General Electric Company

Quality Electrodynamics, LLC

Other

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Picker International, Inc.

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation

Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC

Philips Medical Systems (cleveland), Inc.

Marconi Medical Systems, Inc.

USA Instruments, Inc.

Quality Electrodynamis, LLC

Hiroyuki Fujita

Labros S Petropoulos

Mark Xueming Zou

Michael Andrew Morich

Xiaoyu Yang

Gordon D DeMeester

Dashen Chu

Pei Hsuon Chan

Joseph Murphy-Boesch

Tsinghua Zheng

Robert W Brown

Dan Kenrick Spence

William O Braum

Oliver Heid

Kazuya Okamoto

Shmaryu M Shvartsman

John Lester Patrick

Hubertus Fischer

Michael Burl

Lars Lauer

Mitsuo Takagi

Joseph Herczak

Labros Petropoulos

Shmaryu Shvartsman

Yun-Jeong Yang

Ronald B Richard

Xiaoyu Xang

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) knee coil comprising a local shim coil. The local shim coil is disposed in a housing of the MRI knee coil. An electromagnetic coil is also disposed in the housing and spaced from the local shim coil. The local shim coil comprises one or more conductors. Each of the conductors of the local shim coil are disposed on a semi-cylindrical surface, and the semi-cylindrical surface extends laterally from a first side of the housing to a second side of the housing. The local shim coil is configured to generate a local shimming magnetic field that reduces a localized magnetic field inhomogeneity caused by a susceptibility artifact disposed in a knee of a patient.

Single shim coil design for Bshimming

Example minimalist magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radio frequency (RF) coils that are connected to off coil circuitry by capacitive coupling plates are described. A minimalist MRI RF coil may have some elements that form a traditional coil located off the coil in off coil circuitry. An MR procedure may involve a number of minimalist MRI RF coils that are moved through an excitation zone as a patient is moved through the excitation zone. Example minimalist MRI RF coils may be selectively connected to off coil circuitry while the coils are in the excitation zone. The coupling may be made by capacitive coupling plates. Unlike conventional systems, example systems have capacitive coupling plates with properties that facilitate maintaining a constant capacitance between a coupling plate associated with the coil and coupling plates associated with the off coil circuitry as the coupling plates move relative to each other.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) coil with constant capacitance coupling

In order to increase the signal to noise ratio, and thus increase the quality of images produced during pediatric MRI, a pediatric RF coil assembly includes a head coil and a flexible body coil in a single dedicated device shaped and sized for a child. The flexible body coil may be operable to at least partially surround and abut the body of the child located on the pediatric RF coil assembly, while the head coil may at least partially surround and abut the head of the child located on the pediatric RF coil assembly. In order to optimize workflow, the child may be positioned on the pediatric RF coil assembly in a first room and moved to a second room including an MRI system after the child is brought to sleep or sedated in the first room. The pediatric RF coil assembly and the child may be moved to the second room using a handle rotatably attached to the pediatric RF coil assembly, and may be positioned on a patient table of the MRI system when the imaging process is to begin.

Pediatric coil assembly

Apparatuses, methods, and other embodiments associated with determining organ viability are described. According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes logic configured to apply nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) energy to a kidney positioned in a hypothermic pulsative perfusion (HPP) apparatus. The NMR energy is produced according to an MRSP specific pulse sequence. The HPP apparatus has an integrated RF coil. The HPP may also have an integrated magnet. The RF coil is positioned and oriented to facilitate optimizingP MRS of the kidney. The apparatus also includes logic configured to receive spectrum data from the kidney. The spectrum data is produced in response to applying the NMR energy to the kidney. The apparatus also includes logic configured to provide objective, quantitative kidney viability data (e.g., PME/Pi, ATP/ADP) from the spectrum data. More generally, MRI/MRS compatible HPP apparatuses are configured to interact with dedicated NMR spectroscopy apparatuses.

Organ viability

An RFID tag for use with an MRI machine has an integrated circuit and structure for protecting it from damage when exposed to an intense MRI RF transmitter field. The structure for protecting the integrated circuit may include a controllable low impedance device coupled across the integrated circuit, a controllable high impedance device coupled in series with the integrated circuit, and/or frequency selective RF filter.

IC tags/RFID tags for magnetic resonance imaging applications

An MRI RF transmit system uses a plurality of RF transmit coils, each being driven with separately controllable RF magnitude and phase. The magnitude and phase of each coil drive are separately and independently controlled so that the RF transmit coils act as if they are decoupled from each other. The controlled magnitude and phase values may be based on empirically derived information relating to self and mutual coupling of RF transmit coils.

Active decoupling of MRI RF transmit coils

A system and method for configuring coils in a coil array are provided. The system includes a coil arrangement for a medical imaging system. The coil arrangement includes a plurality of coil elements for a medical imaging system and a plurality of twisted portions in combination with at least one of the plurality of coil elements.

