Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Koninklike Philips N.v.

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.v.

Philips Intellectual Property & Standards Gmbh

Oliver Lips

Sascha Krueger

Steffen Weiss

Peter Vernickel

Christian Findeklee

Bernd R David

Ingo Schmale

Christoph G Leussler

Daniel Wirtz

Falk Uhlemann

Peter Mazurkewitz

Christoph Günther Leussler

Martinus Bernardus Van Der Mark

Bernhard Gleich

Volkmar Schulz

Johannes Adrianus Overweg

Tim Nielsen

Robert Manzke

Ingmar Graesslin

George Randall Duensing

Marinus Johannes Adrianus Maria Van Helvoort

Christopher Günther Leussler

Graham Michael Place

Cornelis Jacobus Hendrikus Blom

Peter Venickel

David Bernd

The invention relates to the field of magnetic resonance, and in particular to determining a location of an error in a supply or signal line. Due to the rugged environment for MR systems in hospitals supply or signal lines of MR systems are error prone. For serviceability and part replacement it is important to locate the error in the supply or signal line or to identify the subunit of the supply or signal line in which the error occurred. The basic idea of the invention is to use an additional impedance, that is coupled to the supply or signal line of the MR system in the region of interconnection for locating the error in the supply or signal line. The additional impedance provides a reference impedance value. By measuring the impedance and comparing the measured impedance to the reference impedance value, the error in the supply or signal line can be located. In one embodiment the additional impedance is realized as additional capacitance and provided as a capacitor.

Locating an error in a supply or signal line of a magnetic resonance system

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

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

A method of setting an RF operating frequency of an MRI system () uses a first reference frequency signal, obtained from a geo-satellite positioning system, as a stable long term frequency reference. A second frequency source () is calibrated using the first frequency reference signal and the second frequency reference source () is then used as the master clock for the MRI system (), for setting the RF operating frequency.

Magnetic resonance imaging system and method using frequency calibration based on a signal from a geo-satellite positioning system

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 relates to the field of magnetic resonance, and in particular to determining a location of an error in a supply or signal line (). Due to the rugged environment for MR systems () in hospitals supply or signal lines () of MR systems () are error prone. For serviceability and part replacement it is important to locate the error in the supply or signal line () or to identify the subunit () of the supply or signal line () in which the error occurred. The basic idea of the invention is to use an additional impedance (), that is coupled to the supply or signal line () of the MR system () in the region of interconnection () for locating the error in the supply or signal line (). The additional impedance provides a reference impedance value. By measuring the impedance and comparing the measured impedance to the reference impedance value, the error in the supply or signal line () can be located. In one embodiment the additional impedance () is realized as additional capacitance and provided as a capacitor ().

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

A radio frequency (RF) antenna arrangement comprising an RF antenna element and an optical back-end. The RF antenna element comprises an electrically conductive loop, an electronic pre-amplifier and a photo-electrical conversion element. The optical back-end comprising an optical power source and a photodetector. The RF antenna element and the optical back-end being optically coupled, and wherein the optical power source is optically coupled to the photo-electrical conversion element. The photo-electrical conversion element generates upon incidence of optical power from the optical power source an electrical power signal to the pre-amplifier. The photo-electrical conversion element generates optical data signals from electrical data signals picked-up by the electrically conductive loop. The photo-electrical conversion element applies the optical data signals to the photodetector.

Radio frequency (RF) antenna element with an optical back-end

A radio frequency (RF) system comprises an RF-array of antenna elements, a regulating arrangement to tune the antenna elements' impedances and a camera system to acquire image information of the RF-array. An analysis module is provided to derive operational settings such as resonant tuning settings, decoupling and impedance matchings of the antenna elements' impedances from the image information. The image information also represents the actual impedances and resonant properties of the RF-array. From the image information appropriate impedance settings can be derived that are the tuning parameters to render the RF-array resonant.

Adjusting of radiofrequency array using a camera system

When predicting required component service in an imaging device such as a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging device (), component parameters such as coil voltage, phase lock lost (PLL) events, etc. are sampled to monitor system components. Voltage samples are filtered according to their temporal proximity to coil plug-in and unplug events to generate a filtered data set that is analyzed by a processor () to determine whether to transmit a fault report. A service recommendation is received based on the transmitted report and includes a root cause diagnosis and service recommendation that is output to a user interface ().

Device and context specific signal pattern analysis for magnetic resonance imaging equipment component diagnostics and predictive maintenance

The present invention provides a radio frequency (RF) shield device () for a magnetic resonance (MR) examination system (), whereby the RF shield device () comprises a first shield () and a second shield (), the first shield () and the second shield () are arranged with a common center axis (), the first shield () has a shield structure () different from a shield structure () of the second shield (), and the first shield () and the second shield () are designed in accordance with different modes of operation of a RF coil device (). The present invention also provides a radio frequency (RF) coil device () for a magnetic resonance (MR) examination system (), whereby the RF coil device () comprises a first coil () and in a second coil (), the first coil () and the second coil () are provided as birdcage coils, the first coil () and the second coil () are arranged with a common center axis (), the first coil () and the second coil () have rungs (), which are arranged non-parallel to the center axis () of the RF coil device (), the first coil () has a coil structure () different from a coil structure () of the second coil (), and the first coil () and the second coil () are switchable to be active for different modes of operation. The present invention further provides a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system (), comprising such a RF coil device () and/or such a RF shield device ().

RF coil device and RF shield device for different MRI modes

The invention relates to a magnetic resonance receive coil including a resonator for use in a magnetic resonance imaging system. The radio frequency receive coil according to the invention comprises a first conducting element of the resonator having a conductive loop wherein the received signal is induced in that loop, configured to form a primary resonant circuit tunable to at least one first resonance frequency and a second conducting element of the resonator configured to form an electric circuit electrically insulated from and reactively coupled to the primary resonant circuit, the electric circuit being adapted to detune the primary resonant circuit to at least one second resonance frequency. The second conducting element of the resonator has a conductive loop with a pair of ends connected to a preamplifier. The radio frequency receive coil further comprises an energy harvesting circuit electrically coupled in parallel over the pair of ends of the second conducting element, wherein the energy harvesting circuit is adapted for being connected to the second conducting element during transmission by a switch. A rechargeable power source is coupled to the energy harvesting circuit, wherein the rechargeable power source is adapted for being charged by the energy harvesting circuit. A switching component is circuited in parallel to the energy harvesting circuit, wherein is adapted to redirect a current as soon as the rechargeable power source is charged to a sufficient voltage. In this way, a magnetic resonance receive coil with a detune circuit and an energy harvesting circuit for energy harvesting is provided without a significant loss of detuning performance.

Magnetic resonance receive coil with detune circuit and energy harvesting circuit

The present invention relates to a catheter () for applying energy to an object () and a magnetic resonance imaging system () for localizing the catheter (). The catheter () comprises an energy application element for applying energy to the object (), and a cavity for providing a magnetic resonance fluid from which magnetic resonance signals generated by the magnetic resonance imaging system () are receivable, wherein the cavity is adapted for providing a cooling fluid as the magnetic resonance fluid for cooling the energy application element. The catheter () comprises further a tracking coil () for tracking the catheter (), wherein the tracking coil () is adapted to receive the magnetic resonance signals from the magnetic resonance fluid. Thus, the magnetic resonance fluid fulfils at least two functions, providing magnetic resonance signals for tracking the catheter () and cooling the energy application element.

Catheter being usable in a magnetic resonance imaging system

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.

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Hamburg, Germany

Oliver Lips