Phased array echoplanar imaging system for fMRI

• US 6,104,943 A
• Filed: 11/14/1997
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mclean Hospital (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mclean Hospital (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wald, Lawrence, Frederick, Blaise deB., Renshaw, Perry F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Ruth S.
• Application Number:
  US08/970,214
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 600/410, 600/421, 600/422, 600/419, 324/309, 324/318, 324/322, 324/307
• US Class Current: 600/410
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3415 comprising arrays of sub-coils , i.e. phased-array coils with flexible receiver channels
• 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

Abstract

The design and construction of a novel phased array echoplanar receiver system for magnetic resonance imaging for use with a standard clinical EPI system is described, and in vivo results showing increased SNR are presented.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining multiple independent measurements of a functional magnetic resonance signal from a sample, said method comprising subjecting said sample to functional magnetic resonance imaging using an echoplanar imaging system comprising

(a) at least two RF coils to receive said functional magnetic resonance signal of said sample;

(b) at least two preamps to amplify said signal;

(c) at least two receivers to receive and digitize data corresponding to said signal from said sample; and

(d) a computer for storing said digitized data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising (e) a digital multiplexer to interleave said data into a single data stream which can be fed to the computer.