General Electric Company

Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC

Ge Electric Company

Michael Ben Sellers

Neil Clarke

Timothy John Havens

Anthony Mantone

Yuri Lvovsky

Timothy James Hollis

Bruce Courtney Campbell Amm

Tomas Duby

Chris Mark Cirel

Michael L Allford

Robert Belinski

Delton Grey

A gradient coil and an insert gradient coil for a magnetic resonance imaging system include a primary coil. The primary coil includes an upper primary coil portion and a lower primary coil portion, the lower primary coil portion being less curved in cross-section than the upper primary coil portion. The gradient coil also includes a shielding coil disposed outside of the primary coil. The shielding coil includes an upper shielding coil portion and a lower shielding coil portion, the lower shielding coil portion being less curved in cross-section than the upper shielding coil portion.

Flattened gradient coil for MRI systems

A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system is disclosed. The MRI system includes a cryogenic magnet assembly with a cryogenic vessel housing a superconducting magnet. Disposed radially inboard of the cryogenic magnet assembly are a gradient coil module and a plurality of room temperature steel rings proximate to the gradient coil module. A field of view is defined by at least the superconducting magnet, the gradient coil module, and the plurality of room temperature steel rings. In response to the superconducting magnet being energized, the room temperature steel rings create high order harmonics that serve to expand the magnetic field homogeneity FOV, and low order harmonics that tend to degrade the magnetic field homogeneity within the FOV. The low order harmonics are compensated for by the cryogenic magnet assembly.

Magnetic field generating apparatus for magnetic resonance imaging

An apparatus for providing forced airflow to a surface of a cylindrical gradient coil in a cylindrical magnet assembly including a cylindrical magnet and a first annular gap between the gradient coil and the magnet, the gradient coil mounted inside the magnet includes a first manifold tube having an annular shape and located in the first annular gap between the gradient coil and the magnet. The first manifold tube includes at least one inlet on a first side of the first manifold tube and a plurality of outlet holes on a second side of the first manifold tube. The apparatus also includes an air source coupled to at least one inlet of the first manifold tube and configured to provide airflow to the first manifold tube. In one embodiment, a second manifold tube may be located in a second annular gap between the gradient coil and the RF coil.

Apparatus and method of providing forced airflow to a surface of a gradient coil

A method for reducing acoustic noise in a medical imaging system is described. The method includes attaching a material to an area affected by an acoustic noise generated by the imaging system. The material is configured to bend upon receiving an electrical signal.

Methods and systems for reducing acoustic noise in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system

An apparatus for cooling a gradient coil assembly of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system and for controlling a temperature of a magnet warm bore is provided. The gradient coil assembly includes an inner gradient coil assembly and an outer gradient coil assembly. A first cooling circuit is provided that has a cooling tube positioned at a distance from the inner gradient coil assembly. The cooling tube of the first cooling circuit is configured to transport a first coolant having a first temperature. A second cooling circuit is provided that has a cooling tube positioned at a distance from the outer gradient coil assembly. The cooling tube of the second cooling circuit is configured to transport a second coolant having a second temperature. The apparatus also includes a controller coupled to the first cooling circuit and the second cooling circuit. The controller is configured to independently control the first temperature of the first coolant and the second temperature of the second coolant.

System, method and apparatus for controlling the temperature of a MRI magnet warm bore

A system and method for acoustic noise reduction/cancellation is disclosed that includes a medical imaging scanner configured to scan an imaging subject within an imaging area that emits system noise when in operation. An ultrasonic emitter system is included that is constructed to emit an inaudible signal having properties to reduce perception of the system noise about at least a portion of the imaging area.

System and method for reducing auditory perception of noise associated with a medical imaging process

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device includes an inner gradient coil assembly proximate a patient positioning area, an outer gradient coil assembly proximate a magnet assembly, and a damping layer sandwiched between the inner and outer gradient coil assemblies.

Acoustically damped gradient coil

The present invention provides for a cooling system for circulating a coolant to cool the patient bore. In one embodiment, that patient bore consists of two concentric cylinders separated by spacers running either longitudinally or helically. In another embodiment of the present invention, fluid may be passed either helically or longitudinally through tubes bonded to the outer diameter of the patient bore such that the parts of the bore that are exposed to the patient are directly cooled. In a third embodiment, the RF coil could form part of the patient bore, with the helical or longitudinal fluid channels surrounding the patient bore.

Apparatus for active cooling of an MRI patient bore in cylindrical MRI systems

The disclosed apparatus relates to a gradient coil assembly for a magnetic resonance imaging system. The gradient coil assembly comprises: at least two coils. The coils comprise: at least one conductor mechanically bonded via a nonconducting substrate. The bonding surface of the at least one conductor has been subjected to a surface treatment to improve the mechanical bonding properties of the bonding surface. The disclosed apparatus also relates to a magnetic imaging system. The magnetic imaging system comprises: a system controller; a gradient amplifier unit in operable communication with the system controller; a magnetic assembly in operable communication with the gradient amplifier. The magnetic assembly comprises: a gradient coil assembly comprising at least two coils. The coils comprise: at least one conductor mechanically bonded via a nonconducting substrate. A bonding surface of the at least one conductor has been subjected to a surface treatment to improve the mechanical bonding properties of the bonding surface. The disclosed method relates to assembling a gradient coil assembly. The method comprises: treating a bonding surface of at least one conductor; and bonding the at least one conductor to a nonconducting substrate.

Gradient coil and method for construction

A thermal barrier is introduced to a magnetic resonance imaging system between the patient bore and each of the gradient coil assembly and RF body coil assembly to maintain the temperature within the patient bore below a maximum operating temperature. This allows the RF body coils to run cooler and also provides a thermal barrier between the gradient coils and the patient bore. In one preferred embodiment, a hollow conductor structure is introduced to the RF body coils at a position between the gradient coils and the patient bore tube. In another embodiment, the hollow conductor structure replaces the flat copper strip of the prior art and itself functions as the RF body coils.

Growing community of inventors

Florence, SC, United States of America

Michael Ben Sellers