Intermagnetics General Corporation

Robert Gluckstern

Paul Domigan

Mathew Arnold Hass

A permanent magnet assembly having a central elliptical bore, suitable for reception of a patient in an MRI system, is formed of a plurality of elliptically shaped sections disposed along an axis of the bore. Each section is subdivided into a plurality of segments in which each segment is constructed of bricks of magnetic material. Each brick has the shape of a right parallel piped. In any one of the segments, all of the bricks are arranged parallel to a common plane which is parallel to the bore axis. The bricks are magnetized with magnetization vector oriented in a common direction perpendicular to the plane. Full bricks are employed throughout all of the segments with the exception of a plurality of bricks along a surface of the bore wherein truncation of one or more of the bricks may be required to attain a desired homogeneity to a dipole magnetic field within the field. Directions of magnetization of the various segments vary in a symmetrical pattern about the bore to attain the desired field within the bore while minimizing any magnetic field outside of the assembly. This reduces overall weight of the assembly, and reduces the manufacturing cost.

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Rockville, MD, United States of America

Robert Gluckstern