Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Robert Paul Kleihorst

Marinus Johannes Adrianus Maria Van Helvoort

Marc Paul Saes

Cornelis Leonardus Gerardus Ham

Jan Bertus Marten Warntjes

Miha Fuderer

Dagnachew Birru

Johan Samuel Van Den Brink

Johannes Petrus Groen

Nicolaas Bernardus Roozen

Bernhard Wagner

Eerke Holle

Eugenio Cantatore

Paulus Cornelius Hendrikus Adrianus Haans

Cecilia Possanzini

Marinus J A M Van Helvoort

Cornelis L G Ham

Lambertus De Vries

Jeff Bennett

Johannes Den Boef

Martijn Roger La Grange

Gerardus B J Mulder

Paulus C H A Haans

Johannes Antonius Van Vliet

Peter-Christian Erich Heinrich Hans-Joachim Leymann

Arno Ostendorf

Diana M F Geraats

Marinus L A Vrinten

Andreas Henricus Wilhelmus Snelders

The invention relates to an electrical power distribution apparatus () connectible to one or more loads (). The electrical power distribution apparatus () comprises inter alia one or more taps () for supplying the loads () with electrical power. On top of circuit breakers () to switch off the power supply in order to protect the loads against damage, there is also arranged a second layer of soft fuse switches () which are arranged to switch on or off the power supply at the taps () to control distribution of the power. The soft fuses () operate in dependence on and in response to commands issued from a controller () which in turn operates and issues those commands in response to and independence on the voltages and amperages monitored at those taps () by way of a monitoring module (). Switching on/off occurs at amperage and voltages lower than the critical threshold values to which the circuit breakers () respond to.

Power distribution apparatus

An antenna system for an implantable device like a cardiac pacemaker or a cochlear implant. The antenna system includes at least two coil units coupled with their terminals to a control circuit which can selectively connect the coil units in series or in anti-series, corresponding to a 'operational mode' and a 'safety mode', respectively. In the operational mode, magnetically induced voltages in the coil units add, while they subtract and therefore completely or partially compensate in the safety mode. Thus the implantable device can be protected from damage due to extraordinarily large changing rates of external magnetic fields as they exist for example during MRI examinations.

Antenna system with safety mode

A method and an arrangement for uni- or bidirectional wireless communication of signals or data especially in a reflective environment like a MR imaging system, between at least one first transmitter and/or receiver unit (; T/R) and at least one second transmitter and/or receiver unit (; T/R) is disclosed. The reliability and availability of the communication link especially in a highly reflective environment is improved especially by using spread spectrum technology and ultra wide band carrier frequencies.

Method and arrangement for wireless communication of signals in a MR system

The invention relates to a device () for magnetic resonance imaging of a body (), comprising a main magnet () for generation of a stationary and substantially homogeneous main magnetic field within the examination zone, a plurality of wireless receiving units () placed in or near the examination zone, and sampling means () operating at a variable sampling frequency for sampling the received MR signals and for converting them into digital signal samples. The invention proposes to make provision for energizing means () generating an RF energizing field within the examination zone for inductively supplying electric power to the wireless receiving units (), wherein the frequency of the RF energizing field is an integer multiple of the sampling frequency.

Magnetic resonance device and method for energizing receiving units

The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging system, to a magnetic resonance imaging method for operating a magnetic resonance imaging system and to a computer program for operating a magnetic resonance imaging system. In order to considerably reduce the number of cabling in a magnetic resonance imaging system a magnetic resonance imaging system () is suggested, the system comprising: an examination zone () arranged to receive a body for examination; magnetic field generating means () for generating a magnetic field in the examination zone (); a receiving unit () located in the examination zone () or in the vicinity of the examination zone (); an interface unit () located in the examination zone () or in the vicinity of the examination zone (), and arranged separately from the receiving unit (); and a signal processing unit () disposed at a location () remote from the receiving unit () and the interface unit (); wherein the receiving unit () comprising a receiver () adapted to receive a spin resonance signal generated in the examination zone (), and a transmitter () adapted to transmit the spin resonance signal to the interface unit (); and wherein the interface unit () comprises a receiver () for receiving the spin resonance signals, an analog to digital converter () adapted to generate a digital signal in response to the received spin resonance signal, and a transmitter () for transmitting the digitized signal to the signal processing unit ().

MRI system comprising a scan room interface for A/D-conversion of MR signals between a receiver coil unit and a remote signal processing unit

The invention relates to a magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus comprising an electrical coil system () for transmitting and receiving a radio-frequency (RF) magnetic field from an examination volume () of the MRI apparatus. The electrical coil system () comprises at least one surface coil () which extends substantially in a plane. The surface coil is used for transmitting and/or receiving a RF magnetic field which is oriented substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the surface coil (). The surface coil () has a main coil axis (). When the MRI apparatus is in use, the main coil axis () extends substantially parallel to a main magnetic field in the examination volume () of the MRI apparatus. On both sides of the main coil axis (), the surface coil () comprises an electrically conducting element () which extends substantially parallel to the main coil axis (). To provide a surface coil () which transmits more homogeneous RF magnetic fields and/or has a more homogeneous sensitivity for received RF magnetic fields than known surface coils, at least one of the electrically conducting elements () of the surface coil () comprises at least two electric conductors (). With respect to their distance to the main coil axis (), these electric conductors () are positioned at a relatively short distance from each other. In the plane of the surface coil (), the electric conductors ()extend substantially parallel to the main coil axis () of the surface coil ().

