Quality Electrodynamics, LLC

Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation

Other

Quality Electrodynamis, LLC

Xiaoyu Yang

Tsinghua Zheng

Haoqin Zhu

Matthew Finnerty

Hiroyuki Fujita

Christopher J Allen

Yoshinori Hamamura

Shinji Mitsui

Yong Wu

Thomas Eastlake

Nicholas Castrilla

Labros Petropoulos

David Michael Berendt, Jr

Mathew Finnerty

Shinya Handa

Chris Allen

Oliver Heid

John Thomas Carlon

Samuel Musilli

Joshua Robert Reiderman

The present disclosure is directed to a balun package comprising a set of inductive baluns for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radio frequency (RF) coil. A first resonant circuit and a second resonant circuit each comprise an inductor. A first decoupling circuit leg is between and shared by the first and second resonant circuits and includes one or more decoupling inductors and/or one or more decoupling capacitors. A first cable bundle is wound to form the inductor of the first resonant circuit or is otherwise spaced from and inductively coupled to the inductor of the first resonant circuit.

Balun package comprising multiple inductive baluns for an MRI RF coil

In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a radio frequency (RF) surface coil for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. The RF surface coil includes a rigid lower member, at least one flexible upper member mechanically coupled to the rigid lower member, and one or more RF coil elements housed by the rigid lower member and the at least one flexible upper member. The at least one flexible upper member is dimensioned and manipulable to substantially conform the one or more RF coil elements to a portion of a patient anatomy to be imaged by the MRI system.

Musculoskeletal RF surface coil for MRI

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radio frequency (RF) coil comprising a current-control circuit. A conductive trace forms a coil inductor and comprises a first trace segment and a second trace segment separated by the current-control circuit, which comprises a first reactive element and a circuit branch. The first reactive element is electrically coupled from the first trace segment to the second trace segment, and the circuit branch is electrically coupled in parallel with the first reactive element. The circuit branch comprises a second reactive element and a sub-circuit branch electrically coupled in parallel. The sub-circuit branch comprises a third reactive element and an electronic switch (e.g., a PIN diode) electrically coupled in series. The first reactive element and the third reactive element are one of capacitive and inductive, and the second reactive element is another one of capacitive and inductive.

Pin diode current reduction for MRI transmit coils

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) knee coil comprising a local shim coil. The local shim coil is disposed in a housing of the MRI knee coil. An electromagnetic coil is also disposed in the housing and spaced from the local shim coil. The local shim coil comprises one or more conductors. Each of the conductors of the local shim coil are disposed on a semi-cylindrical surface, and the semi-cylindrical surface extends laterally from a first side of the housing to a second side of the housing. The local shim coil is configured to generate a local shimming magnetic field that reduces a localized magnetic field inhomogeneity caused by a susceptibility artifact disposed in a knee of a patient.

Single shim coil design for Bshimming

The present disclosure relates to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radio frequency (RF) array coil that includes first and second physical RF coils inductively coupled. A first matching circuit and a second matching circuit are coupled to the first physical RF coil and the second physical RF coil, respectively, and are coupled in a parallel configuration at a first RF port. A third matching circuit and a fourth matching circuit are coupled to the first physical RF coil and the second physical RF coil, respectively, and are coupled in an anti-parallel configuration at a second RF port. A first logical RF coil is formed by the first and second physical RF coils and the first and second matching circuits. A second logical RF coil, which is decoupled from the first logical RF coil, is formed by the first and second physical RF coils and the third and fourth matching circuits.

Decoupled MRI coils through coil matching

In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a flexible magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radio frequency (RF) array coil configured to operate in at least one of a transmit (Tx) mode or a receive (Rx) mode. The MRI RF array coil includes a first row of saddle coil elements. At least a first saddle coil element and a second saddle coil element are in the first row. The first and second saddle coil elements partially overlap with one another. Each of the first and second saddle coil elements include a left loop and a right loop that is coupled to the left loop by two connection segments.

MRI saddle based flexible array coil

Embodiments relate to integrated MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) coil arrays that can be stored within a patient table when not in use. One example embodiment comprises a coil array comprising: at least one flat spine-like coil array arranged within a patient table of a MRI system; and flexible coil array(s) configured to be in a stored position within the patient table, wherein, in the stored position, the flexible coil array(s) are one of within or under the at least one flat spine-like rigid coil array, wherein the flexible coil array(s) are further configured to be in an extended position, wherein, in the extended position, the flexible coil array(s) is configured to be extracted from the patient table and to wrap around at least one anatomical region of a patient on the patient table to facilitate MRI of the at least one anatomical region.

Integrated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) coil

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radio frequency (RF) coil. The MRI RF coil comprises a first conductive ring and a second conductive ring. A plurality of rung groups extend between the first and second conductive rings. The plurality of rung groups are spaced uniformly about the first conductive ring. Each of the plurality of rung groups comprises a plurality of conductive rungs extending between and connected to the first and second conductive rings. The plurality of conductive rungs of each of the plurality of rung groups are azimuthally separated from one another by a first azimuth angle. Each of the plurality of rung groups is separated from a neighboring rung group by a spacing that forms a window. Each of the windows have a second azimuth angle that is greater than the first azimuth angle.

