Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and method for controlling magnetic resonance imaging apparatus

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus comprising:

• a radio frequency (RF) MR signal receiving coil;
• a gantry provided with a connector thereon, the connector being configured to be coupled with the RF MR signal receiving coil;
• a bed top plate;
• a bed structure which supports the bed top plate, the bed structure being configured to shift the bed top plate vertically and horizontally so as to position the object to be imaged within the gantry, the bed structure being configured to be jointly coupled with a stretcher apparatus having a stretcher top plate, and the stretcher top plate being placed on top of the bed top plate when the stretcher apparatus is jointly coupled with the bed structure;
• and
• control circuitry configured to:
• detect whether the RF MR signal receiving coil is coupled to the connector on the gantry, and
• control a movement of the bed top plate in an up-down direction to prevent the RF MR signal receiving coil and/or a cable of the RF MR signal receiving coil from being damaged, based on a result of the detection,
• wherein, when the stretcher apparatus is jointly coupled with the bed structure and the RF MR signal receiving coil is coupled with the connector,
• the control of the movement of the bed top plate in the up-down direction comprises:
• (a) preventing the bed top plate from being raised when an operation to raise the bed top plate is done while the RF MR signal receiving coil is detected as being coupled with the connector, and
• (b) raising the bed top plate when the operation to raise the bed top plate is redone after the RF MR signal receiving coil is detected as being decoupled.

A method for controlling a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus having a radio frequency (RF) MR signal receiving coil, a bed top plate configured to support an object to be imaged, said bed plate being provided with a connector thereon, the connector being configured to be coupled with the RF MR signal receiving coil, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus having a bed structure which supports the bed top plate, the bed structure being configured to shift the bed top plate vertically and horizontally so as to position the object to be imaged within an imaging volume of an MRI system, the bed structure being configured to be jointly coupled with a stretcher apparatus having a stretcher top plate, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus having control circuitry configured to control a vertical shift and a horizontal shift of the bed top plate, the stretcher top plate being configured to be placed on top of the bed top plate when the stretcher apparatus is jointly coupled with the bed structure, the method comprising:

• using the control circuitry, detecting whether the RF MR signal receiving coil is coupled to the connector on the bed plate;
• and controlling a movement of the bed top plate in an up-down direction to prevent the RF MR signal receiving coil and/or a cable of the RF MR signal receiving coil from being damaged, based on a result of the detection,
• wherein, when the stretcher apparatus is jointly coupled with the bed structure and the RF MR receiving coil is coupled with the connector,
• the controlling of the movement of the bed top plate in the up-down direction comprises:
• (a) preventing the bed top plate from being raised when an operation to raise the bed top plate is done while the RF MR receiving coil is detected as being coupled with the connector, and
• (b) raising the bed top plate when the operation to raise the bed top plate is redone after the RF MR receiving coil is detected as being decoupled.