ARRANGEMENT TO DETUNE A RECEPTION ANTENNA IN A LOCAL COIL

• US 20090237081A1
• Filed: 03/16/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Christopher Stapf, Joerg, Biber, Stephan, Greim, Helmut
• Granted Patent: US 8,085,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/322
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/341 comprising surface coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3628 Tuning/matching of the transmit/receive coil
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3692 involving signal transmission without using electrically conductive connections, e.g. wireless communication or optical communication of the MR signal or an auxiliary signal other than the MR signal

Abstract

An arrangement to detune a reception antenna in a local coil of a magnetic resonance system, with at least one reception antenna that is fashioned as a loop antenna and that has at least one first capacitance. Radio-frequency signals of a magnetic resonance examination are received via the reception antenna. A switchable detuning circuit contains the first capacitance connected to an oscillating circuit and a first inductance. A reception device to receive a control signal is coupled with the oscillating circuit. The reception device switches the oscillating circuit into a high-resistance state given a received control signal so that a receipt of a radio-frequency signal via the reception antenna is prevented. The reception device is fashioned to receive a wirelessly transmitted radio-frequency control signal. The radio-frequency control signal has a frequency that lies outside of the bandwidth of the radio-frequency signal used for magnetic resonance examination.

Claims

1. An arrangement to detune a reception antenna in a local coil of a magnetic resonance system comprising:

at least one reception antenna configured as a loop antenna and having at least one first capacitance, radio-frequency signals of a magnetic resonance examination being received by the reception antenna;

a switchable detuning circuit that contains the first capacitance connected to an oscillating circuit and a first inductance;

a reception device that receives a control signal and that is coupled with the oscillating circuit, the reception device switching the oscillating circuit into a high-resistance state given a received control signal so that reception of a radio-frequency signal by the reception antenna is prevented,

the reception device being configured to receive a wirelessly transmitted radio-frequency control signal that has a frequency outside of the bandwidth of the radio-frequency signal used for magnetic resonance examination.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reception antenna is configured as a reception device for the radio-transmitted control signal.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reception device is configured as an auxiliary antenna that is coupled with the oscillating circuit so that the oscillating circuit is switched into a high-resistance state upon receipt of the radio-transmitted control signal.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the oscillating circuit has a first diode, a second diode and a second inductance;

the oscillating circuit has a first diode, the second diode and the second inductance;

the first diode, the second diode and the second inductance are connected in parallel with one another;

the two diodes are connected with opposite polarity; and

the parallel circuit is connected at an input side thereof with a first end of the first capacitor and is connected at an output side thereof through the first inductance to a second end of the first capacitor.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the auxiliary antenna is configured as a loop antenna and has at least one first capacitance;

a first terminal of the first capacitance of the oscillating circuit is connected with a second terminal of the first capacitance of the auxiliary antenna; and

a second terminal of the first capacitance of the oscillating circuit is connected through the first inductance of the oscillating circuit with a first terminal of the first capacitance of the auxiliary antenna.

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein

the parallel circuit is connected at an input side thereof via a λ

/4 phase shifter with a first end of the first capacitor of the oscillating circuit; and

the parallel circuit is connected at an output side thereof via the λ

/4 phase shifter and via the first inductance with a second end of the first capacitor of the oscillating circuit.

7. An arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein

the λ

/4 phase shifter is a T-circuit having two capacitances in a shunt arm as well as an inductance in a series arm;

the first end of the first capacitance of the oscillating circuit is connected via the two capacitances with the input of the parallel circuit; and

the first end of the first capacitance of the oscillating circuit is connected via one of the capacitances of the phase shifter, via the inductance of the phase shifter, and via the first inductance of the oscillating circuit, with the second end of the first capacitance of the oscillating circuit.

8. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the oscillating circuit comprises a first diode, a second diode, a second inductance and a third inductance;

the first diode is a PIN diode and the second diode is a rectifier diode;

the first diode and the second inductance are connected in series;

the second diode and the third inductance are connected in series;

said series circuits being connected in parallel with one another;

the two diodes are connected with opposite polarity relative to one another;

the series circuits connected in parallel are connected at an input side via the first inductance of the oscillating circuit with a first end of the first capacitor of the oscillating circuit; and

the series circuits connected in parallel are connected at an output side with a second end of the first capacitor of the oscillating circuit.

9. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the local coil contains a transmission device that is fashioned for wireless transmission, to an additional processing device, of unamplified magnetic resonance signals that are acquired during a reception phase via the reception antenna.