first end electrically connected to the cable block and a second end received by the connector and forming an electrical connection between the connector and the cable block.

Connection system and method

Methods and systems are provided for a gradient coil assembly. In one embodiment, a gradient coil assembly comprises a hollow, first gradient coil and a solid, second gradient coil co-wound with the first gradient coil. In this way, the turn density of the gradient coil assembly may be increased.

Methods and systems for a dual wind gradient coil

Embodiments of the invention are utilized to improve shimming capability while reducing radial space and the volume required to contain active shim coils by nesting the coils of different degrees and orders inside each other and limiting the azimuthal span of the individual saddle coils. This allows two or more radial shim sets to be combined together in the same layer resulting in a significant radial savings that increases the useable portion of an MRI system.

Nested coil configuration of active shims in MRI systems

Magnetic resonance imaging systems having gradient coil assemblies employing a liquid dielectric medium are provided. In one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging system includes a gradient coil assembly with a plurality of gradient coils. In the gradient coil assembly, at least two of the gradient coils are electrically separated from one another by a fluid medium.

Liquid dielectric gradient coil system and method

An apparatus for controlling the temperature of a warm bore of a superconducting magnet in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) includes a plurality of warm bore thermal sensors positioned on a surface of the warm bore and a plurality of heater elements positioned on the surface of the warm bore. A heater element thermal sensor is coupled to each of the plurality of heater elements and configured to monitor the temperature of the corresponding heater element. A controller is coupled to the plurality of warm bore thermal sensors and the plurality of heater element thermal sensors. The controller is configured to control each of the plurality of heater elements to maintain a predetermined temperature of the warm bore.

System, method and apparatus for controlling drift of a main magnetic field in an MRI system

An apparatus for controlling a temperature of a warm bore of a superconducting magnet in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system includes a cooling tube that is mounted on a surface of the warm bore and is configured to transport a coolant. A chiller is coupled to the cooling tube and is configured to provide the coolant to the cooling tube. A controller is coupled to the chiller and is configured to provide a control signal to the chiller to control a temperature of the coolant.

Cooling system and apparatus for controlling drift of a main magnetic field in an MRI system

A gradient coil or other element of a magnetic resonance imaging system includes at least one layer comprised of copper having a first surface and a second surface. A first semiconductor layer is applied to the first surface of the copper and an insulation layer applied to the first semiconductor layer. In one embodiment, a second semiconductor layer is applied to the second surface of the copper. The first and second semiconductor layers encapsulate any voids formed between the copper and the semiconductor layers, equalize the potential around the voids and prevent partial discharge formation.

Growing community of inventors

Florence, SC, United States of America

Derek Seeber