Sliding-dome and split-top MRI radio frequency quadrature array coil system

• US 6,577,888 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: Usa Instruments, Inc (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Gyori, Matthias, Zou, Mark Xueming, Chan, Pei Hsuon
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAW, SHAWNA JEANNINE
• Application Number:
  US09/676,225
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 600/421, 600/422, 324/309, 324/318
• US Class Current: 600/422
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/702 Posture restraints
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3415 comprising arrays of sub-coils , i.e. phased-array coils with flexible receiver channels

Abstract

An MRI array coil system for neurovascular and spine imaging of a human includes a neck coil having a split top; a dome-like head coil having a dome region, the head coil being slidable between a closed position adjacent to the neck coil and an open position spaced away from the neck coil; a posterior torso coil attached to the neck coil; and an anterior torso coil adapted to cooperate with the posterior coil.

Claims

1. An MRI array coil system for neurovascular and spine imaging of a human, said system comprising:

a neck coil having a split top;

a head coil having a dome region, said head coil being slidable between a closed position adjacent to said neck coil and an open position spaced away from said neck coil;

a posterior torso coil attached to said neck coil; and

an anterior torso coil adapted to cooperate with said posterior coil,

wherein said anterior torso coil is adjustably attached to said split top.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said anterior torso coil may be placed above or below said split top.

3. An MRI array coil system for neurovascular and spine imaging of a human, said system comprising:

a neck coil having a split top;

a head coil having a dome region, said head coil being slidable between a closed position adjacent to said neck coil and an open position spaced away from said neck coil;

a posterior torso coil attached to said neck coil; and

an anterior torso coil adapted to cooperate with said posterior coil,

wherein said anterior torso coil is a floating type coil.

4. An MRI array coil system for neurovascular and spine imaging of a human, said system comprising:

a neck coil having a split top;

a head coil having a dome region, said head coil being slidable between a closed position adjacent to said neck coil and an open position spaced away from said neck coil;

a posterior torso coil attached to said neck coil; and

an anterior torso coil adapted to cooperate with said posterior coil,

wherein;

the head coil is formed by a quadrature pair of saddle coils

each having returning conductor segments, dome top region and endrings, the separation of respective pairs of conductor segments gradually reducing by a factor of between about 0.6 and 0.85 from the top of the dome region to the head coil endrings;

the neck coil is formed by a quadrature pair of saddle coils each having an endring at a neck region and at a head region, the diameter of neck region endring being a percentage between about 10 percent and 20 percent smaller than the diameter of the head endring;

the anterior torso coil is formed by a quadrature pair of coils including a loop coil and a saddle coil; and

the posterior torso coil is formed by a quadrature pair of coils including a loop coil and a saddle coil.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said factor is about 0.75 and said percentage is about 20 percent.