Coil arrays for parallel imaging in magnetic resonance imaging

A radio-frequency coil apparatus includes a first unit including a first radio-frequency coil that receives a magnetic resonance signal emitted from a subject, a second unit including a second radio-frequency coil that receives the magnetic resonance signal, independently from the first radio-frequency coil. The first unit and the second unit are supported by a support member. The support member is attachable/detachable to/from at least one of the first unit and the second unit. The support member is configured to be able to change the relative positions of the first unit and the second unit.

Radio-frequency coil apparatus

A partially parallel acquisition RF coil array for imaging a sample includes at least a first, a second and a third coil adapted to be arranged circumambiently about the sample and to provide both contrast data and spatial phase encoding data.

A partially parallel acquisition RF coil array for imaging a human head includes at least a first, a second and a third loop coil adapted to be arranged circumambiently about the lower portion of the head; and at least a forth, a fifth and a sixth coil adapted to be conformably arranged about the summit of the head. A partially parallel acquisition RF coil array for imaging a human head includes at least a first, a second, a third and a fourth loop coil adapted to be arranged circumambiently about the lower portion of the head; and at least a first and a second Figure-8 or saddle coil adapted to be conformably arranged about the summit of the head.

Head coil arrays for parallel imaging in magnetic resonance imaging

A partially parallel acquisition RF coil array for imaging a human head having a summit and a lower portion includes at least a first, a second and a third quadrature coil pair adapted to be arranged circumambiently about the lower portion of the head; and at least a forth, a fifth and a sixth quadrature coil pair adapted to be conformably arranged about the summit of the head.

Head RF quadrature coil array for parallel imaging

A RF receive coil system for imaging a breast on a human chest with a horizontal field MRI system includes a volume saddle coil adapted to be contoured about the chest; and a Helmholtz coil having a lower portion adapted to be contoured about the chest and an upper portion adapted to be above the chest The coils are operable in quadrature mode.

MRI coil system for breast imaging

A magnetic resonance apparatus includes a main magnetic field source ( ) for providing a magnetic field (B ) along a main field axis. A transmitter ( ) and transmit coils ( ) excite a nuclei of an object to resonate. The resonating nuclei generate magnetic resonance signals detected by a volume coil ( ) including a pair of end rings ( ) separated along a coil axis (Y). The end rings ( ) are electrically interconnected by a plurality of rungs ( ) disposed about the rings. A conductive loop ( ) is concentrically disposed between and inductively coupled to the end rings. The loop includes an electrical conductor ( ) preferably surrounding the rungs ( ), and positioned parallel to the end rings ( ). A capacitive element ( ), in electrical communication with the conductor ( ), is selected or adjusted to tune the loop ( ) to signals at a selected frequency. Moreover, the loop ( ) is slidably positionable along the coil axis (Y) and has an adjustable capacitor ( ) to match or tune the loop to signals at the selected frequency.

Birdcage RF coil employing an end ring resonance mode for quadrature operation in magnetic resonance imaging

A crossed-ladder RF coil assembly ( ) is employed for quadrature excitation and/or reception in an open or vertical field magnetic resonance apparatus. The RF coil assembly ( ) includes a pair of coil assemblies ( ) which are disposed in a parallel relationship. Coil arrays ( ) include at least two ladder RF coils ( ) which are disposed in an overlapping relationship and are rotated by 90&deg; relative to one another. Each ladder RF coil of one coil array is rotated by 90&deg; relative to adjoining ladder coils and each corresponding ladder RF coil of the other coil array. The crossed-ladder RF coil assembly provides better B field uniformity and elongated anatomical coverage for spine and neck imaging. In addition, the RF coil assembly reduces noise from the body at higher fields in vertical field magnetic resonance systems.

Crossed-ladder RF coils for vertical field MRI systems

A quadrature RF coil assembly ( ) is employed for quadrature excitation and/or reception in an open or vertical field magnetic resonance apparatus. The quadrature RF coil ( ) includes a plurality of parallel rung elements ( ). A pair of electrical conductive end segments ( ) connect the plurality of rung elements. Capacitive elements (C , C ) interrupt a central rung element and the end segments. Preferably, the capacitive elements (C , C ) are arranged in a high-pass configuration such that the two highest resonant modes, an odd mode ( ) and an even mode ( ), are tuned to have peak responsivity to a common imaging frequency. The odd mode ( ) is responsive to magnetic fields which are normal to the coil ( ), while the even mode is responsive to magnetic fields which are parallel to the coil ( ) and perpendicular to the main magnetic field. In one embodiment, the quadrature coil ( ) is curved such that it is partially wrapped around a portion of a subject ( ) with the rung elements of the coil ( ) parallel to the main magnetic field B . The quadrature coil ( ) provides improved B field uniformity and greater tuning stability due to reduced localized electric field effects. The coil ( ) provides greater accessibility for interventional procedures conducted in a vertical field or open magnetic resonance imaging system.

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Highland Heights, OH, United States of America

Hiroyuki Fujita