Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Picker International, Inc.

Other

Philips Intellectual Property & Standards Gmbh

Michael Andrew Morich

Gordon D DeMeester

Zhiyong Zhai

Labros S Petropoulos

John Lester Patrick

Volkmar Schulz

Paul Royston Harvey

Torsten Solf

Shmaryu M Shvartsman

Hiroyuki Fujita

Robert W Brown

Daniel Gagnon

Michael Burl

David A Lampman

Johan Overweg

Kevin Nieman

Christoph G Leussler

Jerome John Griesmer

Douglas M Blakeley

Mark A Richard

William H Amor, Sr

Xueming Zou

Robert Gauss

Navdeep Ojha

Michael A Martens

Miha Fuderer

Christian Findeklee

Wayne R Dannels

Eddy Y Wong

Bjoern Weissler

Timothy P Eagan

Kevin Patrick McMahon

Kai-Michael Luedeke

Jerome S Alden, Sr

Robert L Zahn

Vishnu C Srivastava

Gerardus B J Mulder

John V M McGinley

James L Gruden

Labros S Retropoulos

Clarence E Payton

A S Hall

J V Hajnal

Shmaryu Shvartsman

Eddy Yu Ping Wong

Nabeel M Malik

Kevin M Nieman

Gordon D De Meester

Gordon D Demeester

Torsten J Solf

Johan A Overweg

A magnetic resonance (MR) system includes a volume-type radio-frequency (RF) coil assembly having a volume coil with a plurality of ports and a ring coil with a plurality of ports (p') and which is situated about the volume-type coil. At least one controller is configured to selectively control a first transmit/receive (T/R) radio frequency (RF) channel to generate an output including RF quadrature signals to drive the volume-type coil and to selectively control a second T/R RF channel to generate an output including RF quadrature signals to drive the ring coil.

Magnetic resonance volume coil with multiple independent transmit receive channels and method of operation thereof

A router (), for use with magnetic resonance systems (), selectively routes unique excitation signals, generated by a multi-channel radio-frequency (RF) amplifier, over transmission lines (Tx) to any one of a plurality of connection panels () which each accepts at least one RF coil assembly having multiple coil elements (). Each connection panel () includes transceiver ports () for connecting at least one conductor () of the coil elements () to a corresponding transceiver channel (T/R). The router () selectively routes magnetic resonance signals received by the conductors () from the transceiver channels (T/R) to a multi-channel RF receiver (). The coin elements may carry sine-mode currents or uniform currents.

Router and coil array for ultra high field MRI

A magnetic resonance system () includes at least one radio frequency (RF) transmit coil (), an RF transmitter (), an anthropometric unit (), and an adaptive SAR unit (). The at least one radio frequency (RF) transmit coil () transmits measured RF power to excite and manipulate magnetic resonance in tissues of a subject () in an examination region. The RF transmitter () controls the amount of transmitted RF power based on a specific absorption rate (SAR) for an imaging sequence. The anthropometric unit () determines a mass of a portion of the subject which receives the transmitted RF power based on a determined total mass. The adaptive SAR unit () adjusts a selected scan sequence based on the SAR parameters determined from the measured transmitted RF power and a measured reflected power, achieved IB+I field, the mass of the portion of the subject which receives the transmitted RF power and applicable SAR parameter models stored in a SAR reference unit ().

Adaptive specific absorption rate (SAR) control for magnetic resonance imaging

A radiation therapy planning and follow-up system () includes an MR scanner () with a first bore () which defines an MR imaging region () and a functional scanner (), e.g., a nuclear imaging scanner, or a CT scanner with a second bore () which defines a nuclear or CT imaging region (). The first and second bores () have a diameter of at least 70 cm, and preferably 80-85 cm. A radiation therapy type couch () moves linearly through the MR imaging region () along an MR longitudinal axis and the nuclear or CT imaging region () along a nuclear or CT longitudinal axis which is aligned with the MR longitudinal axis. The couch positions a subject sequentially in the MR and nuclear or CT imaging regions (). A fusion processor combines an image representation generated from data collection in the MR imaging region () and an image representation generated from data collection in the nuclear or CT imaging region () into a composite image representation and a planning processor () generates a radiation therapy treatment plan according to the composite image.

Radiation therapy planning and follow-up system with large bore nuclear and magnetic resonance imaging or large bore CT and magnetic resonance imaging

A hybrid imaging system includes a magnetic resonance scanner and a second modality imaging system disposed in the same radio frequency isolation space. The second modality imaging system includes radiation detectors configured to detect at least one of high energy particles and high energy photons. In some embodiments a retractable radio frequency screen is selectively extendible into a gap between the magnetic resonance scanner and the second modality imaging system. In some embodiments shim coils are disposed with the magnetic resonance scanner and are configured to compensate for distortion of the static magnetic field of the magnetic resonance scanner produced by proximity of the second modality imaging system.

Hybrid PET/MR imaging systems

Coil elements () generate a Bexcitation field in an examination region (), which Bexcitation field is distorted by patient loading (e.g., wavelength effects). Passive shimming elements () are disposed between the coil elements and the subject in order to improve the Bfield uniformity. In one embodiment, passive shimming elements include one or more dielectric rods () disposed below the subject which generate no substantial MR proton signal and which have a permittivity of at least 100 and preferably greater than 500. In another embodiment, tubes () adjacent each coil element are supplied with a dielectric liquid, a thickness of the dielectric liquid between the coil element and the subject adjusting a phase of the Bfield generated by the coil element. Active Bshimming may be combined with passive shimming elements () to effect an improved RF field homogeneity result.

