RF COIL ASSEMBLY FOR USE IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING

• US 20110267059A1
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deerfield Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: IMRIS Inc.
• Inventors: Shvartsberg, Alexander, Schellekens, Wayne Theodore, Turenne, Claude, Fallah-Rad, Mehran
• Granted Patent: US 8,604,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/318
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/34007 Manufacture of RF coils, e.g. using printed circuit board technology; additional hardware for providing mechanical support to the RF coil assembly or to part thereof, e.g. a support for moving the coil assembly relative to the remainder of the MR system
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/34084 implantable coils or coils being geometrically adaptable to the sample, e.g. flexible coils or coils comprising mutually movable parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3415 comprising arrays of sub-coils , i.e. phased-array coils with flexible receiver channels

Abstract

An apparatus for intra-operative MRI includes a patient table with a movable magnet and an RF coil having an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion is formed of a foam material flexible to different shapes with a pair of stiffeners formed of connected pivotal elements extending from a central back-bone embedded in the top sheet of the foam to hold the flexible material in the different shapes and is carried at one end of a flexible foam arm attached to a side rail of the table and stiffened by a longitudinal stiffener. A head clamp is attached to the table with a C-shaped holder for the skull clamp pins. The lower coil is movable by flexing about longitudinal lines to different curvatures and is held channel shaped by the C-shaped holder. It is attached at one longitudinal end to an adjustable mount connected to the head clamp.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use in Magnetic Resonance imaging of a part of a patient comprising:

patient support table;

a magnet arranged to generate a magnetic field at the patient support table;

an RF coil for use in the MR imaging;

the RF coil including an upper coil portion for location on top of the patient and a lower coil portion for location underneath the patient;

wherein the upper coil is formed of a flexible material allowing the coil to be flexed to different shapes with at least one stiffening element attached to the flexible material and movable therewith and having a resistance to bending which is arranged such that said at least one stiffening element acts to hold the flexible material in the different shapes.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the flexible material comprises a foam.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said at least one stiffening element is embedded in the foam.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the coil is generally channel shaped and is movable by flexing to different curvatures.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the coil comprises a panel member which is movable by flexing from a flat condition to different curvatures.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said at least one stiffening element extends transversely across the coil.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the coil includes at least one longitudinal backbone member and said at least one stiffening element extends at right angles to the backbone member.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein there are two stiffening members spaced longitudinally of the backbone member.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said at least one stiffening member comprises a plurality of separate pieces each connected to the next along the length of the stiffening member and each pivotally movable relative to the next.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said at least one stiffening member is located in a raised rib on the flexible material.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the flexible material comprises two sheets of a foam material fastened together at a center plane of the coil with components of the coil located at the center plane and with said at least one stiffening element being embedded in one sheet.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the upper coil is carried at one end of a flexible arm for movement of the upper coil to different locations relative to the patient, an opposite end of the arm being carried on a location fixed relative to the patient support table.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the opposite end of the arm is attached to a side rail of the patient support table.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the flexible arm is flexible along its full length.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the flexible arm is one piece.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the flexible arm is formed of a foam with a stiffening element along the length of the arm.

17. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the coil includes a housing with a sleeve to which is attached an RF cable and wherein the flexible arm includes at said one end a clamp for engagement onto the sleeve of the housing so that the arm at the housing is parallel to the RF cable.

18. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the coil includes a housing with a sleeve to which is attached an RF cable and wherein the flexible arm includes at said one end a clamp the housing and wherein the coil includes at least one longitudinal backbone member rigidly connected to the housing and said at least one stiffening element extends at right angles to the backbone member.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein there is provided a head clamp attached to the patient support table for holding the head of the patient stationary for an invasive procedure, wherein the lower coil is generally channel shaped and is movable by flexing about longitudinal lines to different curvatures, and wherein the lower coil is attached at one longitudinal end to an adjustable mount connected to the head clamp and wherein the adjustable mount is adjustable to allow movement of the end of the lower coil relative to the head clamp.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the adjustable mount is arranged after adjustment to hold the end of the lower coil at a rigidly fixed location.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the adjustable mount provides 6 degrees of freedom of movement.

