Balun arrangement and an installation method thereof for a magnetic resonance apparatus

• US 20060055408A1
• Filed: 09/11/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Hsieh, Ken, Sambandamurthy, Sriram
• Granted Patent: US 7,215,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/322
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3628 Tuning/matching of the transmit/receive coil
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3685 Means for reducing sheath currents, e.g. RF traps, baluns

Abstract

A balun arrangement for a magnetic resonance apparatus which in some embodiments further comprises a cable member comprising at least one first ground end and at least one second ground end. A first capacitive element is electrically coupled to said first ground end and second ground end, wherein the cable member comprises a predetermined large surface area for dissipating substantial quantity of heat generated within the cable member.

Claims

1. A balun arrangement, comprising:

a cable member having at least one first ground end and at least one second ground end; and

at least one first capacitive element including a first terminal and a second terminal, said first capacitive element electrically coupled to said first ground end and second ground end, and

said cable member configured to have a predetermined large surface between the first ground end and the second ground end, wherein the surface dissipates a substantial quantity of heat from the cable member.

2. A balun arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the cable member comprises at least one bent portion, wherein the bent portion provides a predetermined large surface area for the cable member.

3. A balun arrangement according to claim 2 wherein the bent portion further comprises at least one of a substantially S-shape, C-shape, U-shape, L-shape, Z-shape, concord shape and combinations thereof.

4. A balun arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the cable member further comprises a co-axial cable.

5. A balun arrangement according to claim 4 wherein the co-axial cable further comprises a semi-rigid material.

6. A balun arrangement according to claim 1 further comprising a second capacitive element configured to have a capacitance value predetermined to generate resonance at a predetermined frequency in combination with the first capacitive element.

7. A balun arrangement according to claim 1 further comprising a mounting block configured to maintain the cable member in a position predetermined to have a low vibration of the cable member.

8. A balun arrangement according to claim 7 wherein the mounting block is constructed of a non-magnetic material.

9. A magnetic resonance apparatus, comprising:

a magnetic resonance coil; and

a balun arrangement mounted to said magnetic resonance coil, said balun arrangement comprising at least one cable member in combination with at least one capacitive element, wherein;

said combination is adapted for;

(i) providing ground-to-ground isolation of the cable member; and

(ii) dissipating a substantial quantity of heat from the cable member.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the cable member comprises at least one bent portion, wherein the bent portion provides a predetermined large surface area for the cable member.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the bent portion further comprises at least one of a configurations of substantially S-shape, C-shape, U-shape, L-shape, Z-shape, concord shape and a combination thereof.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the cable member further comprises a semi-rigid material.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the cable member further comprises a coaxial cable.

14. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the combination is configured to generate resonance at a frequency predetermined to provide ground-to-ground isolation for the cable member.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14 further comprising a mounting block secured to the magnetic resonance coil for holding the cable member in a position predetermined have low vibration of the cable member.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the mounting block further comprises a plastic material.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the mounting block further comprises acetal.

18. An apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising a printed circuit board including a plurality of apertures wherein the cable member is connected by soldering a wire through the apertures on to the printer circuit board.

19. A method of installing a balun arrangement for a magnetic resonance apparatus, comprising:

mounting a cable member in combination with one or more capacitive elements on to a magnetic resonance coil; and

tuning the combination to resonate at a frequency predetermined to provide ground-to-ground isolation for the cable member, wherein the surface of the cable member is predetermined to dissipate a substantial quantity of heat from the cable member.

20. A method according to claim 19 wherein the cable member is a semi-rigid coaxial cable.