MRI BY DIRECT TRANSVERSE HYPERPOLARIZATION USING LIGHT ENDOWED WITH ORBITAL ANGULAR MOMENTUM

• US 20120150019A1
• Filed: 07/09/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Elgort, Daniel, Albu, Remus
• Application Number:
  US13/386,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20120150019A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/411
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 24/006 using optical pumping magnetometers using optical pumping G01R33/26, optical pumping of lasers H01S3/091
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 24/08 by using nuclear magnetic resonance G01N24/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/282 Means specially adapted for hyperpolarisation or for hyperpolarised contrast agents, e.g. for the generation of hyperpolarised gases using optical pumping cells, for storing hyperpolarised contrast agents or for the determination of the polarisation of a hyperpolarised contrast agent
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/285 Invasive instruments, e.g. catheters or biopsy needles, specially adapted for tracking, guiding or visualization by NMR
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/46 NMR spectroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/4828 Resolving the MR signals of different chemical species, e.g. water-fat imaging

Abstract

A magnetic resonance system includes a main magnet (12,12′, 12″) which generates a static magnetic field B₀ in an examination region (14,14′,14″). A hyperpolarization device (26,26′,26″) directly hyperpolarizes nuclear spins via electromagnetic radiation endowed with orbital angular momentum transverse to the static magnetic field B₀ for inducing magnetic resonance. The hyperpolarization device includes an orientation tracking unit (100) which determines an orientation of the endowed photon beam relative to a predefined external coordinate system. An orientation modifier (104) adjusts the orientation of the endowed photon beam to an optimal orientation according to the determined relative orientation.

Claims

1. A magnetic resonance system, comprising a main magnet which generates a static magnetic field B₀ in an examination region to polarize dipoles;

and

a hyperpolarization device which directly hyperpolarizes nuclear spins via electromagnetic (EM) radiation endowed with orbital angular momentum (OAM), the hyperpolarization device hyperpolarizes nuclear spins relative to the static magnetic field B₀.

2. The magnetic resonance system according to claim 1, wherein

The hyperpolarized EM radiation is directed offset from, preferably orthogonal to, the B₀ field such that the EM radiation endowed with OAM acts to excite and/or manipulate magnetic resonance.

3. The magnetic resonance system according to claim 1, wherein the hyperpolarization device is configured to excite a plurality of distinct nuclear species simultaneously.

4. The magnetic resonance system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an RF system which generates a transverse magnetic field B₁ to induce and manipulate magnetic resonance signals in the examination region; and

/or receives the induced magnetic resonance signals from the examination region.

5. The magnetic resonance system according to claim 1, wherein the examination region is in vivo and further comprising:

an interventional device which is insertable into a patient, the interventional device is configured to position the hyperpolarization device adjacent to the examination region in vivo.

6. The magnetic resonance system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transdermal surface probe which outputs light endowed with OAM from the hyperpolarization device to penetrate tissue of a patient.

7. The magnetic resonance system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a gradient magnetic field system which spatially encodes the induced magnetic resonance signals; and

a scanner controller which synchronizes the hyperpolarization device, RF system, and gradient magnetic field system to perform a predefined scanning sequence.

8. The magnetic resonance system according to claim 1, further including:

a second hyperpolarization device which directly hyperpolarizes nuclear spins via OAM offset from, preferably orthogonal to, the first hyperpolarization device.

9. The magnetic resonance system according to claim 1, further including:

an orientation tracking system which determines a spatial orientation of the EM radiation endowed with OAM relative to a predefined external coordinate system.

10. The magnetic resonance system according to claim 9, wherein the orientation tracking system includes:

at least one orientation modifier which adjusts the spatial orientation of the EM radiation endowed with OAM without altering endowed OAM according to a desired orientation relative to the predefined external coordinate system.

11. The magnetic resonance system according to claim 10, wherein the orientation modifier includes at least one of:

a selectively movable mirror;

a selectively movable diffraction grating;

a selectively movable objective lens;

a controllable micro-mirror array; and

a pivotally segmented robotic arm.

12. The magnetic resonance system according to claim 9, wherein orientation tracking unit is configured to control the orientation modifier to direct the EM radiation endowed with OAM to the desired orientation based on a detected orientation of the hyperpolarization device relative to the predefined external coordinate system.

13. The magnetic resonance system according to claim 9, wherein the scanner controller is configured to control at least one parameter of a predefined scanning sequence based on the detected orientation of the hyperpolarization device.

14. The magnetic resonance system according to claim 1, wherein the hyperpolarization device includes:

an EM radiation source which provides the EM radiation, such as visible light, ultra-violet, infra-red, x-ray, or the like, to be endowed with OAM; and

an endowment arrangement which endows the EM radiation with OAM and directs the endowed light to a region of interest to be hyperpolarized.

15. A method for magnetic resonance, including generating a static magnetic field (B₀) through an examination region to polarize dipoles;

and

directly hyperpolarizing nuclear spins via electromagnetic (EM) radiation endowed with orbital angular momentum (OAM) relative to the static magnetic field B₀.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the EM radiation endowed with OAM is introduced to a region of interest angularly offset from, preferably orthogonal to, the static magnetic field to induce and/or manipulate magnetic resonance.

17. The method according to claim 15, further including:

controlling a spectral content of the EM radiation and/or an amount of OAM imparted onto the EM radiation, e.g. to excite resonance in a plurality of distinct species simultaneously.

18. The method according to claim 15, further including:

tracking the spatial orientation of the EM radiation endowed with OAM relative to a predefined external coordinate system.

19. The method according to claim 18, further including at least one of:

modifying the spatial orientation of the EM radiation endowed with OAM without altering the OAM according to a desired orientation relative to the predefined external coordinate system; and

adjusts based on the detected orientation of the hyperpolarization device at least one of a magnetic resonance sequence which induce magnetic resonance signals and processing of the induced magnetic resonance signals.

20. A hyperpolarization device, comprising:

an electromagnetic (EM) radiation source which provides the EM radiation, such as light or x-rays, to be endowed with OAM;

an endowment arrangement which endows the EM radiation with OAM and directs the OAM endowed EM radiation to a region of interest to be hyperpolarized;

an orientation tracking system which determines a spatial orientation of the directed endowed light relative to a predefined external coordinate system; and

at least one of.

a mechanical arrangement which adjusts a direction in which the OAM endowed EM radiation is directed,

a processor which adjusts at least one of a magnetic resonance sequence and processing of resonance data generated by the resonance sequence.