[object Object]

In preparation for acquiring PET image data, subject motion models are built based on physiologic signal monitoring and MR data is collected and used for improved PET imaging. The physiologic signal monitoring is also used during PET imaging, and the acquired MR data is used for prospective or retrospective gating of the PET image acquisition, or in the PET reconstruction for improved correction/imaging.

MR-PET cyclic motion gating and correction

An imaging method comprises: acquiring magnetic resonance data of a subject using a magnetic resonance component (') disposed with the subject; acquiring nuclear imaging data of the subject with the magnetic resonance component disposed with the subject; determining a position of the magnetic resonance component respective to a frame of reference of the nuclear imaging data; and reconstructing the nuclear imaging data () to generate a nuclear image () of at least a portion of the subject. The reconstructing includes adjusting at least one of the nuclear imaging data and the nuclear image based on a density map () of the magnetic resonance component and the determined position of the magnetic resonance component respective to the frame of reference of the nuclear imaging data to correct the nuclear image for radiation absorption by the magnetic resonance component.

Hybrid MR/PET with correction for radiation absorption by MR coil

A generally cylindrical set of coil windings includes primary coil windings and shield coil windings at a larger radial position than the primary coil windings, and an arcuate or annular central gap that is free of coil windings, has an axial extent of at least ten centimeters, and spans at least a 180&#xb0; angular interval. Connecting conductors disposed at each edge of the central gap electrically connect selected primary and secondary coil windings. In a scanner setting, a main magnet is disposed outside of the generally cylindrical set of coil windings. In a hybrid scanner setting, an annular ring of positron emission tomography (PET) detectors is disposed in the central gap of the generally cylindrical set of coil windings.

Split gradient coil and hybrid systems using same

When correcting for attenuation in a positron emission tomography (PET) image, a magnetic resonance (MR) image () of a subject is generated with spectroscopic data () describing the chemical composition of one or more of the voxels in the MR image. A table lookup is performed to identify a tissue type for each voxel based on the MR image data and spectral composition data, and an attenuation value is assigned to each voxel based on its tissue type to generate an MR attenuation correction (MRAC) map (). The MRAC map () is used during reconstruction of the nuclear image () to correct for attenuation therein. Additionally, attenuation due to MR coils and other accessories that remain in a nuclear imager field of view during a combined MR/nuclear scan is corrected using pre-generated attenuation correction maps that are applied to a nuclear image after executing an MR scan to identify anatomical landmarks, which are used to align the pre-generated attenuation correction maps to the patient.

Attenuation correction for PET or SPECT nuclear imaging systems using magnetic resonance spectroscopic image data

Split gradient coil and PET/MTI hybrid system using the same

An imaging system includes positron emission tomography (PET) detectors () shrouded by broadband galvanic isolation () and coincidence detection electronics (), or other radiation detectors. A magnetic resonance scanner includes a main magnet () and magnetic field gradient assembly () configured to acquire imaging data from a magnetic resonance examination region at least partially overlapping the examination region surrounded by the PET detectors. A radio frequency coil () has plurality of conductors () and a radio frequency screen () substantially surrounding the conductors to shield the coil at the magnetic resonance frequency. The radiation detectors are outside of the radio frequency screen. Magnetic resonance-compatible radiation collimators or shielding () containing an electrically non-conductive and non-ferromagnetic heavy atom oxide material are disposed with the radiation detectors.

MR/PET imaging systems

A hybrid imaging system and a patient bed for same are disclosed. The hybrid imaging system includes a magnetic resonance scanner and a second modality imaging system spaced apart from the magnetic resonance scanner by a gap. In some embodiments, the gap is less than seven meters. The patient bed is disposed at least partially in the gap between the magnetic resonance scanner and the second modality imaging system, and includes a linearly translatable patient support pallet aligned to be selectively moved into an examination region of the magnetic resonance scanner for magnetic resonance imaging and into an examination region of the second modality imaging system for second modality imaging. In some embodiments, a linear translation range of the linearly translatable pallet is less than five times a length of the patient support pallet along the direction of linear translation.

Patient bed for PET/MR imaging systems

A magnetic resonance coil comprises a first set of coil elements () operatively connectable with a transmit channel () to couple with a transmit region of sensitivity for a selected load at a magnetic field strength greater than 3 Tesla, and a second set of coil elements () operatively connectable with a receive channel () to couple with a receive region of sensitivity for the selected load at the magnetic field strength greater than 3 Tesla. The first set of coil elements is arranged proximate to but not surrounding the transmit region of sensitivity, and the second set of coil elements is arranged proximate to but not surrounding the receive region of sensitivity. The first set of coil elements and the second set of coil elements having at least one coil element () not in common. The first and second sets of coil elements define transmit and receive regions of sensitivity for the selected load at the magnetic field strength greater than 3 Tesla that are substantially similar.

Transmit/receive coil for ultra-high field MRI

A radio frequency coil assembly includes an annular conductor () configured to support a sinusoidal electrical current distribution at a magnetic resonance frequency, and a radio frequency shield () shielding the annular conductor in at least one direction, the radio frequency shield including at least one of (i) a cylindrical shield portion () surrounding a perimeter of the annular conductor, and (ii) a planar shield portion () arranged generally parallel with the annular conductor. In a magnetic resonance scanner embodiment, a magnet () generates a static magnetic field (B), a magnetic field gradient system () is configured to superimpose selected magnetic field gradients on the static magnetic field, and said radio frequency coil assembly is arranged with the annular conductor generally transverse to the static magnetic field (B).

Sinusoidally resonant radio frequency volume coils for high field magnetic resonance applications

Growing community of inventors

Mentor, OH, United States of America

Michael Andrew Morich