Quality Electrodynamics, LLC

Other

Case Western Reserve University

Yong Wu

Xiaoyu Yang

Tsinghua Zheng

Matthew Finnerty

Thomas Chmielewski

Robert W Brown

Timothy P Eagan

Zhen Yao

Shmaryu M Shvartsman

Shmaryu Shvarstsman

Example magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radio frequency (RF) coils employ flexible coaxial cable. An MRI RF coil may include an LC circuit and an integrated decoupling circuit. The LC circuit includes one or more flexible coaxial cables having a first end and a second end, the one or more flexible coaxial cables having an inner conductor, an outer conductor, and a dielectric spacer disposed between the inner conductor and the outer conductor, where the outer conductor of the coaxial cable is not continuous between the first end and the second end at a first location. The integrated decoupling circuit may include a PIN diode and a tunable element. The tunable element may be tunable with respect to resistance, capacitance, or inductance, and thus may control, at least in part, the frequency at which the LC circuit resonates during RF transmission, or an impedance at the first location.

Flexible coaxial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) coil with integrated decoupling

Radio frequency (RF) shields used with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus may experience gradient field induced eddy currents and RF field induced eddy currents. These eddy currents can cause the RF shield to heat up at an undesirable rate. RF shields are designed to have a desired degree of RF shielding and a desired heating attribute. Design goals for RF shields include gradient field transparency and RF field opacity, both of which can be influenced by eddy currents. Example methods identify a gradient field that will induce eddy currents and identify an RF field that will induce eddy currents. If a region on the RF shield is identified where the desired heating attribute will not be achieved, then a pattern of axial cuts and azimuthal cuts can be made in the RF shield to reduce gradient eddy current heating in the RF shield while maintaining desired RF shielding.

Optimized RF shield design

Example magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radio frequency (RF) coils are described. An MRI RF coil may include an LC circuit and an integrated decoupling circuit. The integrated decoupling circuit may include a wire or other conductor that is connected to the LC circuit and that is positioned within a defined distance of the LC circuit. The integrated decoupling circuit may include a PIN diode and a tunable element. The tunable element may be tunable with respect to resistance, capacitance, or inductance, and thus may control, at least in part, the frequency at which the LC circuit resonates during RF transmission. The example MRI RF coil has more than one point of high impedance, which facilitates reducing heating and operational issues associated with conventional coils.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) coil with integrated decoupling

Example magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radio frequency (RF) coils are described. An MRI RF coil may include a first terminal and a second terminal that are connected by a coaxial cable. Rather than rely exclusively on two terminal passive components (e.g., resistor, inductor, capacitor), example coax MRI RF coils rely on the capacitance that can be created in the coax cable between the inner conductor and the outer conductor. The capacitance of the coil may be controlled by selectively disrupting (e.g., cutting, stripping) the outer conductor, the inner conductor, or the dielectric material disposed between the inner and outer conductor.

Coaxial cable magnetic resonance image (MRI) coil

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Cleveland, OH, United States of America

Yong Wu