INDUCTOR ASSEMBLY FOR A MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING SYSTEM

• US 20110267165A1
• Filed: 05/03/2010
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Taracila, Victor, Minnich, Robert, Robb, Fraser, Navarro, Miguel, Alagappan, Vijayanand, Zemskov, Aleksey
• Application Number:
  US12/772,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20110267165A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 336/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/34007 Manufacture of RF coils, e.g. using printed circuit board technology; additional hardware for providing mechanical support to the RF coil assembly or to part thereof, e.g. a support for moving the coil assembly relative to the remainder of the MR system
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3628 Tuning/matching of the transmit/receive coil
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 29/025 Constructional details of transformers or reactors with tapping on coil or windings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49071 by winding or coiling

Abstract

An inductor assembly includes a substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, a first spiral electrical conductor formed on the first surface, a second spiral electrical conductor formed on the second surface, at least one opening extending through the first and second surfaces, and a metallic pin configured to be inserted in the opening, the pin coupling the first conductor to the second conductor. An RF coil including the inductor assembly and a method of fabricating an inductor assembly are also described.

Claims

1. An inductor assembly comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface;

a first spiral electrical conductor formed on the first surface;

a second spiral electrical conductor formed on the second surface;

at least one opening extending through the first and second surfaces; and

a metallic pin configured to be inserted in the opening, the pin coupling the first conductor to the second conductor.

2. An inductor assembly in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a plurality of openings extending through the first and second surfaces, the metallic pin being inserted into only one of the plurality of openings.

3. An inductor assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first and second conductors are configured to be electrically coupled to a capacitor, the inductor assembly further comprising a plurality of openings extending through the first and second surfaces, the metallic pin being inserted into only one of the plurality of openings based on a capacitance value of the capacitor.

4. An inductor assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first and second conductors are configured to be electrically coupled to a capacitor, the inductor assembly further comprising a plurality of openings extending through the first and second surfaces, the metallic pin being inserted into only one of the plurality of openings such that a reactance of the inductor assembly is substantially equal to a reactance of the capacitor.

5. An inductor assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the inductor assembly is configured to be electrically coupled in parallel with a capacitor, the inductor assembly further comprising a plurality of openings, the pin configured to be inserted into one of the plurality of openings extending through the first and second surfaces, the metallic pin being inserted into only one of openings such that the inductor assembly is in resonance with the capacitor.

6. An inductor assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first spiral conductor is symmetrical with the second spiral conductor.

7. An inductor assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first and second spiral conductors include a plurality of turns that are coplanar.

8. An inductor assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first and second spiral conductors have a substantially rectangular cross-sectional profile.

9. An inductor assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the substrate is fabricated from a dielectric material and the first and second conductors are fabricated from a copper material.

10. A Radio Frequency (RF) coil comprising:

a capacitor; and

an inductor assembly coupled in parallel with the capacitor, the inductor assembly including

a substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface;

a first spiral electrical conductor formed on the first surface;

a second spiral electrical conductor formed on the second surface;

at least one opening extending through the first and second surfaces; and

a metallic pin configured to be inserted in the opening, the pin coupling the first conductor to the second conductor.

11. An RF coil in accordance with claim 10 wherein the inductor assembly further comprises a plurality of openings extending through the first and second surfaces, the metallic pin being inserted into only one of the plurality of openings.

12. An RF coil in accordance with claim 10 wherein the inductor assembly further comprises a plurality of openings extending through the first and second surfaces, the metallic pin being inserted into only one of the plurality of openings based on a capacitance value of the capacitor.

13. An RF coil in accordance with claim 10 wherein the inductor assembly further comprises a plurality of openings extending through the first and second surfaces, the metallic pin being inserted into only one of the plurality of openings such that a reactance of the inductor assembly is substantially equal to a reactance of the capacitor.

14. An RF coil in accordance with claim 10 wherein the first and second spiral conductors include a plurality of turns that are coplanar.

15. An RF coil in accordance with claim 10 wherein the first and second spiral conductors have a substantially rectangular cross-sectional profile.

16. An RF coil in accordance with claim 10 wherein the substrate is fabricated from a dielectric material and the first and second conductors are fabricated from a copper material.

17. A method of fabricating an Radio Frequency (RF) coil, said method comprising:

forming a first spiral electrical conductor on a first surface of a dielectric substrate;

forming a second spiral electrical conductor on a opposite second surface of the dielectric substrate;

forming at least one opening through the dielectric substrate and the first and second conductors;

inserting a metallic pin into the at least one opening such that the first conductor is electrically coupled to the second conductor via the pin to form an inductor; and

coupling the inductor assembly in parallel with a capacitor.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising:

forming a plurality of openings through the dielectric substrate and the first and second conductors;

inserting the metallic pin into one of the openings based on a capacitance value of the capacitor.

19. A method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising:

forming a plurality of openings through the dielectric substrate and the first and second conductors;

selecting an opening such that a reactance of the inductor assembly is substantially equal to a reactance of the capacitor; and

securing the metallic pin within the opening.

20. A method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising forming the first spiral electrical conductor and the second spiral conductor to include a plurality of coplanar turns.