MRI RF coil systems having detachable, relocatable, and or interchangeable sections and MRI imaging systems and methods employing the same
First Claim
1. An RF coil system for magnetic resonance imaging one or more regions of a subject, comprising:
- a first coil section comprising one or more conductive coils in a first nonconductive housing;
a second coil section comprising one or more conductive coils in a second nonconductive housing, the first and second coil sections being configured to be inherently decoupled; and
a mechanical fastener system which removably selectively fastens the first coil section at any one of a plurality of longitudinally displaced locations along the second coil section.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An RF coil construction (40, 40′) includes removable, relocatable, and/or detachable sections (42, 44) that are inherently decoupled. The sections can be relocated, removed, or exchanged with sections having different coil sizes or coil configurations, allowing the coil configuration to be tailored to a desired imaging procedure and region of the brain. The coil construction provides space for stimulation devices and adjusting patient access and comfort. Since the operator can select coil removal or placement to reduce the amount of data outside the region of interest, the coil construction can also reduce scanning and reconstruction time, reduce artifacts, and provide increased temporal resolution and image throughput.
268 Citations
35 Claims
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1. An RF coil system for magnetic resonance imaging one or more regions of a subject, comprising:
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a first coil section comprising one or more conductive coils in a first nonconductive housing;
a second coil section comprising one or more conductive coils in a second nonconductive housing, the first and second coil sections being configured to be inherently decoupled; and
a mechanical fastener system which removably selectively fastens the first coil section at any one of a plurality of longitudinally displaced locations along the second coil section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An RF coil system for magnetic resonance imaging one or more regions of a subject, comprising:
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a first coil section comprising one or more conductive coils in a first nonconductive housing;
a second coil section comprising one or more conductive coils in a second nonconductive housing, the first and second coil sections being configured to be inherently decoupled; and
a fastener system removably and slidingly engaging the housings of the first and second coil sections, sliding engagement between the first and second coil sections enabling the housing to be attached over a range of slidingly offset relationships. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
the first coil section includes a linear coil with a maximum sensitivity along a first axis; and
the second coil section includes a linear coil with a maximum sensitivity along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis.
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13. The RF coil system of claim 12, wherein the first axis is vertical and the second axis is horizontal.
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14. The RF coil system of claim 6, further wherein:
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the second coil section includes a first linear coil with a maximum sensitivity along a first axis and a second linear coil with a maximum sensitivity along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis; and
one or both of the first and second linear coils can selectively be disengaged.
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15. An RF coil system for magnetic resonance imaging one or more regions of a subject, comprising:
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a first coil section comprising one or more conductive coils in a first nonconductive housing;
a second coil section comprising one or more conductive coils in a second nonconductive housing, the first and second coil sections being configured to be inherently decoupled; and
a fastener system including strips of a hook and loop fastener extending along opposite edges of the housings for removably and movably joining the housings of the first and second coil sections over a range of longitudinally and rotationally offset orientations.
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16. An RF coil system for magnetic resonance imaging one or more regions of a subject, comprising:
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a first coil section comprising one or more conductive coils in a first nonconductive housing;
a second coil section comprising one or more conductive coils in a second nonconductive housing, the first and second coil sections being configured to be inherently decoupled, the second coil section being operable to image a region of the subject in the absence of the first coil section without retuning the second coil section; and
a fastener system removably and movably joining the housings of the first and second coil sections. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. An RF coil system for magnetic resonance imaging one or more regions of a subject, comprising:
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a plurality of interchangeable first coil sections including sections with single and multi-coil element coils each in a nonconductive housing;
a second coil section comprising one or more conductive coils in a second nonconductive housing, the second coil section being configured to be inherently decoupled to each of the plurality of first coil sections; and
a fastener system removably and movably joining the housings of the first and second coil sections.
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19. A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising:
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a main field magnet for generating a temporally constant polarizing magnetic field along a main field axis; and
an RF coil system including;
a first linear coil section configured for maximum sensitivity along a first axis perpendicular to the main magnetic field axis;
a second linear coil section configured for maximum sensitivity along a second axis perpendicular to both the first axis and the main magnetic field axis; and
a fastening system for selectively fastening the first and second coil sections on opposite sides of a region of interest for quadrature reception of resonance signals emanating from the region of interest. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 24)
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22. A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising:
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a main field magnet for generating a temporally constant magnetic field along a main field axis; and
an RF coil system including;
a first coil section configured for maximum sensitivity along a first axis perpendicular to the main magnetic field axis;
a second coil section configured for maximum sensitivity along a second axis perpendicular to the first and main magnetic field axes;
a third coil section of a different configuration from the first coil section;
a fastening system selectively fastening the first and third coil sections to the second coil section on opposite sides of a region of interest for quadrature reception of resonance signals emanating from the region of interest. - View Dependent Claims (23)
the second coil section includes a multi-coil array;
the first coil section includes a single loop; and
the third coil section includes a phased array.
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25. A magnetic resonance method comprising:
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establishing a polarizing magnetic field in a first region of interest;
exciting resonance of selected dipoles in the first region of interest to generate magnetic resonance signals; and
concurrently receiving the magnetic resonance on one side of the first region of interest with a first linear coil having a maximum sensitivity along a first axis orthogonal to the polarizing magnetic field and on an opposite side of the first region of interest with a second linear coil having a maximum sensitivity along a second axis orthogonal to both the polarizing magnetic field and the first axis. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
shifting the first coil relative to the second coil; and
without retuning the first or second coils, repeating the exciting and receiving steps.
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27. The method of claim 25, further including:
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removing the first coil; and
without retuning the second coil, repeating the exciting and receiving steps.
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28. The method of claim 27, further including replacing the first coil with a stimulation device.
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29. The method of claim 27, further including replacing the first coil with a patient comfort device.
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30. The method of claim 25, further including:
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removing the first coil;
replacing the first coil with a third coil that is intrinsically isolated from the second coil; and
without retuning the second coil, repeating the exciting and receiving steps.
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31. The method of claim 25, further including:
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removing the first coil;
replacing the first coil with one or both of a third coil that is intrinsically isolated from the second coil and a patient comfort device; and
without retuning the second coil, repeating the exciting and receiving steps.
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32. The method of claim 25, wherein the first region of interest is at least a portion of a subject'"'"'s brain, and further including:
stimulating a neural function of the subject producing a response within the first region of interest during at least one of the exciting and receiving steps.
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33. The method of claim 25, wherein the first region of interest includes at least one region selected from the subject'"'"'s brain stem, occipital lobe, and cerebellum, and further including:
stimulating a sensory system of the subject during at least one of the exciting and receiving steps.
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34. The method of claim 33, and further wherein the imaged region of interest does not include the subject'"'"'s eyes and wherein access to an area around the subject'"'"'s eyes is achieved through removal or displacement of coils around the subject'"'"'s eyes.
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35. The method of claim 25, further including:
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establishing a polarizing magnetic field in a second region of interest;
exciting resonance of selected dipoles in the second region of interest to generate magnetic resonance signals;
concurrently receiving the magnetic resonance signals from the second region of interest with a third coil.
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Specification