The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 29, 2012
Filed:
Jul. 31, 2009
Yogen Vishwas Utturkar, Niskayuna, NY (US);
Jennifer L. Jackson, Troy, NY (US);
Charles Franklin Wolfe, Albany, NY (US);
Bruce C. Amm, Clifton Park, NY (US);
Yogen Vishwas Utturkar, Niskayuna, NY (US);
Jennifer L. Jackson, Troy, NY (US);
Charles Franklin Wolfe, Albany, NY (US);
Bruce C. Amm, Clifton Park, NY (US);
General Electric Company, Niskayuna, NY (US);
Abstract
A cooling system for reducing the thermal energy transfer from the heated spots of an RF coil assembly to a patient bore of an MRI system is disclosed. The MRI system includes a plurality of gradient coils positioned about a bore of a magnet, an RF shield formed about an RF space, and an RF coil assembly positioned within the RF space and about the patient bore. The cooling system is positioned within the RF space and includes a plurality of cooling modules configured to reduce an operating temperature of the MRI system. Each of the plurality of cooling modules further includes a thermoelectric cooler thermally coupled to the RF coil and a heat sink thermally coupled to the thermoelectric cooler opposite from the RF coil. The thermoelectric cooler is configured to extract heat from the RF coil when a current is applied to the thermoelectric cooler.