System of electric coils for transmitting and receiving radio-frequency magnetic fields in a magnetic-resonance imaging apparatus, and magnetic-resonance imaging apparatus provided with such a system of electric coils

The invention provides a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device (), comprising a diagnostic space (), a main magnetic system () for generating a main magnetic field in said diagnostic space, a gradient magnetic coil system () comprising a gradient coil for generating at least one gradient of the main magnetic field, and noise reducing means () for reducing noise that is generated as a result of vibrations of the gradient coil. The noise reducing means comprise a sound-absorbing panel () disposed between the gradient coil and the diagnostic space. The sound-absorbing panel () comprises channels having an open end and a closed end.

Magnetic resonance imaging device with sound-absorbing means

The invention relates to a method for determination of spatial sensitivity profiles of RF transmit and/or receive coils () in an examination volume () of a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging device (). In accordance with the method of the invention, nuclear magnetization is excited within the examination volume () by a sequence of RF pulses and switched magnetic field gradients, wherein the sequence comprises RF pulses with at least two different excitation flip angles. MR signals are acquired and processed so as to form at least two MR images, each corresponding to one of these flip angles. The spatial sensitivity profiles are then computed in the positions of the pixels or voxels of the MR images based upon the dependence of the pixel or voxel values on the respective flip angles. Alternatively, a plurality of instances of a sequence of RF pulses and switched magnetic field gradients is applied and MR signals are acquired, wherein a different combination of transmit and receive coils () is used for each instance of the sequence. The spatial sensitivity profiles are then computed in the positions of the pixels or voxels of the MR images formed from the acquired MR signals by taking the logarithm of the pixel or voxel values and by solving a linear system of equations for each pixel or voxel.

Determination of spatial sensitivity profiles of RF coils in magnetic resonance imaging

An MRI system () comprises a housing () defining an examination space () for receiving a body for examination, a patient table () being displaceable into and out of the examination space (), a magnetic field generating system () for generating a magnetic field in the examination space (), and an electromagnetic resonance receive system () which comprises a set of dedicated receive coils (). According to the invention at least one dedicated receive coil () is fixedly attached to the housing ().

MRI system with RF receiver coils fixed to the housing

The invention relates to a treatment room () suitable for recording images of a human or animal body on the basis of a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique, the walls (), the ceiling () and the floor () of the treatment room forming an electromagnetic shield for a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system () arranged in the treatment room, which MR imaging system comprises at least a target area () in which a human or animal body can be placed, a housing () comprising at least one main magnetic unit and at least one gradient magnetic unit for generating one or more magnetic fields in the target area (), and at least one radio-frequency (RF) pulse unit () for generating an electromagnetic RF pulse in the target area (). The invention further relates to a magnetic resonance imaging system comprising a target area in which a human or animal body can be placed, a housing comprising at least one main magnetic unit and at least one gradient magnetic unit for generating one or more magnetic fields in the target area, and at least one radio-frequency (RF) pulse unit for generating an electromagnetic RF pulse in the target area. In accordance with the invention, means () are present which, in operation, counteract the electromagnetic effects () of the RF pulse in the treatment room () outside the target area ().

Shielded treatment room and device suitable for recording images on the basis of magnetic resonance

The invention relates to a radio-frequent (RF) coil system () for use in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. The RF coil system comprises at least one main coil () for transmitting an RF magnetic field (B) into and/or receiving an RF magnetic field (B') from an examination volume () of the MRI system. The main coil has a main coil axis (), which is or is to be oriented parallel to a main magnetic field (B) in the examination volume, and at least one electrical conductor () which extends mainly parallel to the main coil axis. According to the invention, the RF coil system comprises at least two electrical auxiliary coils () which are assigned to said conductor of the main coil. The auxiliary coils are arranged on opposite sides of said conductor of the main coil. Each auxiliary coil has a coil axis () which extends substantially parallel to the main coil axis at a distance from the conductor of the main coil to which the respective auxiliary coil is assigned, said distance being small relative to a main dimension (L) of the main coil. The auxiliary coils constitute passive electrical coils in which electrical currents are generated under the influence of an RF magnetic field (B, B&#x2032;) present at the location of the auxiliary coils. The RF magnetic field (B, B) generated by the auxiliary coils as a result of said currents in the auxiliary coils suppresses said RF magnetic field present at the location of the auxiliary coils. Thus, the auxiliary coils provide a sensitivity reducing effect of the RF coil system in local regions () which are at relatively small distances from the conductor of the main coil. For regions at a distance from the conductor of the main coil comparable to the main dimension of the main coil, said sensitivity reducing effect is negligible.

MRI RF surface coil with reduced sensitivity in proximity of conductors

A combiner/splitter device () comprises two transmission lines (), wound to form a helical coil (), this helical coil being bent to a toroidal shape. Furthermore, a capacitor () is provided, connected in parallel with the two outer conductors () of the two transmission lines (). The combination of the wound transmission lines and said capacitor forms a parallel resonator (). The combiner/splitter device is suitable for use in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system to combine the output signals of a receiver coil system and/or to split the input signal of a transmission coil system used in the MRI system.

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Robert Paul Kleihorst