MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS WITH A DATA TRANSFER UNIT TO TRANSFER DATA BETWEEN A MEASUREMENT SYSTEM AND AN EVALUATION SYSTEM, AND A TRANSFER METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20110314195A1
• Filed: 06/17/2011
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Mattauch, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/162,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20110314195A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/105
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/36 Electrical details, e.g. matching or coupling of the coil to the receiver

Abstract

A magnetic resonance apparatus has at least one basic magnet that generates a basic magnetic field, a measurement system that is arranged within a region permeated by the basic magnetic field, an evaluation system that is arranged outside of the region permeated by the basic magnetic field, and a data transfer unit to transfer data between the measurement system and the evaluation system. The data transfer unit has at least one USB standard unit along a transmission path of the data transfer between the measurement system and the evaluation system.

Claims

1. A magnetic resonance apparatus, comprising:

a basic field magnet that generates a basic magnetic field that permeates a region;

a measurement system located within said region permeated by said basic magnetic field, said measurement system being configured to excite nuclear spins in an examination subject located in the basic magnetic field, and to detect resulting magnetic resonance signals from the subject;

an evaluation system located outside of said region permeated by said magnetic field, said evaluation system being configured to evaluate said magnetic resonance signals detected by said measurement system;

a data transfer unit that transfers data, including data representing said magnetic resonance signals, between said measurement system and said evaluation system along a transmission path between said measurement system and said evaluation system; and

said data transfer unit comprising at least one USB standard unit located in said transmission path.

2. A magnetic resonance apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said USB standard unit is formed as a USB 3.0 standard unit, or higher.

3. A magnetic resonance apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said data transfer unit comprises at least 2 USB standard units.

4. A magnetic resonance apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said USB standard unit is located outside of said region permeated by said basic magnetic field.

5. A magnetic resonance apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said data transfer unit comprises at least one transducer unit that converts an electrical USB data transfer protocol into an optical data transfer protocol.

6. A magnetic resonance apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said transducer unit is located outside of said region permeated by said basic magnetic field.

7. A magnetic resonance apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said data transfer unit comprises at least one electromagnetic radiation-shielding unit located within said region permeated by said basic magnetic field, and wherein at least a portion of said transducer unit is located within said shielding unit so that said shielding unit shields said portion of said transducer unit from electromagnetic radiation.

8. A magnetic resonance apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said data transfer unit comprises at least one transducer unit that converts an optical data transfer protocol into an electrical USB data transfer protocol.

9. A magnetic resonance apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said transducer unit is located outside of said region permeated by said basic magnetic field.

10. A magnetic resonance apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said data transfer unit comprises at least one electromagnetic radiation-shielding unit located within said region permeated by said basic magnetic field, and wherein at least a portion of said transducer unit is located within said shielding unit so that said shielding unit shields said portion of said transducer unit from electromagnetic radiation.

11. A magnetic resonance apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said evaluation system comprises at least one mainboard with a processor unit mounted thereon, and wherein said USB standard unit is electrically coupled directly to said mainboard.

12. A magnetic resonance apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said evaluation system comprises at least one PCI unit, and wherein said USB standard unit is electrically coupled to said PCI unit.

13. A method for transferring magnetic resonance signals comprising:

generating a main magnetic field that permeates a region;

with a measurement system located in said region permeated by said main magnetic field, exciting nuclear spins in, and detecting resulting magnetic resonance signals from, a subject located in said region permeated by said basic magnetic field;

in an evaluation system located outside of said region permeated by said basic magnetic field, evaluating said magnetic resonance signals; and

transferring data between said measurement system and said evaluation system along a data transfer path that comprises at least one USB standard unit.

14. A transfer method as claimed in claim 13 comprising:

in a transducer located in said data transfer path, converting an electrical USB data transfer protocol into an optical data transfer protocol.

15. A transfer method as claimed in claim 13 comprising, in a transducer located in said data transfer path, converting an optical data transfer protocol into an electrical USB data transfer protocol.