Hyperfine Operations, Inc.

Michael Twieg

Laura Sacolick

Hadrien A Dyvorne

Rafael O'Halloran

Carole Lazarus

Eddy B Boskamp

Prantik Kundu

Mark Joseph Tuccillo

Systems and methods for operating a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system are provided. The MRI system includes a magnetics system and a power system configured to provide power to at least some of the magnetics system. The power system includes an energy storage device and a power supply configured to receive mains electricity. The MRI system also includes at least one controller configured to control the MRI system to operate in accordance with a pulse sequence at least in part by generating, by using power supplied by the power supply and supplemental power supplied by the energy storage device, at least one gradient field using at least one gradient coil of the magnetics system.

Systems and methods for providing operating power to an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system

The present disclosure provides techniques for using opto-isolator circuitry to control switching circuitry configured to be coupled to a radio-frequency (RF) coil of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. In some embodiments, opto-isolator circuitry described herein may be configured to galvanically isolate switch controllers of the MRI system from the switching circuitry and/or provide feedback across an isolation barrier. Some embodiments provide an apparatus including switching circuitry configured to be coupled to an RF coil of an MRI system and a drive circuit that includes opto-isolator circuitry configured to control the switching circuitry. Some embodiments provide an MRI system that includes an RF coil configured to, when operated, transmit and/or receive RF signals to and/or from a field of view of the MRI system, switching circuitry coupled to the RF coil, and a drive circuit that includes opto-isolator circuitry configured to control the switching circuitry.

Opto-isolator circuitry for magnetic resonance imaging applications

A device and method for detecting motion and position of a patient positioned within a magnetic resonance imaging system, the device including at least one sensor configured to be capacitively coupled to the patient during magnetic resonance imaging. The method includes, while a patient is positioned within a magnetic resonance imaging system, measuring a reflected power value indicative of an amount of power reflected by the at least one sensor in response to being driven by at least one RF signal, and determining, using the reflected power value, whether the patient has moved.

Systems and methods for detecting patient motion during magnetic resonance imaging

Systems and methods for generating a gradient waveform for use by a low-field MRI system to generate a gradient magnetic field are provided herein. The gradient waveform can be determined using first information indicative of the gradient waveform and second information indicative of hardware constraints of the low-field MRI system including a maximum voltage of the gradient power amplifier, a maximum slew rate of the gradient coil, a resistance of the gradient coil, and an inductance of the gradient coil. In some embodiments, the gradient waveform can be a trapezoidal gradient waveform determined to have a non-linear ramp-up portion and/or a non-linear ramp-down portion.

Gradient waveform design for low-field magnetic resonance imaging systems

Described herein are power components that may facilitate efficient, low noise operation of low-field MRI systems. In some embodiments, the power components may include switching power converters configured to switch in a manner that reduces or eliminates noise within a desired frequency band (e.g., the Larmor frequency band) due to harmonics of the switching frequency. For example, the desired frequency band may be positioned between adjacent integer harmonics of the switching frequency. In some embodiments, harmonic components generated by multiple switching power converters may destructively interfere with one another, reducing or eliminating the amplitude of the harmonic components of the switching frequency that reside in the desired frequency band. In some embodiments, the power components may include switching power converters configured in parallel without the need for active current balancing circuitry.

Growing community of inventors

New Haven, CT, United States of America

Michael Twieg