Intermagnetics General Corporation

Aurora Imaging Technology, Inc.

Mathew Arnold Hass

Paul Domigan

David Graessle

Alan L Oslan

Gunther Becht

Stephen D Venditti

Robert Gluckstern

A magnetic resonance imaging system for imaging human breasts, in which the system includes a main magnet providing a static magnetic field, a gradient coil insert received within the internal bore of the main magnet, the gradient coil insert including gradient coils providing a spatially varying magnetic field, a patient support table configured to support the patient within the patient opening, the patient support table including a patient support member with at least one breast opening sized and positioned so that in use the patient's breast extends through the opening and is accessible below the patient support member, an RF transmitter coil mounted on the patient support table in the vicinity of the at least one breast opening, and an RF receiver coil separate from the RF transmitter coil and mounted on the patient support table in the vicinity of the at least one breast opening.

Separate local RF transmit and receive coils for breast MRI system

A patient support table for breast MRI systems, the table including a base configured to slide into and out of the bore of an MRI system; a patient support member attached to the base and having a top surface shaped to support a patient in a prone position; two breast openings in the patient support member, the breast openings being sized and positioned to permit the patient's breasts to extend downward beneath the patient support member, at least a pair of breast immobilization paddles, one on each side of a breast opening, the immobilization paddles comprising a grid of breast contact elements that contact the breast while providing a plurality of openings through which a surgical tool may be inserted into the breast, and the paddles having a convex curvature along the Z direction (head to toe) so that the breast contacting surface of each paddle is further from the Y-axis center line of the breast opening midway along the Z extent of the paddle than at the Z extremities of the paddle.

Breast magnetic resonace imaging system with curved breast paddles

In a magnetic resonance imaging system, wherein a subject to be imaged is supported within a bore of a magnet assembly and exposed to radio frequency (RF) energy emitted from an excitation coil, gradient coils and an RF screen are disposed within the region of the bore exteriorly to an excitation coil and are configured with a split or open region facing sections of the excitation coil for reduced image currents in the gradient coils and the RF screen from RF field generated by the excitation coil. The X gradient coil is reduced to two enlarged coil sections to the left and to the right of the bore. The two opposed sections of the X gradient coil, the two opposed sections of the Y gradient coil, and the opposed pairs of sections of the Z gradient coil are spaced apart at the top and the bottom of the bore for reduced interaction with the excitation coil section located at the top and the bottom of the bore. Thereby, the space between the excitation coil and the shield can be reduced. A more accurate image is developed with greater efficiency in terms of electric power.

Split gradient coils for MRI system

A permanent magnet assembly having a central elliptical bore, suitable for reception of a patient in an MRI system, is formed of a plurality of elliptically shaped sections disposed along an axis of the bore. Each section is subdivided into a plurality of segments in which each segment is constructed of bricks of magnetic material. Each brick has the shape of a right parallel piped. In any one of the segments, all of the bricks are arranged parallel to a common plane which is parallel to the bore axis. The bricks are magnetized with magnetization vector oriented in a common direction perpendicular to the plane. Full bricks are employed throughout all of the segments with the exception of a plurality of bricks along a surface of the bore wherein truncation of one or more of the bricks may be required to attain a desired homogeneity to a dipole magnetic field within the field. Directions of magnetization of the various segments vary in a symmetrical pattern about the bore to attain the desired field within the bore while minimizing any magnetic field outside of the assembly. This reduces overall weight of the assembly, and reduces the manufacturing cost.

Growing community of inventors

Andover, MA, United States of America

Mathew Arnold Hass