General Electric Company

Johns Hopkins University

Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC

Ray Fli Lee

Christopher Judson Hardy

William A Edelstein

Eddy Benjamin Boskamp

A multiple channel array coil for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the array coil includes a plurality of conductive strips formed within a dielectric medium. The conductive strips are further arranged into a generally cylindrical configuration, with each of the strips having a length (l), selected to cause each of the strips to serve as a resonator at a frequency corresponding to a proton MRI frequency. Thereby, the generally cylindrical configuration of conductive strips forms a multiple channel, volume resonator in which each of the strips is isolated from the remaining strips.

Multiple channel, microstrip transceiver volume array for magnetic resonance imaging

A parallel Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system is provided for reconstructing images, to enable accelerated MRI with minimal artifacts. The MRI system comprises an array of magnetic resonance (MR) coils arranged in an array for detecting a plurality of MR signals, each coil having a corresponding spatial sensitivity profile and a processing means for processing the plurality of MR signals with at least one filter bank to reconstruct at least one image.

Method and apparatus for reconstruction of images in parallel MRI systems

A radio frequency (RF) detector array and a MRI system are provided. The detector array comprises a plurality of conductive array elements being substantially parallel to a conductive ground plane, a plurality of capacitors, wherein at least one capacitor is shunted from each array element to the ground plane to adjust a corresponding electrical length of each conductive array element, and, wherein a combination of each respective array element, at least one corresponding capacitor and the ground plane forms a resonator that resonates at a selected frequency. The detector array further a decoupling interface, and a plurality of matching boxes for matching each decoupled conductive strip to a selected impedance. A MRI system is provided including a detector array as described herein to produce MR images of the object to be imaged.

RF detector array for magnetic resonance imaging

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method is described. The method includes simultaneously acquiring partial radial backprojection signals from a cylindrical array of m detectors surrounding an object, generating, in a k-space, additional backprojection signals with decimated b-fold backprojection steps. The generating includes producing 2-dimensional (2D) spatial harmonics to replace the decimated b-fold backprojection steps. The producing includes assuming that a sum of weighted sensitivity profiles of at least one of the detectors is a function of an angle between a vector k and an axis k of the k-space and a function of a radius of a cylindrical surface formed by the array of detectors. The angle is an angle along which reconstruction of an image of the object is performed.

Systems and methods for simultaneous acquisition of spatial harmonics

Featured is a device for detecting electromagnetic signals, more specifically, the magnetic resonance signals from excited nuclei as well as related apparatuses, systems and methods. The detection device includes a planar strip array antenna including a plurality, and in more particular embodiments a multiplicity of parallel conductors (e.g., 4, 16, 32 or more of conductors). The length of the conductors is adjusted to substantially reduce the coupling of a signal in one conductor to an adjacent conductor(s). In a more specific embodiment the length is set so as to be equal to be about n&lgr;/4, where n is an integer&gE;1 and &lgr; is the wavelength of the signal to be detected (e.g., the wavelength corresponding to the NMR resonance frequency for the nuclei). The device also is configured so that the electromagnetic wave on each conductor is one of a standing wave or a traveling wave. Additionally, the device is configurable to provide broad band de-coupling by controlling a ratio of the spacing between conductors and the height of an encapsulation member so as to be less than or equal to a given value. Such a device can further include an EMF interference guard so as to isolate at least a portion of the conductors.

Apparatus for magnetic resonance imaging having a planar strip array antenna including systems and methods related thereto

A radio frequency (RF) detector array assembly for use in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system comprises at least one RF detector array, wherein the array has a plurality of RF detector elements for use in simultaneously acquiring radio frequency (RF) signals from the MRI system, and, a decoupling interface coupled to each of the plurality of detector elements for decoupling each detector element from the remaining detector elements. A method for decoupling radio frequency (RF) detector array elements in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system is provided. The method comprises the steps of providing at least one RF detector array, wherein the detector array has a plurality of RF detector elements, and, providing a decoupling interface coupled to each of the plurality of detector elements for decoupling each detector element from the remaining detector elements.

Method and apparatus for decoupling RF detector arrays for magnetic resonance imaging

There is featured a method for parallel spatial encoding MR image data that is frequency-encoded and sensitivity-encoded that includes applying an analytical transform function to generate weighting coefficients for a given spatial harmonic order and detector index; generating linear combinations of the frequency-encoded and sensitivity-encoded MR image data to generate a set of spatial harmonics that can encode spatial frequencies; and applying at least a 1D Fourier transform to a k-space data set in which spatial frequency dimensions are fully encoded, thereby resulting in. an MR image of an observed object. The method includes synchronizing the MR image data signals to remove spatially-dependent phase errors using for example Fourier-Hilbert Transforms. The method yet further includes demodulating the modulation of generated high order harmonics. Also featured are systems, apparatuses and other processing methods.

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Ray Fli Lee