Method and circuit arrangement for operating multi-channel transmit/receive antenna devices
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for operating a multi-channel transmit/receive antenna device or arrangement comprising a plurality of RF antenna elements, comprising:
- controlling a plurality of transmit channels and/or receive channels which are each assigned to one of the RF antenna elements,selecting one or more of the RF antenna elements to transmit RF signals and/or one or more of the RF antenna elements to receive RF signals,controlling amplitudes and/or phases of the RF signals transmitted by the at least one transmitting RF antenna element individually and independently for each transmitting RF antenna element,wherein the selecting and/or controlling the RF antenna elements is conducted in dependence of at least one level of RF signals which are received by means of at least one receiving RF antenna element which is positioned within a RF field generated by the antenna device or arrangement, andtransmitting the RF signals with RF antenna elements.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and circuit arrangement for operating multi-channel transmit/receive antenna devices or arrangements is used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems. Full independent control of complete multi-channel RF transmit and receive chains can be conducted in a flexible way and new options like RF shimming, transmit sensitivity encoding (TransmitSENSE), RF encoding, determination of S- or Z-matrix prior to spin echo measurements, calibration, SAR (specific absorption rate) reduction etc. can be utilized or improved.
44 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for operating a multi-channel transmit/receive antenna device or arrangement comprising a plurality of RF antenna elements, comprising:
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controlling a plurality of transmit channels and/or receive channels which are each assigned to one of the RF antenna elements, selecting one or more of the RF antenna elements to transmit RF signals and/or one or more of the RF antenna elements to receive RF signals, controlling amplitudes and/or phases of the RF signals transmitted by the at least one transmitting RF antenna element individually and independently for each transmitting RF antenna element, wherein the selecting and/or controlling the RF antenna elements is conducted in dependence of at least one level of RF signals which are received by means of at least one receiving RF antenna element which is positioned within a RF field generated by the antenna device or arrangement, and transmitting the RF signals with RF antenna elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A circuit arrangement for operating a parallel imaging multi-channel transmit/receive antenna array including a plurality of RF antenna elements, circuit arrangement comprising:
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a control unit, a plurality of transmit channels which are each assigned to one of the antenna elements, and a plurality of receive channels which are each assigned to one of the antenna elements, wherein the control unit is configured to; select antenna elements of the antenna array for concurrently transmitting RF signals control each of the transmit channels to independently adjust amplitudes and phases of the RF signals of each transmit channel, convey the amplitude and phase adjusted RF signals to the selected elements to generate a B1 field, and selects antenna elements of the antenna array to concurrently receive resonance signals induced by the B1 field. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A magnetic resonance system for operating a multi-channel transmit/receive antenna device or arrangement, comprising:
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a plurality of RF antenna elements which operate together to generate a common RF field; a plurality of transmit channels which each generate a transmit RF signal with controllable amplitudes and phases; a plurality of first transmit/receive switches which each connect one of the transmit channels with an RF antenna element; a plurality of receive channels; a plurality of second transmit/receive switches which connect each of the receive channels with an RF antenna element; a control unit configured independently to; control the transmit channels to control the amplitude and phase of the RF signals generated thereby, control the first transmit/receive switches to select the RF elements which receive the RF signals and generate the RF field, control the second transmit/receive switches to select which antenna elements provide received RF signals to the receive channels. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification