Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus

• US 10,241,166 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2015
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tomiha, Sadanori, Akita, Koji, Kasami, Hideo, Okamoto, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Vargas, Dixomara
• Application Number:
  US14/629,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20150253404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3415 comprising arrays of sub-coils , i.e. phased-array coils with flexible receiver channels
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3692 involving signal transmission without using electrically conductive connections, e.g. wireless communication or optical communication of the MR signal or an auxiliary signal other than the MR signal

Abstract

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes a wireless communication unit, a radio frequency (RF) coil, and a specifying unit. The wireless communication unit includes an antenna and that transmits and receives a wireless signal through the antenna. The RF coil includes one or more antennas and that receives the wireless signal and to respond to the received wireless signal through the one or more antennas. The specifying unit that specifies the position and the orientation of the RF coil on the basis of a response result indicated by the response from the RF coil.

Claims

1. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, comprising:

a wireless communication device that includes an antenna and that transmits and receives a wireless signal through the antenna;

a radio frequency (RF) coil that includes a plurality of antennas and that receives the wireless signal and responds to the received wireless signal through each of the plurality of antennas; and

processing circuitry configured to

determine positions of the plurality of antennas based on each of response results indicated by responses from the plurality of antennas to the received wireless signal, and

determine a position and an orientation of the RF coil based on the determined positions of the plurality of antennas.

2. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to estimate warping of the RF coil, based on the specified positions of the antennas and a positional relationship among the antennas.

3. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, if the orientation of the RF coil is prescribed in advance, the processing circuitry is configured to determine the position and the orientation of the RF coil based on the orientation of the RF coil prescribed in advance and each of the response results.

4. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the RF coil includes a predetermined number of coil elements in prescribed positions that are prescribed in advance with respect to the one or more antennas included in the RF coil, and

the processing circuitry is further configured to determine positions and orientations of the predetermined number of coil elements, based on the position of the RF coil, the orientation of the RF coil, and the prescribed positions.

5. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the antenna included in the wireless communication device is installed in a position above the position of the RF coil.

6. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine the position of the RF coil by using a response time period or an attenuation amount of the wireless signal.

7. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, comprising:

a wireless communication device that includes an antenna and that transmits and receives a wireless signal through the antenna;

an RF coil that includes an antenna and that receives the wireless signal and responds to the received wireless signal through the antenna; and

processing circuitry configured to determine a position of the RF coil based on a response result indicated by the response from the RF coil, wherein

the antenna included in the RF coil performs at least one of reception of a control signal and transmission of an echo signal, in addition to the receiving of and the responding to the wireless signal.

8. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, comprising:

a wireless communication device that includes an antenna and that transmits and receives a wireless signal through the antenna;

an RF coil that includes a plurality of antennas and that receives the wireless signal and responds to the received wireless signal through each of the antennas; and

processing circuitry configured to

determine positions of the plurality of antennas based on each of response results indicated by responses from the plurality of antennas to the wireless signal, and

estimate warping of the RF coil based on the determined positions of the antennas and a positional relationship among the plurality of antennas.