Gradient magnetic field generation module using plurality of coils so as to generate gradient magnetic field

• US 10,578,691 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2017
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bilkent University
• Original Assignee: Bilkent University
• Inventors: Atalar, Ergin, Taraghinia, Soheil, Ertan, Niyazi Koray
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Rishi R
• Application Number:
  US15/813,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20180120393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/0023 Electronic aspects, e.g. circuits for stimulation, evaluation, control; Treating the measured signals; calibration G01R33/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/022 Measuring gradient
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/385 using gradient magnetic field coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3852 Gradient amplifiers; means for controlling the application of a gradient magnetic field to the sample, e.g. a gradient signal synthesizer
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/44 using nuclear magnetic resonance [NMR] G01R33/24, G01R33/62 take precedence

Abstract

Provided is a gradient magnetic field generation module using multiple coils to generate a gradient magnetic field. Provided is a gradient magnetic field generation module including: a gradient coil formed inside a main magnet and generating a gradient magnetic field and including a plurality of coils; and a gradient amplifier controlling at least one of a shape of the gradient magnetic field, a strength of the gradient magnetic field, and slew rate of the gradient magnetic field generated by the gradient coil, in which the plurality of coils is grouped into a plurality of coil groups and current which flows in the plurality of coils is independently controlled by the unit of a group by the gradient amplifier.

Claims

1. A system for generating gradient magnetic fields within a volume for use with magnetic resonance imaging, comprising:

a main magnet configured to generate a static magnetic field along a longitudinal axis of the volume,

a plurality of gradient magnetic field coils arranged around the volume to generate a gradient magnetic field along the longitudinal axis, the plurality of gradient magnetic field coils comprising a plurality of coil groups grouped into a plurality of pair coil groups, wherein each coil group in the plurality of pair coil groups is separated from a coil group in another of the plurality of pair coil groups by an interval along the longitudinal axis of the volume,

a gradient magnetic field amplifier for independently applying current to each of the plurality of pair coil groups, and

a gradient magnetic field control unit configured to control the gradient magnetic field amplifier so as to independently adjust a shape of the gradient magnetic field, a strength of the gradient magnetic field, and a slew rate of the gradient magnetic field generated by each of the pair coil groups.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the gradient magnetic field control unit controls the magnetic field amplifier so as to adjust current applied to each of the pair coil groups such that a magnitude of current flowing to each of the plurality of pair coil groups is different.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the pair coil groups comprises a first coil group and a second coil group, and wherein a direction of current which flows in the first coil group is opposite of a direction of current which flows in the second coil group.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein two coil groups of the plurality of gradient magnetic field coils that are adjacent to each other are arranged to form one of the plurality of pair coil groups.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the gradient magnetic field that is formed along the longitudinal axis is a linear gradient magnetic field for acquiring an image of the object.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the gradient magnetic field that is formed along the longitudinal axis is a non-linear gradient magnetic field for acquiring an image of the object.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the gradient magnetic field amplifier comprises a plurality of sub gradient amplifiers.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the gradient magnetic field control unit applies a pulsed control signal to the gradient field amplifier.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the pulsed signal comprises an intensity, duration, and timing.