MRI coil with a RF shield for radiation or x-ray applications

Embodiments relate to MRI RF multi-tune coil elements, arrays, and MRI systems comprising such elements. One example embodiment comprises: a LC coil comprising one or more matching points; and two or more matching branches, each of which connected to the LC coil at matching point of the one or more matching points that is associated with that matching branch, wherein each matching branch comprises an associated set of one or more RF traps configured to block each frequency of two or more frequencies other than a frequency associated with that matching branch, and wherein each matching branch is configured to match to an associated predetermined impedance at the frequency associated with that matching branch.

Multi-tune magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) coil using different matching impedances

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radio frequency (RF) coil array configured to operate in at least one of a transmit mode or a receive mode on a cylindrical former. The MRI RF coil array includes at first row of RF coil elements. Each row of RF coil elements includes at least three RF coil elements that circumferentially surround a cylindrical axis. The MRI RF coil array also includes a first birdcage coil that circumferentially surrounds the first row of RF coil elements. Each RF coil element of the first row is configured to inductively couple to the first birdcage coil and to each other RF coil elements. The first birdcage coil has an impedance configured to negate inductive coupling between the RF coil elements of the first row.

Multi-row array RF coil with minimized couplings using birdcage coils

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radio frequency (RF) coil configured to operate in at least one of a transmit mode or a receive mode. A first birdcage coil includes a pair of first-birdcage end rings and at least four first-birdcage rungs circumferentially arranged along the first-birdcage end rings. A second birdcage coil including a pair of second-birdcage end rings and at least four second-birdcage rungs circumferentially arranged along the second-birdcage end rings. The first and second birdcage coils neighbor and are spaced by a first non-zero distance along an axis. The axis is surrounded by the first-birdcage end rings and the second-birdcage end rings, and the first non-zero distance is greater than individual lengths of the first and second birdcage coils along the axis.

Gapped multi-birdcage MRI RF coil

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) head coil comprising an open shield. A transmit coil surrounds a phased array receive coil and comprises a resonant birdcage structure. The resonant birdcage structure comprises multiple transmit rungs spaced in a first closed path, and inter-rung spacing at one or more first locations on the first closed path is greater than at a remainder of the first closed path. The open shield surrounds the transmit coil and comprises a non-resonant birdcage structure. The non-resonant birdcage structure comprises multiple shield rungs spaced in a second closed path. The shield rungs are elongated in parallel with the transmit rungs, and inter-rung spacing at one or more second locations on the second closed path is greater than at a remainder of the second closed path. Further, the second location(s) respectively and radially border the first location(s).

MRI head coil comprising an open shield

Embodiments relate to MRI coils with a reduced number of baluns. One example embodiment is a MRI coil comprising: a plurality of coil elements in one or more groups of coil elements, wherein each group of coil elements comprises at least two coil elements and a shared trace comprising portions of associated traces of each coil element of that group RF shorted together, and wherein, for each coil element of that group, the shared trace of the group is RF shorted to a shield of an associated coaxial cable for that coil element; and one or more baluns, wherein, for each group of coil elements, at least one balun of the one or more baluns is configured to mitigate leakage current on the coaxial cable of each coil element of that group of coil elements.

Magnetic resonance imaging coil with significantly fewer number of baluns

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a radio frequency (RF) coil comprising a first combination coil and a second combination coil. The first combination coil comprises a first resonant coil and a first resonant shield coupled inductively or by a capacitor, and the first combination coil has a first resonant frequency and a second resonant frequency. The second combination coil comprises a second resonant coil and a second resonant shield coupled inductively or by a capacitor, and the second combination coil has a third resonant frequency and a fourth resonant frequency. The first and second resonant coils are inductively coupled to each other and respectively to the second and first resonant shields. The first and third resonant working frequencies are the same, and the second and fourth resonant isolation frequencies are such that inductive coupling between the first and second resonant coils is negated.

Method to isolate resonant radio frequency (RF) coils

Embodiments relate to MRI coils and arrays comprising an all-in-one circuit that can perform all the functions of decoupling, balun, tuning, and preamplifier decoupling. One example embodiment is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radio frequency (RF) coil element, comprising: a coil comprising at least one inductor, at least one capacitor, and two connection points; a lattice balun comprising two inputs and two outputs, wherein the two inputs of the lattice balun are connected across the two connection points of the coil; one or more shunt reactive elements connected across the two outputs of the lattice balun, wherein the one or more shunt reactive elements comprises at least one of one or more shunt capacitors or one or more shunt inductors; one or more protection diodes in parallel with the one or more shunt reactive elements; and a low input impedance preamplifier in parallel with the one or more protection diodes.

Growing community of inventors

Indiana, PA, United States of America

Xiaoyu Yang