Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and RF coil device

• US 11,035,917 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2018
• Issued: 06/15/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Vargas, Dixomara
• Application Number:
  US16/200,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20190094318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3635 Multi-frequency operation
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3678 involving quadrature drive or detection, e.g. a circularly polarized RF magnetic field
• 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

According to one embodiment, an MRI apparatus includes a power transmitting unit a signal receiving unit and an image reconstruction unit. The power transmitting unit wirelessly transmits electric power to an RF coil device by magnetically coupled resonant type wireless power transfer. The signal receiving unit wirelessly receives a digitized nuclear magnetic resonance signal wirelessly transmitted from the RF coil device. The image reconstruction unit obtains a nuclear magnetic resonance signal received by the signal receiving unit, and reconstructs image data of an object on the basis of the nuclear magnetic resonance signal.

Claims

1. A magnetic resonance imaging (MM) apparatus comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) coil configured to include at least one coil element to receive a magnetic resonance (MR) signal emitted from an object;

a figure-eight coil configured to wirelessly and directly transmit an electric power to the at least one coil element of RF coil without using a power coupling element;

a radio communication device configured to wirelessly receive a digitalized MR signal transmitted wirelessly from the RF coil; and

an image generator configured to reconstruct the digitalized MR signal to generate an image data of the object.

2. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a whole body coil configured to include loop conductors and connecting conductors,

wherein the figure-eight coil is placed such that an intersection part of a figure-eight shape thereof is arranged in parallel with an extending direction of the connecting conductors of the whole body coil.

3. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a whole body coil configured to include loop conductors and connecting conductors,

wherein the figure-eight coil is placed such that a longitudinal axis of a figure-eight shape thereof is arranged in parallel with an extending direction of the connecting conductors of the whole body coil.

4. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a whole body coil configured to include loop conductors and connecting conductors,

wherein the figure-eight coil is placed such that an intersection part of a figure-eight shape thereof is arranged orthogonally to an extending direction of the connecting conductors of the whole body coil.

5. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a whole body coil configured to include loop conductors and connecting conductors,

wherein the figure-eight coil is placed such that a longitudinal axis of a figure-eight shape thereof is arranged orthogonally to an extending direction of the connecting conductors of the whole body coil.

6. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the RF coil includes a power receiving coil configured to receive the electric power transmitted from the power transmitting coil, and

the power receiving coil is formed in a figure-eight shape.

9. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a whole body coil configured to include loop conductors and connecting conductors,

wherein the power transmitting coil is placed inside the whole body coil.

11. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a whole body coil configured to include loop conductors and connecting conductors,

wherein the loop antenna is placed inside a gantry.

13. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the loop antenna is disposed at an upper side in a vertical direction from the RF coil.

7. A magnetic resonance imaging (MM) apparatus comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) coil configured to include at least one coil element to receive a magnetic resonance (MR) signal emitted from an object;

a loop antenna configured to wirelessly and directly transmit an electric power to the RF coil without using a power coupling element;

a radio communication device configured to wirelessly receive a digitalized MR signal transmitted wirelessly from the RF coil; and

an image generator configured to reconstruct the digitalized MR signal to generate an image data of the object.

8. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the RF coil includes a power receiving coil configured to receive the electric power transmitted from the loop antenna, and

the power receiving coil is formed in a loop shape.

10. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a whole body coil configured to include loop conductors and connecting conductors,

wherein the loop antenna is placed inside the whole body coil.

12. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a whole body coil configured to include loop conductors and connecting conductors,

wherein the loop antenna is placed inside a gantry.

14. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the loop antenna is disposed at an upper side in a vertical direction from the RF coil.