Systems, methods and apparatus for an endo-rectal receive-only probe

• US 7,945,308 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2005
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company, Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Carvajal, Lucas Guillermo, Tropp, James S., Karpodinis, Konstantinos George, Calderon, Paul D., Vigneron, Daniel Blackburn
• Primary Examiner(s): JAWORSKI, FRANCIS J
• Application Number:
  US11/320,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20070167725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,967 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407, 600410-411, 600421-423, 324/309, 324318-319, 324/322, 1286532-6533
• US Class Current: 600/423
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/31 for the rectum, e.g. proctoscopes, sigmoidoscopes , colonoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/02 Details of sensors specially adapted for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4381 Prostate evaluation or disorder diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/68 Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/287 involving active visualization of interventional instruments, e.g. using active tracking RF coils or coils for intentionally creating magnetic field inhomogeneities
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3635 Multi-frequency operation
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3657 Decoupling of multiple RF coils wherein the multiple RF coils do not have the same function in MR, e.g. decoupling of a transmission coil from a receive coil

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which a compact pod insertable into the rectum for Magnetic Resonance Imaging/Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRI/MRS) examination of the prostate and containing two receive coils, each connected to transmit blocking and pre-tuned trap circuitry which can be superimposed within the pod in close proximity, can, without either circuit interfering with the other, efficiently gather, for imaging and tissue analysis, radio frequency signals emanating from magnetically disturbed nuclei in prostate tissue.

Claims

1. An apparatus to receive radio frequency signals characteristic of a targeted specimen within a patient, the apparatus comprising:

a housing designed to be inserted into a patient; and

at least two radio frequency receiver coils, each of which (i) is positioned inside the housing, (ii) has an operating radio frequency, and (iii) includes;

a first circuit proximal to the radio frequency receiver coil operable to block an external transmitter only during a transmit cycle at an operating radio frequency of the circuit and

a second circuit operable to provide a passive block at the operating radio frequency of other ones of the radio frequency coils;

wherein each circuit is operable to seek only a single frequency,

wherein the radio frequency receiver coils are superimposed upon each other,

wherein the first circuit and the second circuit respectively associated with each of the at least two radio frequency receiver coils provide at least two active traps and two passive traps,

wherein the radio frequency signals received by the at least two receiver coils are generated by different target nuclei associated with the specimen.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuit of each radio frequency receiver coil receives radio frequency signals from human tissue.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the circuit of each radio frequency receiver coil sends radio frequency signals to an imaging device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the circuit of one radio frequency receiver coil is pre-tuned to receive only radio frequency signals characteristic of magnetically disturbed carbon-13 nuclei.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the circuit of one radio frequency receiver coil is pre-tuned to receive only radio frequency signals characteristic of magnetically disturbed hydrogen nuclei.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the circuit of each radio frequency receiver coil sends radio frequency signals to an imaging device that is part of an MRI/MRS medical diagnostic system.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the circuit of one radio frequency receiver coil is pre-tuned to receive only radio frequency signals characteristic of proton Larmor frequency.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the circuit of one radio frequency receiver coil is pre-tuned to receive only radio frequency signals characteristic of proton Larmor frequency.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the circuit of each radio frequency receiver coil receives radio frequency signals from human tissue that is prostate tissue.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuit of at least one radio frequency

receiver coil receives radio frequency signals from human tissue containing carbon-13.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus further comprises a circuit that is pre-tuned to receive only the radio frequency characteristic of magnetically disturbed phosphorous nuclei.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the insertable housing further comprises:

a re-usable portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a pod and a handle containing the circuits and associated coils of the apparatus, said pod separate from the handle of the apparatus and insertable into a patient.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the pod further comprises:

a top cover no higher than needed to cover the internal circuitry and coils.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a component of a system which uses magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance spectroscopy to generate radio frequency signals.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the apparatus is a component of a system which uses magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance spectroscopy to generate radio frequency signals in human tissue for clinical diagnosis.

17. A method of receiving radio frequency signals characteristic of a targeted specimen using the apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first blocking circuits are activated by an external switching apparatus.

18. A method of receiving radio frequency signals characteristic of a targeted specimen using the apparatus of claim 1 wherein radio signals from carbon-13 nuclei received by the circuit of a radio frequency receiver coil of claim 1 are generated from carbon-13 nuclei magnetically disturbed by a volume field generator.

19. A method of receiving radio frequency signals characteristic of a targeted specimen using the apparatus of claim 1 wherein radio signals from hydrogen nuclei received by the circuit of a radio frequency receiver coil of claim 1 are generated from hydrogen nuclei magnetically disturbed by the main magnetic field generated by an MRI/MRS medical diagnostic system.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuit of one radio frequency receiver coil is pre-tuned to receive only radio frequency signals characteristic of a carbon Larmor frequency.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuit of one radio frequency receiver coil is pre-tuned to receive only radio frequency signals characteristic of a carbon-13 Larmor frequency.