# US 10,481,230 B2 · NMR shim system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,481,230 B2 - Document ID: US10481230B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/232,569 - Filed: 2018-12-26 - Published: 2019-07-04 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-01-04 - Assignees: Bruker Switzerland AG - Applicants: Bruker BioSpin AG - Inventors: Markus Mayer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481230B2 ## CPC - G01R 33/3875: using correction coil assemblies, e.g. active shimming - G01R 33/443: {Assessment of an electric or a magnetic field, e.g. spatial mapping, determination of a B0 drift or dosimetry} - H01F 41/098: Mandrels; Formers - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES ## Abstract A shim system for influencing and homogenizing the magnetic field of an NMR system includes a coil former (1), an extension tube (2) and a terminal unit (3), as well as partial coils (4, 4a) that are mounted on the coil former. Terminal lines (6a, 6b) for connecting the partial coils to the terminal unit are initially electrically disconnected from one another between the coil former and the extension tube. A circuit board (5) with connection lines (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d), however, is interposed between the disconnected terminal lines. This makes it possible to redesign the shim system in the mechanical construction thereof using simple technical measures and standard components, and without giving rise to significant additional costs. Therefore, production of the partial windings on the coil former can take place in a simplified, economical and automated manner, without requiring an extension tube to be already fitted. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A shim system for influencing and homogenizing the magnetic field of a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) system, comprising: a coil former, an extension tube and a terminal unit, partial coils mounted on the coil former and having terminal lines configured to connect the partial coils to the terminal unit, wherein the terminal lines are disconnected from one another between the coil former and the extension tube, and a circuit board interposed between the coil former and the extension tube, and having connection lines interconnecting the terminal lines to one another. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The shim system according to claim 1, wherein the interposed circuit board interconnects the terminal lines between the coil former and the extension tube to one another with a plurality of solder points and the connection lines. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The shim system according to claim 1, wherein the interposed circuit board electrically interconnects the terminal lines between the coil former and the extension tube to one another with at least one of: clamp connections, screw connections or plug connections. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The shim system according to claim 1, wherein the interposed circuit board comprises at least one first connection line of the terminal lines to the partial coils, at least one second connection line of the terminal lines to the terminal unit, and additional connection lines to connect individual ones of the partial coils electrically in series with one another. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The shim system according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board is a flexible circuit board fastened at a periphery around a lower end of the coil former. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The shim system according to claim 5, wherein the flexible circuit board is arranged on the coil former such that the flexible circuit board comprises shielded solder connections of the terminal lines to the partial coils and to sensors. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The shim system according to claim 2, wherein, in addition to the solder points and the connection lines for the partial coils, the circuit board comprises further solder points and supplementary connection lines. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The shim system according to claim 7, wherein the further solder points and the supplementary connection lines electrically connect the terminal lines to at least one temperature sensor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The shim system according to claim 7, wherein the circuit board, in addition to solder pads for the terminal lines, also comprises contact points with corresponding ones of the supplementary connection lines configured to test fully wound partial coils. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The shim system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal lines from the circuit board to the terminal unit have a different wire diameter than do the terminal lines from the partial coils to the circuit board. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The shim system according to claim 10, wherein the terminal lines from the circuit board to the terminal unit have a larger wire diameter than do the terminal lines from the partial coils to the circuit board. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A coil former for a shim system as claimed in claim 1, comprising wire-holding devices arranged in a vicinity of grooves configured to receive the terminal lines and in a vicinity of a space configured to receive the circuit board. ### Claim 13 A method for producing a shim system comprising a coil former, an extension tube and a terminal unit, said method comprising: a) providing the coil former with a circuit board and wire-holding devices thereon; b) connecting a terminal line to one of the wire-holding devices of the coil former; c) running the terminal line to an upper end of a partial coil region for partial coils having an uneven number of layers or to a lower end of a partial coil region for partial coils having an even number of layers; d) winding a partial coil having one or more layers towards a lower end of the partial coil region that faces the circuit board; e) running the terminal line to one of the wire-holding devices; f) running the terminal line to a further one of the wire-holding devices for a further partial coil; g) repeating steps c) to f) for each additional partial coil and each additional terminal line; h) connecting all the terminal lines to the circuit board; i) removing the terminal line parts running between the circuit board and the wire-holding devices; and j) fitting the extension tube and the terminal unit into the shim system and connecting all the terminal lines that run to the circuit board to the terminal unit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein the steps b) through g) are executed in an automated production sequence.