MRI tunable antenna and system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A device for detecting near field electromagnetic signals, comprising a strip array antenna, wherein the strip array antenna includes:
- a plurality of conductors being arranged so a long axis of each is in parallel and spaced from each other, each of the plurality of conductors having a length,a plurality of reactive tuning components, at least one of said plurality of reactive tuning components being electrically coupled to each conductor and to one of ground or virtual ground, andwherein the length of each conductor and a value of each reactive tuning component are set so an apparent electrical length of each conductor is equal to be about nλ
/4, where n is an integer≧
1 and λ
is the wavelength of the signal to be detected.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A strip array antenna including a number of conductors (14) that are connected to ground or virtual ground though at least one reactive component (150). The apparent electrical length of conductors (140) is tuned so that it equals an integer multiple of a quarter wavelength at the operating frequency.
-
Citations
79 Claims
-
1. A device for detecting near field electromagnetic signals, comprising a strip array antenna, wherein the strip array antenna includes:
-
a plurality of conductors being arranged so a long axis of each is in parallel and spaced from each other, each of the plurality of conductors having a length, a plurality of reactive tuning components, at least one of said plurality of reactive tuning components being electrically coupled to each conductor and to one of ground or virtual ground, and wherein the length of each conductor and a value of each reactive tuning component are set so an apparent electrical length of each conductor is equal to be about nλ
/4, where n is an integer≧
1 and λ
is the wavelength of the signal to be detected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
-
-
52. A device for detecting near field electromagnetic signals, comprising a strip array antenna, wherein the strip array antenna includes:
-
a plurality of conductors arranged so a long axis of each is in parallel and spaced from each other, wherein each of said plurality of conductors includes at least one conducting element having an element length; a plurality of inductive elements at least one inductive element being electrically coupled to said at least one conducting element of each of said plurality of conductors; and wherein the element length of said at least one conducting element, and a value of said at least one inductive element electrically coupled thereto are set so an apparent electrical length of each of said plurality of conductors is equal to be about nλ
/4, where n is an integer≧
1 and λ
is the wavelength of the signal to be detected. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55)
-
-
56. An NMR or MRI system comprising:
-
a magnet, gradient magnetic field coil means gradient coil supply means, RF transmit means, gradient and RF control means, NMR receiver means, and a detection device that detects MR/NMR signals from a region of interest in a sample undergoing NMR or MRI, said detection device comprising a strip array antenna that includes; a plurality of conductors being arranged so a long axis of each is in parallel and spaced from each other, each of the plurality of conductors having a length, a plurality of reactive tuning components, at least one of said plurality of reactive tuning components being electrically coupled to each conductor and to one of ground or virtual ground, and wherein the length of each conductor and a value of each reactive tuning component are set so an apparent electrical length of each conductor is equal to be about nλ
/4, where n is an integer≧
1 and λ
is the wavelength of the MR/NMR signals to be detected. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 61)
-
-
60. An NMR or MRI system comprising:
-
a magnet, gradient magnetic field coil means gradient coil supply means, RF transmit means, gradient and RF control means, NMR receiver means, and a detection device that detects MR/NMR signals from a region of interest in a sample undergoing NMR or MRI, said detection device comprising a strip array antenna that includes; a plurality of conductors arranged so a long axis of each is in parallel and spaced from each other, wherein each of said plurality of conductors includes at least one conducting element having an element length, a plurality of inductive elements at least one inductive element being electrically coupled to said at least one conducting element of each of said plurality of conductors, and wherein the element length of said at least one conducting element, and a value of said at least one inductive element electrically coupled thereto are set so an apparent electrical length of each of said plurality of conductors is equal to be about nλ
/4, where n is an integer≧
1 and λ
is the wavelength of the signal to be detected. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
-
-
68. A method of NMR comprising the steps of:
-
placing a sample of interest in an NMR scanner, exciting NMR signal in at least one region of said sample; providing a detection device that detects NMR signals, said detection device comprising a strip array antenna that includes; a plurality of conductors being arranged so a long axis of each is in parallel and spaced from each other, each of the plurality of conductors having a length, a plurality of reactive tuning components, at least one of said plurality of reactive tuning components being electrically coupled to each conductor and to one of ground or virtual ground, and wherein the length of each conductor and a value of each reactive tuning component are set so an apparent electrical length of each conductor is equal to be about nλ
/4, where n is an integer≧
1 and λ
is the wavelength of the MR/NMR signals to be detected; anddetecting signals from said at least one region using said detection system. - View Dependent Claims (71)
-
-
69. A method of NMR comprising the steps of:
-
placing a sample of interest in an NMR scanner, selectively exciting NMR signal in at least one region of said sample; providing a detection system that detects NMR signals, said detection system including a strip array antenna that includes; a plurality of conductors arranged so a long axis of each is in parallel and spaced from each other, wherein each of said plurality of conductors includes at least one conducting element having an element length, a plurality of inductive elements at least one inductive element being electrically coupled to said at least one conducting element of each of said plurality of conductors, and wherein the element length of said at least one conducting element, and a value of said at least one inductive element electrically coupled thereto are set so an apparent electrical length of each of said plurality of conductors is equal to be about nλ
/4, where n is an integer≧
1 and λ
is the wavelength of the signal to be detected; anddetecting signals from said at least one region using said detection device. - View Dependent Claims (72)
-
-
70. A method for MRI comprising the steps of:
-
putting a sample of interest in an imager of an MRI system; applying a transverse RF excitation field tuned to a resonant frequency in the sample; applying magnetic field gradients in at least one of the X, Y or Z directions so as to cause nuclei to be encoded according to their position in the sample; providing a detection system that detects MR signals, said detection system including a strip array antenna that includes; a plurality of conductors being arranged so a long axis of each is in parallel and spaced from each other, each of the plurality of conductors having a length, a plurality of reactive tuning components, at least one of said plurality of reactive tuning components being electrically coupled to each conductor and to one of ground or virtual ground, and wherein the length of each conductor and a value of each reactive tuning component are set so an apparent electrical length of each conductor is equal to be about nλ
/4, where n is an integer≧
1 and λ
is the wavelength of the MR/NMR signals to be detected;detecting MR signals using said detection system; and processing the MR signals and reconstructing an image from the processed signals. - View Dependent Claims (73, 74)
-
-
75. A method for MRI comprising the steps of:
-
putting a sample of interest in an imager of an MRI system; applying transverse RF excitation field tuned to a resonant frequency in the sample; applying magnetic field gradients in at least one of the X, Y or Z directions so as to cause nuclei to be encoded according to their position in the sample; providing a detection system that detects MR signals, said detection system including a strip array antenna that includes; a plurality of conductors arranged so a long axis of each is in parallel and spaced from each other, wherein each of said plurality of conductors includes at least one conducting element having an element length, a plurality of inductive elements at least one inductive element being electrically coupled to said at least one conducting element of each of said plurality of conductors, and wherein the element length of said at least one conducting element, and a value of said at least one inductive element electrically coupled thereto are set so an apparent electrical length of each of said plurality of conductors is equal to be about nλ
/4, where n is an integer≧
1 and λ
is the wavelength of the signal to be detected;detecting MR signals using said detection system, and processing the MR signals and reconstructing an image from the processed signals. - View Dependent Claims (76, 77, 78, 79)
-
Specification