Resonator system
First Claim
1. A resonator system for generating a radio frequency (RF) magnetic field in a volume under investigation of a magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus, the resonator system comprising:
- a number N of individual flat resonators containing superconducting materials, surrounding volume under investigation, and each being disposed on a flat dielectric substrate about and parallel to a z-axis, each individual resonator having a window through which one individual RF field is generated in the volume under investigation in single operation of the respective individual resonator, said individual resonators cooperating to generate a useful RF field in the volume under investigation, said resonators also generating an asymptotic, remote RF field far outside of the resonator system, wherein a spatial configuration of said individual resonators as well as a dependence of said useful RF field are substantially mirror-symmetrical relative to a first plane A which contains the z-axis, and a spatial distribution of said asymptotic remote RF field is also substantially mirror-symmetrical relative to said first plane A, said useful RF field extending substantially parallel to said first plane A in the volume under investigation, wherein said individual resonators only have 2-fold rotational symmetry about the z-axis, all substrate planes of said individual resonators differing within a partial region defined and subdivided by said first plane A, wherein a number of individual resonators N>
4 and, during operation of the resonator system, a substrate plane of at least one individual resonator subtends an angle of more than 40°
with respect to a direction of said useful RF field in the volume under investigation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A resonator system for generating a radio frequency (RF) magnetic field in a volume under investigation of a magnetic resonance (MR) arrangement, comprises a number N of individual resonators (2) which surround the volume under investigation and which are each disposed on a flat dielectric substrate (1) around a z-axis, wherein the individual resonators (2) have windows (8) through each of which one individual RF field is generated in the volume under investigation in single operation of the individual resonators (2) and, through cooperation among the individual resonators (2), a useful RF field (7) is generated in the volume under investigation, wherein a remote RF field (6) is asymptotically generated far outside of the resonator system, and the spatial distribution of the useful RF field (7) is substantially mirror-symmetrical relative to a first plane A which contains the z-axis, and that of the asymptotic remote RF field (6) is substantially mirror-symmetrical relative to a second plane B which contains the z-axis, the useful RF field (7) extending substantially parallel to the first plane A in the volume under investigation, wherein the number of individual resonators (2) is N>4 and wherein, during operation of the resonator system at at least one point in time, the substrate plane of at least one individual resonator (2) subtends an angle of more than 40° with respect to the direction of the useful RF field (7) in the volume under investigation, and at least one further individual resonator (2) subtends an angle of less than 40° with respect to the direction of the useful RF field (7) in the volume under investigation, is characterized in that the first plane A is not rotated about the z-axis relative to the second plane B or is rotated by less than 360°/(N+1). The inventive resonator system realizes a resonator system with improved field homogeneity and full quadrature suitability, high quality factor and large efficiency using straightforward constructional measures.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A resonator system for generating a radio frequency (RF) magnetic field in a volume under investigation of a magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus, the resonator system comprising:
a number N of individual flat resonators containing superconducting materials, surrounding volume under investigation, and each being disposed on a flat dielectric substrate about and parallel to a z-axis, each individual resonator having a window through which one individual RF field is generated in the volume under investigation in single operation of the respective individual resonator, said individual resonators cooperating to generate a useful RF field in the volume under investigation, said resonators also generating an asymptotic, remote RF field far outside of the resonator system, wherein a spatial configuration of said individual resonators as well as a dependence of said useful RF field are substantially mirror-symmetrical relative to a first plane A which contains the z-axis, and a spatial distribution of said asymptotic remote RF field is also substantially mirror-symmetrical relative to said first plane A, said useful RF field extending substantially parallel to said first plane A in the volume under investigation, wherein said individual resonators only have 2-fold rotational symmetry about the z-axis, all substrate planes of said individual resonators differing within a partial region defined and subdivided by said first plane A, wherein a number of individual resonators N>
4 and, during operation of the resonator system, a substrate plane of at least one individual resonator subtends an angle of more than 40°
with respect to a direction of said useful RF field in the volume under investigation.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A resonator system for generating a radio frequency (RF) magnetic field In a volume under investigation of a magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus, the resonator system comprising:
a number N of individual resonators which surround the volume under investigation and which are each disposed, about a z-axis, on a flat dielectric substrate, each individual resonator having a window through which one individual RF field is generated in the volume under investigation in single operation of the respective individual resonator, said individual resonators cooperating to generate a useful RF field in the volume under investigation, said resonators also generating an asymptotic, remote RF field far outside of the resonator system, wherein a spatial distribution of said useful RF field is substantially mirror-symmetrical relative to a first plane A which contains the z-axis, and a spatial distribution of said asymptotic remote RF field is substantially mirror-symmetrical relative to a second plane B which contains the z-axis, said useful RF field extending substantially parallel to said first plane A in the volume under investigation, wherein a number of individual resonators N>
4 and, at at least one point in time during operation of the resonator system, a substrate plane of at least one individual resonator subtends an angle of more than 40°
with respect to a direction of said useful RF field in the volume under investigation, wherein said first plane A is not rotated about the z-axis relative to said second plane B or is rotated about the z-axis relative to said second plane B by less than 360°
/(N+1) and wherein said individual resonators comprise at least one of spiral resonators, resonators with distributed capacitances, resonators with localized capacitances, and double-sided resonators.- View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A resonator system for generating a radio frequency (RF) magnetic field in a volume under investigation of a magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus, the resonator system comprising:
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a number N of individual resonators which surround the volume under investigation and which are each disposed, about a z-axis, on a flat dielectric substrate, each individual resonator having a window through which one individual RF field is generated in the volume under investigation in single operation of the respective individual resonator, said individual resonators cooperating to generate a useful RF field in the volume under investigation, said resonators also generating an asymptotic, remote RF field far outside of the resonator system, wherein a spatial distribution of said useful RF field is substantially mirror-symmetrical relative to a first plane A which contains the z-axis, and a spatial distribution of said asymptotic remote RF field is substantially mirror-symmetrical relative to a second plane B which contains the z-axis, said useful RF field extending substantially parallel to said first plane A in the volume under investigation, wherein a number of individual resonators N>
4 and, at at least one point in time during operation of the resonator system, a substrate plane of at least one individual resonator subtends an angle of more than 40°
with respect to a direction of said useful RF field in the volume under investigation, wherein said first plane A is not rotated about the z-axis relative to said second plane B or is rotated about the z-axis relative to said second plane B by less than 360°
/(N+1); anda conventional normally conducting and/or superconducting individual resonators and/or resonator systems. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification