High field magnetic resonance

• US 7,800,368 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2007
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regents of The University of Minnesota (University of Minnesota)
• Original Assignee: Regents of The University of Minnesota (University of Minnesota)
• Inventors: Snyder, Carl, Wu, Xiaoping, Olson, Christopher C., Strupp, John, Akgun, Can E., DelaBarre, Lance, Adiany, Gregor, Andersen, Peter M., Van de Moortele, Pierre-Francois, Tian, Jinfeng, Orser, Heather, Gopinath, Anand, Ugurbil, Kamil, Vaughan, J. Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Arana; Louis M
• Application Number:
  US11/707,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20080129298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,312 Days
• Field of Search: 324/318, 324/322
• US Class Current: 324/318
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/246 Spatial mapping of the RF magnetic field B1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/341 comprising surface coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/343 of slotted-tube or loop-gap type
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/543 Control of the operation of the MR system, e.g. setting of acquisition parameters prior to or during MR data acquisition, dynamic shimming, use of one or more scout images for scan plane prescription G01R33/546 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/546 Interface between the MR system and the user, e.g. for controlling the operation of the MR system or for the design of pulse sequences
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5612 Parallel RF transmission, i.e. RF pulse transmission using a plurality of independent transmission channels
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5659 caused by a distortion of the RF magnetic field, e.g. spatial inhomogeneities of the RF magnetic field G01R33/56509, G01R33/56518, G01R33/56536 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/583 Calibration of signal excitation or detection systems, e.g. for optimal RF excitation power or frequency G01R33/246 takes precedence

Abstract

A magnetic resonance system is disclosed. The system includes a transceiver having a multichannel receiver and a multichannel transmitter, where each channel of the transmitter is configured for independent selection of frequency, phase, time, space, and magnitude, and each channel of the receiver is configured for independent selection of space, time, frequency, phase and gain. The system also includes a magnetic resonance coil having a plurality of current elements, with each element coupled in one to one relation with a channel of the receiver and a channel of the transmitter. The system further includes a processor coupled to the transceiver, such that the processor is configured to execute instructions to control a current in each element and to perform a non-linear algorithm to shim the coil.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a transceiver having a multichannel receiver and a multichannel transmitter wherein each channel of the transmitter is configured for independent selection of frequency, phase, time, space, and magnitude and each channel of the receiver is configured for independent selection of space, time, frequency, phase and gain;

a magnetic resonance coil having a plurality of current elements, each element coupled in one to one relation with a channel of the receiver and a channel of the transmitter; and

a processor coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions to control a current in each element and to perform a non-linear algorithm to shim the coil.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the coil includes at least one of a transverse electromagnetic volume coil and a transverse electromagnetic surface coil.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor executes instructions to perform dynamic RF field control of the coil.

4. The system of claim 1 further including a user input console coupled to the processor.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the user input console is configured to receive a user selection for RF field optimization.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the coil is configured for use with a coil of at least 3T.

7. A method comprising:

receiving a user selected criteria for optimization;

executing instructions using a processor to configure a multichannel transmitter and a multichannel receiver based on the criteria, the transmitter and the receiver each coupled to a multichannel coil wherein each channel of the coil includes a current element and each channel of the coil is coupled in one to one relation with a channel of the transmitter and a channel of the receiver;

executing instructions using a processor to perform a non-linear algorithm to shim the coil; and

acquiring magnetic resonance data based on a signal received from the coil.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein executing instructions includes performing an iterative algorithm.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein executing instructions includes configuring the coil for predetermined homogeneity within a particular region of the coil.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein executing instructions includes controlling a current in a transmission line as to at least one of magnitude, phase, frequency, space and time.