22. The apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the head clamp includes a C-shaped clamp section into which the head of the patient is placed with the lower coil between the head of the patient and the C-shaped clamp section and wherein the C-shaped clamp section is arranged to engage and hold the lower coil in one of said different curvatures.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22 wherein the adjustable mount is arranged to engage the lower coil on a longitudinal center line of the lower coil and wherein the adjustable mount is arranged to allow movement of the center line of the lower coil to different angles and positions relative to a plane containing the C-shaped clamp section while the lower coil remains in engagement with and held by the C-shaped clamp section.

24. Apparatus for use in Magnetic Resonance imaging of a part of a patient comprising:

patient support table;

a magnet arranged to generate a magnetic field at the patient support table;

an RF coil for use in the MR imaging;

the RF coil including an upper coil portion for location on top of the patient and a lower coil portion for location underneath the patient;

wherein the upper coil is carried at one end of a flexible arm for movement of the upper coil to different locations relative to the patient, an opposite end of the arm being carried on a location fixed relative to the patient support table.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the opposite end of the arm is attached to a side rail of the patient support table.

26. The apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the flexible arm is flexible along its full length.

27. The apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the flexible arm is one piece.

28. The apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the flexible arm is formed of a foam with a stiffening element along the length of the arm.

29. The apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the coil includes a housing with a sleeve to which is attached an RF cable and wherein the flexible arm includes at said one end a clamp for engagement onto the sleeve of the housing so that the arm at the housing is parallel to the RF cable.

30. The apparatus according to claim 24 wherein there is provided a head clamp attached to the patient support table for holding the head of the patient stationary for an invasive procedure, wherein the lower coil is generally channel shaped and is movable by flexing about longitudinal lines to different curvatures, and wherein the lower coil is attached at one longitudinal end to an adjustable mount connected to the head clamp and wherein the adjustable mount is adjustable to allow movement of the end of the lower coil relative to the head clamp.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30 wherein the adjustable mount is arranged after adjustment to hold the end of the lower coil at a rigidly fixed location.

32. The apparatus according to claim 30 wherein the adjustable mount provides 6 degrees of freedom of movement.

33. The apparatus according to claim 30 wherein the head clamp includes a C-shaped clamp section into which the head of the patient is placed with the lower coil between the head of the patient and the C-shaped clamp section and wherein the C-shaped clamp section is arranged to engage and hold the lower coil in one of said different curvatures.

34. The apparatus according to claim 33 wherein the adjustable mount is arranged to engage the lower coil on a longitudinal center line of the lower coil and wherein the adjustable mount is arranged to allow movement of the center line of the lower coil to different angles and positions relative to a plane containing the C-shaped clamp section while the lower coil remains in engagement with and held by the C-shaped clamp section.

35. Apparatus for use in Magnetic Resonance imaging of a part of a patient comprising:

patient support table;

a magnet arranged to generate a magnetic field at the patient support table;

an RF coil for use in the MR imaging;

the RF coil including an upper coil portion for location on top of the patient and a lower coil portion for location underneath the patient;

a head clamp attached to the patient support table for holding the head of the patient stationary for an invasive procedure;

wherein the lower coil is generally channel shaped and is movable by flexing about longitudinal lines to different curvatures;

wherein the lower coil is attached at one longitudinal end to an adjustable mount connected to the head clamp;

and wherein the adjustable mount is adjustable to allow movement of the end of the lower coil relative to the head clamp.

36. The apparatus according to claim 35 wherein the adjustable mount is arranged after adjustment to hold the end of the lower coil at a rigidly fixed location.

37. The apparatus according to claim 35 wherein the adjustable mount provides 6 degrees of freedom of movement.

38. The apparatus according to claim 35 wherein the head clamp includes a C-shaped clamp section into which the head of the patient is placed with the lower coil between the head of the patient and the C-shaped clamp section and wherein the C-shaped clamp section is arranged to engage and hold the lower coil in one of said different curvatures.

39. The apparatus according to claim 38 wherein the adjustable mount is arranged to engage the lower coil on a longitudinal center line of the lower coil and wherein the adjustable mount is arranged to allow movement of the center line of the lower coil to different angles and positions relative to a plane containing the C-shaped clamp section while the lower coil remains in engagement with and held by the C-shaped clamp section.