Magnetic resonance apparatus

• US 5,577,504 A
• Filed: 09/19/1994
• Issued: 11/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GEC Marconi Limited (Gooding Consumer Electronics Ltd.), Marconi Caswell Limited (Marconi Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: GEC Marconi Limited (Gooding Consumer Electronics Ltd.)
• Inventors: Gilderdale, David J., Salloway, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Casler, Brian L.
• Application Number:
  US08/308,651
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 128/653.2, 128/653.5, 324/307, 324/318, 381/71, 381/87-91, 381/94
• US Class Current: 600/410
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/283 Intercom or optical viewing arrangements, structurally associated with NMR apparatus
• 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 33/3854 means for active and/or passive vibration damping or acoustical noise suppression in gradient magnet coil systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/422 of the radio frequency field

Abstract

In a magnetic resonance apparatus including an active noise reduction arrangement (9, 49, 51, 53) for use by a patient (5) undergoing examination in the apparatus the transducers (25, 31) of the arrangement are non-magnetic, e.g. are of the electret, piezoelectric or condenser type, and have no parts of ferromagnetic material.

Claims

1. A magnetic resonance apparatus for examining a patient, comprising:

a magnet means for producing a magnetic field in a region in which the patient is positioned during an examination, and for generating noise heard by the patient during the examination as a result of operation of said magnet means; and

an active noise reduction means for reducing the noise heard by the patient, including at least one first transducer in said region, and a source of electrical signals including at least one second transducer in said region, for supplying to said at least one first transducer an electrical signal to cause said at least one first transducer to produce in said region sound waves which reduce the noise heard by the patient during the examination as a result of the operation of said magnet means, said transducers being non-magnetic transducers, said at least one first transducer being a piezoelectric loudspeaker including a film of piezoelectric plastics material having two main surfaces, and carrying an electrode on each main surface, and being supported within an enclosure in a domed shape.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transducers are incorporated in a headset worn by the patient during the examination, said headset being substantially formed of non-ferromagnetic material.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said transducers includes an electrode having a number of slots which divide the electrode into a plurality of electrically connected strip portions, thereby to reduce a circulation of eddy currents in the electrode.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, including means for applying a radio frequency (RF) field having a frequency to said region, and wherein at least one of said transducers has a lead which is grounded to signals at the frequency of said RF field at a distance along the lead from said at least one of said transducers equal to a quarter of a wavelength at said RF field frequency.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, including a filter tuned to said RF field frequency connected between said lead and ground.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said lead has at least two conductors each of which is separately grounded.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said lead has a screen which is grounded separately from said conductors.

8. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said lead is grounded to a virtual earth.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said virtual earth comprises an open circuit terminated line of length equal to a quarter of a wavelength at said RF field frequency.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said distance along the lead is equal to an odd multiple of said quarter of said wavelength at said RF field frequency.

11. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said distance along the lead is equal to an odd multiple of said quarter of said wavelength at said RF field frequency.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each said transducer is a selected one from a group consisting of an electret, a condenser and a piezoelectric type transducer.