Magnetic resonance tomography local coil

• US 8,674,699 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2011
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Biber, Stephan, Jahns, Karsten, Rothard, Jrg
• Primary Examiner(s): ARANA, LOUIS M
• Application Number:
  US13/171,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20120025830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 324/318, 324/319, 324/320, 324/322
• US Class Current: 324/322
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3415 comprising arrays of sub-coils , i.e. phased-array coils with flexible receiver channels
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/365 Decoupling of multiple RF coils wherein the multiple RF coils have the same function in MR, e.g. decoupling of a receive coil from another receive coil in a receive coil array, decoupling of a transmission coil from another transmission coil in a transmission coil array

Abstract

The present embodiments relate to a local coil for a magnetic resonance tomography system. The local coil extends in a first direction and in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The local coil has a plurality of coil elements. At least some coil elements of the plurality overlap at least partly in a third direction running between the first direction and the second direction.

Claims

1. A local coil for a magnetic resonance tomography system, the local coil extending in a first direction and in a second direction, the second direction being orthogonal to the first direction, the local coil comprising:

a plurality of coil elements comprising at least two pairs of coil elements,

wherein coil elements of a first pair of the at least two pairs of coil elements at least partly overlap in a third direction between the first direction and the second direction, and coil elements of a second pair of the at least two pairs of coil elements at least partly overlap in the third direction.

2. The local coil as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third direction extends at least approximately diagonally to the first direction and to the second direction.

3. The local coil as claimed in claim 1, wherein less than all of the plurality of coil elements overlap in the third direction.

4. The local coil as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first portion of coil elements of the plurality, viewed in the first direction, are arranged next to one another or overlap one another, and a second portion of coil elements of the plurality, viewed in the second direction, are arranged next to one another or overlap one another.

5. The local coil as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first direction and the second direction are inclined in a position of the local coil to the vertical usable for an imaging examination of an object under examination, or run at least approximately horizontally.

6. The local coil as claimed in claim 1, wherein mutual overlapping of at least two coil elements of the plurality in relation to each other is visible in a horizontal cross-section through the local coil in a used position.

7. The local coil as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first direction is a direction of entry of an object under examination into a magnetic resonance device.

8. The local coil as claimed in claim 1, wherein coil elements of the plurality are inductively decoupled from one another by mutual overlapping.

9. The local coil as claimed in claim 1, wherein all coil elements of the plurality overlap each other diagonally at least in a spatial part area of the local coil.

10. The local coil as claimed in claim 1, wherein each coil element of the plurality overlaps diagonally with three additional coil elements of the plurality at least in a spatial part area of the local coil.

11. The local coil as claimed in claim 10, wherein the spatial part area is a central part area of the local coil.

12. The local coil as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of coil elements only overlap each other partly.

13. The local coil as claimed in claim 1, wherein the local coil is a spine coil, an abdominal coil, or a spine and abdominal coil.

14. The local coil as claimed in claim 1, wherein coil elements of the plurality adjacent to each other in the first direction, the second direction, or the third direction are only decoupled from one another inductively.

15. The local coil as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of receive channels, at least some coil elements of the plurality, or the plurality of receive channels and the coil elements are connected or connectable through a multiplex over a line, a plug-in contact, or the line and the plug-in contact to an analysis device of a magnetic resonance device.

16. The local coil as claimed in claim 1, wherein two neighboring coil elements of the plurality in the second direction are connected or connectable via a line, a plug-in contact, or the line and the plug-in contact to an analysis device of a magnetic resonance device by a frequency division multiplex.

17. The local coil as claimed in claim 1, wherein connections of the plurality of coil elements are routed outwards from the local coil, and

wherein a central switching device provides a selection option for coil elements of the plurality that are to be used by an analysis device of a magnetic resonance device.

18. The local coil as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least some coil elements of the plurality at least partly overlap in a fourth direction running between the first direction and the second direction at an angle of 30-60 degrees.

19. The local coil as claimed in claim 1, wherein each coil element of the plurality has at least one antenna.

20. The local coil as claimed in claim 18, wherein the fourth direction runs between the first direction and the second direction at an angle of 40-50 degrees.

21. The local coil as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of coil elements comprises at least two other pairs of coil elements, and

wherein coil elements of a first pair of the at least two other pairs of coil elements at least partly overlap in only the second direction, and coil elements of a second pair of the at least two other pairs of coil elements at least partly overlap in only the second direction.