MRI RADIO FREQUENCY RECEIVER COMPRISING DIGITAL DOWN CONVERTER

• US 20100259261A1
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Peeters, Emiel, Saes, Marc Paul, Penterman, Roel, Kurt, Ralph, Van Zon, Hans, Van Bruggen, Michel Paul Barbara, Van Liere, Filips, Fuderer, Miha, Broer, Dirk, Van Den Brink, Johan Samuel
• Granted Patent: US 9,784,805 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/309
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/341 comprising surface coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3415 comprising arrays of sub-coils , i.e. phased-array coils with flexible receiver channels
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3621 NMR receivers or demodulators, e.g. preamplifiers, means for frequency modulation of the MR signal using a digital down converter, means for analog to digital conversion [ADC] or for filtering or processing of the MR signal such as bandpass filtering, resampling, decimation or interpolation
• 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

The invention relates to a nuclear magnetic resonance imaging radio frequency—receiver (112; 216; 308; 404), the receiver (112; 216; 308; 404) being adapted to receive analogue signals from at least one radio frequency receiver coil unit (106; 200; 202; 300; 400; 402), the radio frequency receiver (112; 216; 308; 404) comprising: an analogue-digital converter (118; 226) to convert the analogue pre-amplified magnetic resonance signal into a digital signal, means (120; 230) for digital down converting the digital signal and a first communication interface (130; 252) adapted for transmitting the down converted digital signal via a communication link (e.g. wireless, optical or wire-bound).

Claims

1. A nuclear magnetic resonance imaging radio frequency receiver the receiver being adapted to receive analogue signals from at least one radio frequency receiver coil unit, the radio frequency receiver comprising:

an analogue-digital converter for converting the analogue pre-amplified magnetic resonance signal into a digital signal,

means for digital down converting the digital signal and

a first communication interface adapted for transmitting the down converted digital signal via a communication link.

2. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising a local clock oscillator.

3. The receiver of claim 2, wherein the local clock oscillator is synchronizable by a pilot tone signal, the pilot tone signal being generated by a pilot tone transmit coil or wherein the local clock oscillator is synchronizable by a system clock.

4. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising means for encoding and/or compressing the down converted digital signal.

5. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the receiver is comprised in the radio frequency receiver coil unit.

6. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising merging means, wherein the merging means are adapted to combine multiple digitized magnetic resonance signals and control and status signals for controlling the receiver, the multiple digitized magnetic resonance signals originating from multiple antenna elements of the receiver coil unit.

7. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising an electronic testing circuit, wherein the electronic test circuit is adapted for examining the electronic components of the radio frequency receiver, wherein the examination is being performable using a test coil, said test coil being adapted in the radio frequency receiver coil unit.

8. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising means for spike detection and removal in the digitized radio frequency signal.

9. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the first communication interface is adapted for providing the digitized signal via the communication link by wireless radio frequency transmission or optical transmission or wired transmission.

10. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, comprising a nuclear magnetic resonance imaging radio frequency receiver according to any of the previous claims, the apparatus further comprising:

at least one radio frequency receiver coil unit,

a main magnet adapted for generating a main magnetic field,

magnetic field gradient coils adapted for selectively generating magnetic field gradients to be superimposed to the main magnetic field,

a radio frequency transmit coil for generating a radio frequency pulse sequence

a second communication interface, said second communication interface being adapted for communication with the first communication interface and

a control and data acquisition system, wherein the control and data acquisition system is adapted for communicating with the receiver using the second communication interface.

11. An RF interface structure for a magnetic resonance imaging system comprising:

at least one receiver according to claim 1,

a second communication interface, said second communication interface being adapted for communication with the first communication interface of the receiver

merging means, wherein the merging means are adapted to combine multiple signals being communicated over multiple second communication interfaces, said multiple signals being communicated to or from multiple radio frequency receiver coil units using multiple receivers,

a radio frequency scan control unit, said radio frequency scan control unit being adapted for controlling the at least one receiver.

12. A control and data acquisition system comprising means for generation of pulse sequences and/or control commands, said pulse sequences and/or control commands being adapted to control an RF interface structure, said slave system comprising a receiver according to claim 1.

13. A method for receiving a radio frequency signal from a magnetic resonance imaging receiver coil unit, the method comprising:

receiving an analogue pre-amplified magnetic resonance signal from the receiver coil unit,

converting the analogue signal into a digital signal,

digital down converting the digital signal and

communicating the digital down converted signal over a first communication interface.