Magnetic resonance antenna

• US 6,806,710 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2000
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Vester, Markus, Renz, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Gutierrez, Diego
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fetzner, Tiffany A.
• Application Number:
  US09/540,113
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 324/322, 324/318, 324/319, 324/320, 324/303, 324/307, 324/309, 324/312, 324/314, 335/296, 333/219.2
• US Class Current: 324/318
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/34046 Volume type coils, e.g. bird-cage coils; Quadrature bird-cage coils; Circularly polarised coils

Abstract

A magnetic resonance antenna has at least five antenna elements, each of, which extends essentially radially from an inner element beginning to at least one outer element end with respect to a center axis. The antenna elements are at least magnetically coupled with one another.

Claims

1. A nuclear magnetic resonance antenna comprising:

a plurality of at least five antenna elements disposed in a plane for emitting or receiving magnetic field energy at a magnetic resonance frequency, each antenna element having an element beginning in said plane and an element end in said plane;

said antenna elements being disposed relative to a center axis so as to radiate from the respective element beginnings to the respective element ends outwardly in a spoke-like fashion to allow a radially directed current flow in each antenna element between the element end thereof and the element beginning thereof, and exhibiting cyclical symmetry from antenna element to antenna element;

said antenna elements being at least magnetically coupled with each other in said antenna.

2. A nuclear magnetic resonance antenna as claimed in claim 1, wherein the respective element beginnings and the respective element ends are connected to ground.

3. A nuclear magnetic resonance antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein said antenna elements are electrically coupled to each other.

4. A nuclear magnetic resonance antenna as claimed in claim 3 wherein the respective element beginnings are electrically connected to each other via a ring-shaped connecting element.

5. A nuclear magnetic resonance antenna as claimed in claim 3 wherein the respective element ends are electrically connected to each other via a ring-shaped connecting element.

6. A nuclear magnetic resonance antenna as claimed in claim 3 wherein the respective element beginnings are electrically connected to each other via a first ring-shaped connecting element and wherein the respective element ends are electrically connected to each other via a second ring-shaped connecting element.

7. A nuclear magnetic resonance antenna as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said antenna elements has two branching element ends.

8. A nuclear magnetic resonance antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein the respective antenna elements are linear.

9. A nuclear magnetic resonance antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality is divisible by four.

10. A nuclear magnetic resonance antenna comprising:

a plurality of at least five antenna elements for emitting or receiving magnetic field energy at a magnetic resonance frequency, each antenna element having an element beginning and an element end, the respective element beginnings defining an element beginning plane and the respective elements ends defining an element end plane, said element beginning plane and said element end plane being parallel to and spaced from each other;

said antenna elements being disposed relative to a center axis so as to radiate from the respective element beginnings to the respective element ends to allow a radially directed current to flow in each antenna element between the element end thereof and the element beginning thereof, and exhibiting cyclical symmetry from antenna element to antenna element;

the respective antenna elements being linear and three-dimensionally straight to define respective line directions, said line directions intersecting said center axis at a common point outside of said element beginning plane and outside of said element end plane; and

said antenna elements being at least magnetically coupled with each other in said antenna.

11. A nuclear magnetic resonance antenna as claimed in claim 10 further comprising a grounding plate disposed parallel to said element beginning plane and said element end plane, and said common point being disposed in said grounding plate.

12. A nuclear magnetic resonance antenna as claimed in claim 10 further comprising a grounding plate disposed parallel to said element beginning plane and said element end plane.

13. A nuclear magnetic resonance antenna as claimed in claim 10 wherein the respective element beginnings are electrically connected to each other via a first ring-shaped connecting element and wherein the respective element ends are electrically connected to each other via a second ring-shaped connecting element.

14. A nuclear magnetic resonance antenna as claimed in claim 10 wherein said plurality is divisible by four.