IMAGING MAGNET WITH ILLUMINATED BORE

• US 20090262551A1
• Filed: 07/04/2007
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Limited. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Tigwell, Neil Charles, Trowell, Stephen Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,999,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/551
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/28 Details of apparatus provided for in groups G01R33/44 - G01R33/64

Abstract

An imaging magnet has a patient bore for receiving a human or animal patient, including a body coil assembly having a body coil former and a body coil. The body coil assembly is provided with at least one source of light that is incorporated within the body coil assembly, and embedded within the body coil former, that radiates light into the patient bore.

Claims

1. An imaging magnet having a patient bore for receiving a human or animal patient, comprising a body coil assembly comprising a body coil former (28) and a body coil, said body coil assembly having at least one source of light incorporated within the body coil assembly and embedded in the body coil former that radiates light into the patient bore.

2. An imaging magnet according to claim 1 wherein the body coil former is of a translucent or opalescent material.

3. An imaging magnet according to claim 1 wherein the body coil former is of a transparent material.

4. An imaging magnet according to claim 3 wherein a translucent treatment or coating is applied to a radially inner surface of the body coil former.

11. An imaging magnet according to claim 1 wherein the source of light comprises a light emitting diode (LED) with a translucent or opalescent layer located between the LED and the patient bore.

12. An imaging magnet according to claim 1 wherein the least one source of light comprises at least one thin film display.

13. An imaging magnet according to claim 12 wherein the thin film display is an electroluminescent display.

14. An imaging magnet according to claim 1 wherein the least one source of light comprises a photoluminescent material.

15. An imaging magnet according to claim 1 comprising optical fibers within the material of the bore tube former.

16. An imaging magnet according to claim 1 wherein said at least one source of light comprises at least one thin film display retained on a radially outer surface of said body coil former, and disposed radially within said body coil.

5. An imaging magnet having a patient bore for receiving a human or animal patient, comprising a body coil assembly within the bore of the magnet that receives the patient within the body coil assembly, the body coil assembly comprising a body coil embedded in translucent material, with a source of light embedded in the translucent material.

6. An imaging magnet according to claim 5 wherein the source of light comprises a light emitting diode (LED) with a translucent or opalescent layer located between the LED and the patient bore.

7. An imaging magnet according to claim 5 wherein the least one source of light comprises at least one thin film display.

8. An imaging magnet according to claim 7 wherein the thin film display is an electroluminescent display.

9. An imaging magnet according to claim 5 wherein the least one source of light comprises a photoluminescent material.

10. An imaging magnet according to claim 5 comprising optical fibers within the material of the bore tube former.