U.S. Philips Corporation

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.V.

Dirk Sinnema

Rudolf Kemner

Johan Ernst Willy Vrijheid

Nico M Swennen

Johan E Vrijheid

In a medical MRI apparatus, it is often desirable to have devicesfor communicating with or monitoring the patientin the imaging volumeof the apparatus. Such devices need DC power or low-frequency connections with an areaoutside the imaging volume. A device cable that does not interfere with the MRI magnetic fields is known per se. The invention proposes to fix the device cable in a groovein the patient carrierin such a manner that its strip-shaped conductorsextend parallel to the field lines of the stationary field B of the apparatus. In this way, it is also possible to clip device carriersto the groove, thus supplying the devices with DC power or establishing an audio connection through the device cable in the groove.

MRI apparatus with low-frequency cable integrated into the patient carrier

A magnetic resonance apparatus includes a magnet system (2) for generating a steady magnetic field (H) in a measuring space (28), an RF receiver circuit (10, 14, 16) with an RF receiver coil (10) for receiving RF signals emitted by an object arranged in the measuring space, a monitor (22) with a liquid crystal display (LCD) display screen (44) for image display, and a central control unit (18) which is connected to the RF receiver circuit and to the monitor for control in such a manner that information is applied to the LCD display screen. In order to prevent disturbing RF signals, produced by the monitor (22), from affecting the information obtained via the RF receiver circuit (10, 14, 16), the central control unit (18) is arranged to control the monitor in such a manner that information is applied to the LCD display screen (44) only during periods in which the RF receiver circuit is not activated. Generally speaking, the monitor (22) includes a signal processing unit (38) which is arranged to convert an image signal received on its input (40) into a screen signal suitable for supply to the LCD display screen (44) and to make this image signal available on its output (42). The output (42) of the signal processing unit (38) is then preferably connected to the LCD display screen (44) via a controllable switching unit (54), a control input (56) of which is connected to the central control unit (18).

Magnetic resonance apparatus including a monitor

The transmitter/measurement coil of a nuclear magnetic resonance tomography apparatus for medical diagnosis in which comparatively high Larmor frequencies are used, is divided into a number of parallel-connected subcoils. The self resonance frequency of the coil can thus be made substantially higher than the Larmor frequency, with the result that the coil will have a suitably improved quality factor at higher frequencies, and measurements can be performed with an acceptable signal-to-noise ratio.

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Dirk Sinnema