APPARATUS FOR ACTIVE COOLING OF AN MRI PATIENT BORE IN CYLINDRICAL MRI SYSTEMS

• US 20050030028A1
• Filed: 08/07/2003
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Allford, Michael L., Clarke, Neil, Sellers, Michael B., Mantone, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,015,692 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/318
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3403 Means for cooling of the RF coils, e.g. a refrigerator or a cooling vessel specially adapted for housing an RF coil
• 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 33/3804 Additional hardware for cooling or heating of the magnet assembly, for housing a cooled or heated part of the magnet assembly or for temperature control of the magnet assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/10 Liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/322 the insulation forming channels for circulation of the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/202 Electromagnets for high magnetic field strength for superconducting electromagnets H01F6/00; for transformers or inductances without a magnetic core H01F30/08

Abstract

The present invention provides for a cooling system for circulating a coolant to cool the patient bore. In one embodiment, that patient bore consists of two concentric cylinders separated by spacers running either longitudinally or helically. In another embodiment of the present invention, fluid may be passed either helically or longitudinally through tubes bonded to the outer diameter of the patient bore such that the parts of the bore that are exposed to the patient are directly cooled. In a third embodiment, the RF coil could form part of the patient bore, with the helical or longitudinal fluid channels surrounding the patient bore.

Claims

1. An RF coil assembly, comprising:

an RF coil, and

a means for cooling the RF coil.

2. The RF coil assembly of claim 1 wherein the means for cooling comprises:

an outer cylinder,

an inner cylinder concentric with the outer cylinder, and

a plurality of longitudinal spacers between the inner and outer cylinders, said spacers being arranged in such a manner so as to form coolant channels therebetween.

3. The RF coil assembly of claim 2 wherein the means for cooling comprises:

a plurality of helical spacers between the inner and outer cylinders, said helical spacers being arranged in such a manner so as to form continuous cooling channels therebetween.

4. The RF coil assembly of claim 1 wherein the means for cooling comprises:

a patient bore enclosure, and

a plurality of longitudinal cooling tubes attached to exterior of the patient bore enclosure.

5. The RF coil assembly of claim 1 wherein the means for cooling comprises:

a patient bore enclosure, and

a continuous cooling tube attached to the patient bore enclosure, said cooling tube being wound in the general shape of a helix.

6. The RF coil assembly of claim 1 wherein the means for cooling comprises:

a plurality of longitudinal cooling channels, said cooling channels being embedded within the RF coil.

7. A patient bore cooling assembly for an RF coil in a cylindrical MR imaging system, comprising:

a generally cylindrical RF coil having an inner surface, and

a plurality of cooling channels attached to the RF coil.

8. The patient bore cooling assembly of claim 7 wherein the plurality of cooling channels further comprises:

an outer cylinder attached to the inner surface of the RF coil,

an inner cylinder concentric with the outer cylinder, and

a plurality of longitudinal spacers extending radially outwardly from the inner cylinder and attached to the outer cylinder.

9. The patient bore cooling assembly of claim 7 wherein the plurality of cooling channels further comprises

an outer cylinder,

an inner cylinder concentric with the outer cylinder, and

a continuous helical spacer extending radially outwardly from the inner cylinder and attached to the outer cylinder.

10. The patient bore cooling assembly of claim 7 wherein the plurality of cooling channels further comprises

a generally cylindrical patient bore tube attached to the inner surface of the RF coil, and

a plurality of longitudinal cooling tubes attached to the patient bore tube.

11. The patient bore cooling assembly of claim 7 wherein the plurality of cooling channels further comprises

a generally cylindrical patient bore tube attached to the inside of the RF coil, and

a cooling tube attached around the patient bore tube in a generally helical configuration.

12. The patient bore cooling assembly of claim 7 wherein the plurality of cooling channels further comprises a plurality of longitudinal cooling channels embedded within the RF coil.

13. The patient bore cooling assembly of claim 7 wherein the plurality of cooling channels further comprises a helical cooling channel embedded within the RF coil.

14. A patient bore cooling assembly for an RF coil used in a cylindrical MR imaging system comprising:

a gradient coil winding of hollow cylindrical configuration,

a hollow cylindrical RF coil concentric with and slightly smaller than the gradient coil,

an outer cylinder attached to the RF coil,

an inner cylinder concentric with the outer cylinder, and

a plurality of spacers protruding radially outwardly from the inner cylinder and attached to the outer cylinder forming cooling channels between said inner and outer concentric cylinders.

15. The patient bore cooling assembly of claim 14 wherein the cylinder has an axis and said spacers are arranged longitudinally along the axis of the cylinder.

16. The patient bore cooling assembly of claim 14 wherein said spacers are positioned helically around the inner cylinder.

17. A patient bore cooling assembly for an RF coil in a cylindrical MR system comprising:

a gradient coil winding of hollow cylindrical configuration,

an RF coil of hollow cylindrical configuration inside the gradient coil winding,

a generally cylindrical patient bore inside of the RF coil having an inside surface and an outside surface, and

a plurality of longitudinally spaced cooling tubes attached to the outside surface of the patient bore.

18. The patient bore cooling assembly of claim 17 further comprising:

a plurality of connecting tubes,

an intake manifold directing coolant from a connecting tube to the longitudinal tubes,

an exhaust manifold collecting coolant from the longitudinal tubes to a connecting tube,

a pump moving fluid though the circulatory connecting tubes, and

a heat exchanger cooling the fluid in the connecting tubes.

19. A patient bore cooling assembly for an RF coil in a cylindrical MR system comprising:

a gradient coil winding of hollow cylindrical configuration,

an RF coil of hollow cylindrical configuration inside the gradient coil winding,

a generally cylindrical patient bore inside of the RF coil having an inside surface and an outside surface, and

a cooling tube in a helical configuration attached to the outside surface of the patient bore.

20. The patient bore cooling assembly of claim 19 further comprising:

a plurality of connecting tubes,

a pump moving fluid though the circulatory connecting tubes, and

a heat exchanger cooling the fluid in the connecting tubes.

21. The patient bore cooling assembly of claim 20 further comprising:

a plurality of temperature sensors located within the patient bore assembly,

a computer electronically linked to said coolant pump and to said temperature sensors, said computer being programmed to increase coolant flow in the event of a rise in patient bore temperature and to decrease coolant flow in the event of a drop in coolant temperature.

22. A patient bore cooling assembly for an RF coil in a cylindrical MR system comprising a plurality of longitudinal cooling channels, said cooling channels being embedded within the cylindrical RF coil itself.

23. The patient bore cooling assembly of claim 22 further comprising:

a plurality of connecting tubes,

an intake manifold directing coolant from a connecting tube to the longitudinal tubes,

an exhaust manifold collecting coolant from the longitudinal tubes to a connecting tube,

a pump moving fluid though the circulatory connecting tubes, and

a heat exchanger cooling the fluid in the connecting tubes.

24. In an open architecture MR imaging system, an RF coil assembly, comprising:

an RF coil, and

a patient bore enclosure, and

a plurality of cooling tubes attached to the patient bore enclosure.

25. The open architecture MR imaging system of claim 24 wherein a plurality of cooling tubes are embedded within the RF coil.