Size-variable local coil matrix with variable decoupling

• US 10,641,849 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Zink, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): Assouad, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nasir, Taqi R
• Application Number:
  US15/643,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20180017643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 324260, 324322, 324307, 324309, 324318, 324314
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/34046 Volume type coils, e.g. bird-cage coils; Quadrature bird-cage coils; Circularly polarised coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/34084 implantable coils or coils being geometrically adaptable to the sample, e.g. flexible coils or coils comprising mutually movable parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/341 comprising surface coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3415 comprising arrays of sub-coils , i.e. phased-array coils with flexible receiver channels
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3628 Tuning/matching of the transmit/receive coil
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3642 Mutual coupling or decoupling of multiple coils, e.g. decoupling of a receive coil from a transmission coil, or intentional coupling of RF coils, e.g. for RF magnetic field amplification
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 3/12 Electrically-operated arrangements for indicating correct tuning
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 3/20 of single resonant circuit by varying inductance only or capacitance only
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 3/24 of more than one resonant circuit simultaneously, the circuits being tuned to substantially the same frequency, e.g. for single-knob tuning

Abstract

A local coil matrix for a magnetic resonance tomograph and a magnetic resonance tomograph with a local coil matrix are provided. The local coil matrix has a first coil with two detachable coil segments. The two coil segments have electrical connecting elements. The electrical connecting elements are configured to produce an electrical connection between the coil segments in different relative positions of the two coil segments to each other.

Claims

1. A local coil matrix for a magnetic resonance tomograph, the local coil matrix comprising:

a first coil having two detachable coil segments; and

a tuning device having a tuning element and a position detector,

wherein the two detachable coil segments have electrical connecting elements configured to produce an electrical connection between the two detachable coil segments in different relative positions of the two detachable coil segments to each other,

wherein the tuning device is configured to tune a resonance circuit, which the first coil has in different relative positions of the two detachable coil segments of the first coil, to a predetermined resonance frequency,

wherein the position detector of the tuning device is configured to determine a relative position of the two detachable coil segments to each other, and

wherein the tuning device is configured to alter a parameter of the tuning element as a function of the relative position such that the resonance circuit is tuned to the predetermined resonance frequency.

2. The local coil matrix of claim 1, wherein the first coil is a flexible coil.

3. The local coil matrix of claim 2, wherein the electrical connecting elements are configured to produce an electrical connection only at discrete, predetermined relative positions, spatially separated from each other.

4. The local coil matrix of claim 1, wherein the electrical connecting elements are configured to produce an electrical connection only at discrete, predetermined relative positions, spatially separated from each other.

11. The local coil matrix of claim 1, further comprising:

a second coil,

wherein the electrical connecting elements of the first coil are distanced from the second coil such that a coupling of the first coil with the second coil remains largely unchanged when the relative position of the two detachable coil segments of the first coil to each other is changed.

12. The local coil matrix of claim 1, wherein at least 20 percent of a total surface of the local coil matrix assumes a predetermined rigid shape.

13. The local coil matrix of claim 1, wherein at least 50 percent of a total surface of the local coil matrix assumes a predetermined rigid shape.

14. The local coil matrix of claim 1, wherein at least 80 percent of a total surface of the local coil matrix assumes a predetermined rigid shape.

15. The local coil matrix of claim 1, wherein at least 20 percent of the local coil matrix is flexible in design.

16. The local coil matrix of claim 1, wherein at least 50 percent of the local coil matrix is flexible in design.

17. The local coil matrix of claim 1, wherein at least 80 percent of the local coil matrix is flexible in design.

18. The local coil matrix of claim 1, wherein the local coil matrix has a majority of first coils.

5. A local coil matrix for a magnetic resonance tomograph, the local coil matrix comprising:

a first coil having two detachable coil segments; and

a first tuning device having a tuning element,

wherein the two detachable coil segments have electrical connecting elements configured to produce an electrical connection between the two detachable coil segments in different relative positions of the two detachable coil segments to each other,

wherein the first tuning device is configured to tune a resonance circuit, which the first coil has in different relative positions of the two detachable coil segments of the first coil, to a predetermined resonance frequency, and

wherein the tuning element of the first tuning device has a changeable inductance or a module with complex resistance.

6. The local coil matrix of claim 5, wherein the electrical connection elements are configured in a first relative position of the different relative positions to activate the first tuning device such that the resonance circuit is tuned to the predetermined resonance frequency.

7. The local coil matrix of claim 6, further comprising:

a second tuning device,

wherein the electrical connection elements are configured, in a second relative position of the different relative positions, to activate the second tuning device such that the resonance circuit is tuned to the predetermined resonance frequency.

8. The local coil matrix of claim 7, further comprising:

a second coil,

wherein the electrical connecting elements of the first coil are distanced from the second coil such that a coupling of the first coil with the second coil remains largely unchanged when the relative position of the two detachable coil segments of the first coil to each other is changed.

9. The local coil matrix of claim 5, wherein the first tuning device has a position detector configured to determine the relative position of the two detachable coil segments to each other, and

wherein the first tuning device is configured to alter a parameter of the tuning element as a function of the relative position such that the resonance circuit is tuned to the predetermined resonance frequency.

10. The local coil matrix of claim 5, further comprising:

a second coil,

wherein the electrical connecting elements of the first coil are distanced from the second coil such that a coupling of the first coil with the second coil remains largely unchanged when the relative position of the two detachable coil segments of the first coil to each other is changed.

19. A magnetic resonance tomograph comprising:

a local coil matrix having;

a coil with two detachable coil segments, the two detachable coil segments comprising electrical connecting elements configured to produce an electrical connection between the two detachable coil segments in different relative positions of the two detachable coil segments to each other; and

a tuning device having a tuning element and a position detector,

wherein the tuning device is configured to tune a resonance circuit, which the coil has in different relative positions of the two detachable coil segments of the coil, to a predetermined resonance frequency,

wherein the position detector of the tuning device is configured to determine a relative position of the two detachable coil segments to each other, and

wherein the tuning device is configured to alter a parameter of the tuning element as a function of the relative position such that the resonance circuit is tuned to the predetermined resonance frequency; and

a control having a signal connection to the local coil matrix, wherein the control is configured to adjust the tuning element as a function of the relative position of the two detachable coil segments of the coil to each other such that the resonance circuit has the predetermined resonance frequency with the coil.