Stand-up MRI apparatus
First Claim
1. MRI apparatus comprising:
- (a) a magnet frame including two vertically-extending side walls and a pair of ferromagnetic poles projecting inwardly along a polar axis from each said side wall towards the other said side wall, a top flux return structure extending between said side walls above said poles and a bottom flux return structure extending between said side walls below said poles, said frame defining a patient receiving space within said interior space between said poles, (b) a floor structure in proximity to bottom flux return structure so that a patient may enter said patient-receiving space by moving across said floor structure and entering into said frame on or above said bottom flux return structure; and
(c) a source of magnetic flux for providing magnetic flux in said patient-receiving space through said poles.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A magnet for magnetic resonance imaging has a box-like ferromagnetic frame with vertical side walls, poles connected to the side walls and top and bottom walls forming flux return structures between the side walls. The frame has open front and rear sides defining patient entry openings, and has top and bottom openings in the top and bottom walls. A patient can be positioned in a vertical, horizontal or intermediate orientation within the frame. When the patient is in the vertical orientation, the patient can be raised or lowered so that parts of the patient'"'"'s body protrude into the top or bottom openings, so as to align any part of the patient'"'"'s body with the poles. The apparatus allows imaging of any part of the anatomy while the patient is in a standing position.
-
Citations
31 Claims
-
1. MRI apparatus comprising:
-
(a) a magnet frame including two vertically-extending side walls and a pair of ferromagnetic poles projecting inwardly along a polar axis from each said side wall towards the other said side wall, a top flux return structure extending between said side walls above said poles and a bottom flux return structure extending between said side walls below said poles, said frame defining a patient receiving space within said interior space between said poles, (b) a floor structure in proximity to bottom flux return structure so that a patient may enter said patient-receiving space by moving across said floor structure and entering into said frame on or above said bottom flux return structure; and
(c) a source of magnetic flux for providing magnetic flux in said patient-receiving space through said poles. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. MRI apparatus comprising:
-
(a) a magnet frame including two vertically-extending side walls and a pair of ferromagnetic poles projecting inwardly along a polar axis from each said side wall towards the other said side wall, a top flux return structure extending between said side walls above said poles and a bottom flux return structure extending between said side walls below said poles, said frame defining an interior space between said side walls and between said flux return structures and a patient receiving space within said interior space between said poles, said frame also defining at least one patient entry opening allowing movement of a patient in a substantially horizontal direction into and out of the interior space, at least one of said flux return structures defining an opening above or below said patient receiving space;
(b) an elevator for raising and lowering a patient while said patient is positioned in the interior space so as to position a first portion of the patient within said patient receiving space; and
(c) a source of magnetic flux for providing magnetic flux in said patient-receiving space through said poles. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. MRI apparatus comprising:
-
(a) a magnet frame including two vertically-extending side walls and a pair of ferromagnetic poles projecting inwardly along a polar axis from each said side wall towards the other said side wall, a top flux return structure extending between said side walls above said poles and a bottom flux return structure extending between said side walls below said poles, said frame defining an interior space between said side walls and between said flux return structures and a patient receiving space within said interior space between said poles, said frame also defining at least one patient entry opening allowing movement of a patient in a substantially horizontal direction into and out of the interior space, at least one of said flux return structures defining an opening above or below said patient receiving space;
(b) a patient support capable of maintaining a patient in said interior space in a substantially vertical orientation;
and(c) a source of magnetic flux for providing magnetic flux in said patient-receiving space through said poles.
-
-
25. A method of magnetic resonance imaging comprising the steps of:
-
a. Positioning a patient within a magnet having a frame with vertically-extensive side walls, top and bottom flux return structures extending between said side walls and poles projecting along a horizontal polar axis from each said side wall toward the other said side wall and defining a patient receiving space therebetween, said positioning step including allowing the patient to enter into the frame through an entry opening defined by said side walls and said flux return structures so that the patient passes into the frame above the bottom flux return structure and below the top flux return structure; and
b. conducting magnetic resonance imaging of said patient using said magnet. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
Specification