Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Ingo Schmale

Oliver Lips

Peter Vernickel

Christoph G Leussler

Bernhard Gleich

Christian Findeklee

Peter Mazurkewitz

Jürgen Erwin Rahmer

Christoph Günther Leussler

Tim Nielsen

Richard Moessel

Peter Boernert

Johannes Adrianus Overweg

Michael Harald Kuhn

Daniel Wirtz

Jochen Keupp

Claas Bontus

Ingmar Graesslin

Arne Ewald

Jörn Borgert

Nick Flaeschner

Christopher Günther Leussler

Peter Venickel

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

A wireless passive marker device () to be tracked and a respective tracking system () are provided which make use of a sensing unit () comprising a resonator element () with piezoelectric properties and a coil element (), whereby an externally applied excitation field having a particular frequency is applied to act on the sensing unit () and wherein the sensing unit () responds to the externally applied excitation field by the resonator element () performing persisting mechanical oscillations in resonant mode, the persisting mechanical oscillations resulting in a piezoelectric voltage causing the coil element () to generate a magnetic field that may then be detected by the tracking system () and used for determining the position of the marker device () and/or sensing a physical property in the surrounding environment of the marker device ().

Passive wireless coil-based markers and tracking system

A system for receiving signals from a magneto-mechanical oscillator includes a main coil array adapted to receive a response signal of the magneto-mechanical oscillator and to transmit an excitation signal to the magneto-mechanical oscillator, and an additional coil for receiving a signal of the magneto-mechanical oscillator. A localizer is adapted to localize the additional coil and comprises a controller for controlling the main coil array and the additional coil such that a received localization signal is generated, a sensitivity provider for providing sensitivity information, and a processor for determining a position and/or orientation of the additional coil based on the provided sensitivity information and based on the received localization signal. A kit is provided for upgrading a system with a main coil array, by adding one or more additional coils and providing software for locating the one or more additional coils with the use of a pilot tone transmission.

System for receiving signals from a magneto-mechanical oscillator

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

The invention provides for a medical imaging system () comprising a memory () storing machine executable instructions () and a configured artificial neural network (). The medical imaging system further comprises a processor () configured for controlling the medical imaging system. Execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor to receive () magnetic resonance imaging data (), wherein the magnetic resonance imaging data is BOLD functional magnetic resonance imaging data descriptive of a time dependent BOLD signal () for each of a set of voxels. Execution of the machine executable instructions further causes the processor to construct () a set of initial signals () by reconstructing the time dependent BOLD signal for each of the set of voxels using the magnetic resonance imaging data. Execution of the machine executable instructions further causes the processor to receive () a set of modified signals () in response to inputting the set of initial signals into the configured artificial neural network. The configured artificial neural network is configured for removing physiological artifacts from the set of initial signals.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging artifact removal by means of an artificial neural network

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 invention relates to a shim iron () for use with an magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus (), wherein the shim iron () is comprised of a stack of shim plates (), wherein at least two of the shim plates () comprise slits, the slits forming a respective slit pattern of the slit shim plates (), and wherein the slit patterns, when viewed from the same viewing direction, are comprised of at least two different slit patterns which may not be brought into congruent coverage with each other. In this way, a shim iron () is provided which does not heat up to high temperatures due to eddy currents.

Shim irons for a magnetic resonance apparatus

The invention provides for a magnetic resonance imaging system () comprising a radio frequency system () configured for acquiring magnetic resonance data () from an imaging zone (). The radio frequency system is configured for sending and receiving radio frequency signals to acquire the magnetic resonance data, wherein the radio frequency system comprises: an elliptical transmission coil () configured for generating a B1+ excitation field within the imaging zone; and an active B1 shim coil () configured for being placed within the imaging zone, wherein the radio frequency system is configured for suppling radio frequency power to the active B1 shim coil during the generation of the B1+ excitation field by the elliptical transmission coil, wherein the B1 shim coil is configured for shimming the B1+ excitation field within the imaging zone.

Active b1+ shimming of transmission coils

A magnetic resonance imaging system () comprising a main magnet () for generating a main magnetic field within an imaging zone (); a radio frequency, RF, antenna (), comprising an RF input terminal () and an RF output terminal (); an RF system for supplying radio-frequency power to the RF input terminal () to energize the antenna (), the antenna () being further adapted for picking up magnetic resonance signals () from the imaging zone (); a data acquisition system () for receiving the magnetic resonance signals () from the RF output terminal (); wherein the RF input terminal () is in galvanic connection to the antenna () and the RF output terminal () is inductively coupled to the antenna ().

MRI system with optimized RF transmit and receive capabilities

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 radio frequency (RF) coil () for use in a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system (), whereby the RF coil () comprises a coil PCB (), multiple conductive elements () provided on the coil PCB (), multiple feeding ports () for the excitation of the multiple conductive elements (), at least one connection port (), and multiple feeding lines () connecting the at least one connection port () to the multiple feeding ports (), whereby the multiple feeding lines () are provided as co-planar feeding lines, which are arranged at the coil PCB (). The present invention further provides a radio frequency (RF) arrangement (), comprising a RF coil () as specified above and a RF shield (). The present invention also provides a MR imaging system () comprising the above RF coil () of the above RF arrangement ().

Growing community of inventors

Hamburg, Germany

Ingo Schmale