Head antenna for nuclear magnetic resonance examinations

• US 5,663,646 A
• Filed: 03/27/1996
• Issued: 09/02/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Knauth, Michael, Henkelmann, Reiner, Wirtz, Rainer, Moder, Rudolf, Kuth, Rainer, Duerr, Wilhelm
• Primary Examiner(s): Arana, Louis M.
• Application Number:
  US08/624,913
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 324/318, 324/322, 324/321, 324/314, 324/307, 324/309, 324/300, 128/653.5
• US Class Current: 324/318
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/14 Fixators for body parts, e.g. skull clamps; Constructional details of fixators, e.g. pins
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/34046 Volume type coils, e.g. bird-cage coils; Quadrature bird-cage coils; Circularly polarised coils
• 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

Abstract

A head antenna for nuclear magnetic resonance examinations has an examination chamber, formed so as to accept the head, and an antenna conductor, formed as a frame antenna, that surrounds the examination chamber in an examination position. The antenna conductor is divided into two curved sub-conductors that respectively have electrical contacts at their ends for detachably electrically connecting the sub-contractors together. The first sub-conductor arrangement is fastened to a holding part which is arranged outside the examination chamber and which is made of an electrically non-conductive, non-ferromagnetic material. For fastening the holding part to a patient support, a first fastening assembly is arranged on the holding part. For fixing the position of the head, a second fastening assembly is arranged on the holding part.

Claims

1. A head antenna for conducting a nuclear resonance examination of the head of a patient, the patient being disposed on a patient support, during a surgical procedure in a region of the head, said head antenna comprising:

a frame antenna defining an examination chamber adapted for accepting said head;

said frame antenna comprising an antenna conductor divided into first and second curved sub-conductors each having two free ends, each sub-conductor having an electrical contact at each end for detachably electrically connecting said first and second sub-conductors together;

a holder for said first sub-conductor disposed outside of said examination chamber comprised of electrically non-conductive, non-ferromagnetic material;

first fastening means for attaching said holder to said patient support;

second fastening means adapted for fixing the head of said patient relative to said holder; and

said frame antenna, said holder, said first fastening means and said second fastening means together forming assembly means for simultaneously rigidly holding the head of the patient during a surgical procedure requiring opening of the skull, allowing access to an opened skull region, and allowing a magnetic resonance head imaged to be obtained during surgical procedure with said assembly means being substantially invisible in said image.

2. A head antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second fastening means comprise bone screws and threaded holes in said holder assembly respectively receiving said bone screws.

3. A head antenna as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a sheathing of sterilizable plastic on said second sub-conductor.

4. A head antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second sub-conductor comprises a flexible sub-conductor.

5. A head antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second fastening means comprise means for orienting said frame antenna perpendicularly to said patient support.

6. A head antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein said frame antenna comprises an ellipsoidally-shaped frame antenna.

7. A head antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein said holder is curved.

8. A head antenna as claimed in claim 7 wherein said holder has a lateral edge and wherein said first sub-conductor is disposed on said lateral edge.

9. A head antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first fastening means comprise means for orienting said holder perpendicularly relative to said patient support.

10. A head antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein said holder is annular and surrounds said examination chamber.

11. A head antenna as claimed in claim 10 wherein said holder assembly is oriented at a non-zero angle relative to said frame antenna.

12. A head antenna as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a bow adapted to surround a top of said head, attached to said holder.

13. A head antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said sub-conductors is semi-circular.

19. A head antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein said frame antenna is band-shaped.

14. A head antenna for conducting a nuclear magnetic resonance examination of the head of a patient, said patient being disposed on a patient support, during a surgical procedure in a region of the head, said head antenna comprising:

a frame antenna having an examination chamber adapted to receive the head, said frame antenna having an antenna conductor divided into first and second curved, separable sub-conductors, each sub-conductor having two free ends and each free end of each sub-conductor having an electrical contact for detachably electrically connecting said first and second sub-conductors together;

said frame antenna having a lower part carrying said first sub-conductor and an upper part, detachable from said lower part, carrying said second sub-conductor;

first fastening means for attaching said lower part to said patient support;

second fastening means, carried by said lower part, for fixing a position of said head relative to said lower part; and

said frame antenna, said first fastening means and said second fastening means together forming assembly means for simultaneously rigidly holding the head of the patient during a surgical procedure requiring opening of the skull, allowing access to an opened skull region, and allowing a magnetic resonance head imaged to be obtained during surgical procedure with said assembly means being substantially invisible in said image.

15. A head antenna as claimed in claim 14 wherein said first fastening means comprise means for orienting said lower part perpendicularly relative to said patient support.

20. A head antenna as claimed in claim 14 wherein said frame antenna is band-shaped.

16. A head antenna for conducting a nuclear magnetic resonance examination of the head of a patient, said patient being disposed on a patient support, during a surgical procedure in a region of the head, said head antenna comprising:

a frame antenna having an examination chamber adapted to receive said head, said frame antenna having an antenna conductor comprising first and second separable sub-conductors, each sub-conductor having two free ends and an electrical contact disposed at each free end for detachably electrically connecting said first and second sub-conductors together;

said frame antenna having a lower part carrying said first sub-conductor and an upper part, detachable from said lower part, carrying said second sub-conductor;

first fastening means for attaching said lower part to said patient support;

an annular holder adapted to surround the head of said patient and attached at a non-zero angle to said lower part;

second fastening means, carded by said holder, for fixing a position of the head of said patient relative to said holder and said lower part; and

said frame antenna, said holder, said first fastening means and said second fastening means together forming assembly means for simultaneously rigidly holding the head of the patient during a surgical procedure requiring opening of the skull, allowing access to an opened skull region, and allowing a magnetic resonance head imaged to be obtained during surgical procedure with said assembly means being substantially invisible in said image.

17. A head antenna as claimed in claim 16 wherein said first fastening means comprise means for orienting said lower part perpendicularly relative to said patient support.

18. A head antenna as claimed in claim 16 further comprising third fastening means for fastening said holder to said patient support.

21. A head antenna as claimed in claim 16 wherein said frame antenna is band-shaped.