DATA DETECTION DEVICE FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH AN MRI APPARATUS

• US 20150002150A1
• Filed: 02/06/2013
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Weissler, Bjoern, Zinke, Manfred Bruno
• Granted Patent: US 10,054,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/309
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0035 adapted for acquisition of images from more than one imaging mode, e.g. combining MRI and optical tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4417 related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5247 combining images from an ionising-radiation diagnostic technique and a non-ionising radiation diagnostic technique, e.g. X-ray and ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/481 MR combined with positron emission tomography [PET] or single photon emission computed tomography [SPECT]

Abstract

The invention relates to a data detection device for use in combination with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus. A magnetic field detection unit (34) serves to detect a temporally varying magnetic field generated by the MRI apparatus, and a timestamping unit (35) generates magnetic field detection timestamps in dependence of the detected temporally varying magnetic field. This allows determining a temporal relation to acquired MRI data.

Claims

1. A data detection device for use in combination with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, the data detection device comprising:

a magnetic field detection unit for detecting a temporally varying magnetic field generated by the MRI apparatus, and

a timestamping unit for generating magnetic field detection timestamps in dependence of the detected temporally varying magnetic field.

2. The data detection device as defined in claim 1, wherein the magnetic field detection unit comprises:

at least one coil for providing electric currents induced by temporal variations of the temporally varying magnetic field, and

a signal providing unit for providing signals in dependence of the provided electric currents,

wherein the timestamping unit is adapted to generate the magnetic field detection timestamps in dependence of the provided signals.

3. The data detection device as defined in claim 2, wherein the magnetic field detection unit further comprises

a signal comparison unit for comparing the provided signals to a specified signal threshold,

wherein the timestamping unit is adapted to generate the magnetic field detection timestamps when the provided signals cross the specified signal threshold.

4. The data detection device as defined in claim 1, wherein the magnetic field detection unit is adapted to enable an adjustment of the sensitivity of detecting the temporally varying magnetic field.

5. The data detection device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a primed circuit hoard (PCB), wherein the at least one coil is made substantially from PCB traces or comprises an air-core inductor.

6. The data detection device as defined in claim 1, wherein the magnetic field detection unit comprises three coils that are arranged to be perpendicular to each other.

7. The data detection device as defined in claim 1, wherein the temporally varying magnetic field to be detected is a switched magnetic field gradient generated by the MRI apparatus.

8. The data detection device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a radio frequency shield for shielding the magnetic field detection unit from a pulse radio frequency (RF) magnetic field B₁ generated by the MRI apparatus.

9. The data detection device as defined in claim 1, wherein the timestamping unit is adapted to generate the magnetic field detection timestamps in accordance with a common time base that is also utilized for generating data timestamps for data detected by the data detection device.

10. The data detection device as defined in claim 1, the data detection device being a nuclear data detection device, in particular, a positron emission tomography (PET) data detection device or a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) data detection device.

11. An imaging apparatus, comprising:

a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, and

a data detection device as defined in claim 1.

12. A data detection method for use in combination with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method, the data detection method comprising:

detecting a temporally varying magnetic field generated by the MRI method, by a magnetic field detection unit,

generating magnetic field detection timestamps in dependence of the detected temporally varying magnetic field, by a timestamping unit.

13. An imaging method, comprising:

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and

data detection as defined in claim 12.

14. A data detection computer program comprising program cede means for causing a data detection device to carry out the steps of the data detection method as defined in claim 12, when the data detection computer program is run on a computer controlling the data detection device.

15. An imaging computer program comprising program code means for causing an imaging apparatus to carry out the steps of the imaging method as defined in claim 13, when the imaging computer program is run on a computer controlling the imaging apparatus.