Multipurpose connection/reception device for nuclear magnetic resonance imager

• US 20050043612A1
• Filed: 09/25/2002
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1
• Original Assignee: Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1
• Inventors: Saint-Jalmes, Herve, Beuf, Olivier
• Application Number:
  US10/490,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20050043612A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/422
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3635 Multi-frequency operation
• 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: G01R 33/3657 Decoupling of multiple RF coils wherein the multiple RF coils do not have the same function in MR, e.g. decoupling of a transmission coil from a receive coil
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3678 involving quadrature drive or detection, e.g. a circularly polarized RF magnetic field

Abstract

The universal connector/receiver device for a nuclear magnetic resonance imager (1) of the invention is provided with at least one radiofrequency transmitter coil (5) and with at least one standard radiofrequency receiver coil (6). According to the invention, the device comprises at least one independent radiofrequency receiver coil (14) adapted to the shape and/or size of an item to be investigated, for the purpose of transforming an electromagnetic signal induced by nuclear magnetic resonance into an electrical signal, said independent radiofrequency receiver coil (14) being connected to a receiver coupling loop (20) serving to provide magnetic coupling with the standard radiofrequency receiver coil (6).

Claims

1. A universal connector/receiver device for a nuclear magnetic resonance imager (1) provided with at least one radiofrequency transmitter coil (5) and with at least one standard radiofrequency receiver coil (6),

the device being characterized in that it comprises at least one independent radiofrequency receiver coil (14) adapted to the shape and/or size of an item to be investigated, for the purpose of transforming an electromagnetic signal induced by nuclear magnetic resonance into an electrical signal, said independent radiofrequency receiver coil (14) being connected to a receiver coupling loop (20) serving to provide magnetic coupling with the standard radiofrequency receiver coil (6).

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that a coupling preamplifier (21) is inserted between the independent radiofrequency receiver coil (14) and the receiver coupling loop (20).

3. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the independent radiofrequency receiver coil (14) includes tuning and matching means (16).

4. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the independent radiofrequency receiver coil (14) includes decoupling means (17).

5. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the independent radiofrequency receiver coil (14) is selected from standard radiofrequency receiver coils.

6. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the receiver coupling loop (20) is positioned inside the standard radiofrequency receiver coil (6).

7. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the receiver coupling loop (20) and the standard radiofrequency receiver coil (6) are located within a magnetic field generated by a magnet associated with the imager.

8. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that an electronic control circuit (18) is connected to the tuning and matching means (16) and/or to the decoupling means (17).

9. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that two independent radiofrequency receiver coils (14) disposed in quadrature are connected to two receiver coupling loops (20) providing magnetic coupling with two standard radiofrequency receiver coils (6) of the under imager (1).

10. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that two independent radiofrequency receiver coils (14) disposed in quadrature are connected to the inputs of an adder device having at least two inputs and one output, said output being connected to the receiver coupling loop (20).

11. A device according to claim 8, characterized in that it includes a monitor loop (19) providing magnetic coupling with the radiofrequency transmitter coil (2) and connected to the electronic control circuit (18).

12. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes at least one independent radiofrequency transmitter coil (30) connected to at least one transmitter coupling loop (31) providing magnetic coupling with the radiofrequency transmitter coil (5), and in that a frequency synthesizer (32) is interposed between the output of the transmitter coupling loop (31) and an input of the receiver coupling loop (20) in order to transmit an electromagnetic wave having a specific frequency, and to adapt the frequency of the electrical signal coming from the independent radiofrequency receiver coil (14) to a frequency of the imager (1).

13. A device according to claim 12, characterized in that the independent radiofrequency transmitter coil (30) is fed via an amplifier (35) which is interposed between the transmitter coupling loop (31) and said independent radiofrequency transmitter coil (30).

14. A device according to claim 12, characterized in that the independent radiofrequency transmitter coil (30) includes tuning and matching means.