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AssigneesThe Governors of the University of Alberta, Alberta Health Services
InventorsAshwin K. Iyer, Justin G. Pollock, Nicola de Zanche
Estimating the term…
A metamaterial liner for an MRI bore. The metamaterial liner may cover only a portion of the MRI bore, allowing travelling wave excitations within the lined portion. By restricting the waves to the lined portion, improved signal to noise ratio may be provided. The lined length may be adjustable, for example by forming the metamaterial liner of removable annular segments. A method is provided of adjusting the length of the lined portion by removing metamaterial segments. The segments may be included in interchangeable modules. The MRI liner is suitable for any magnetic field strength, and in particular may provide improved signal to noise at reduced technical difficulty at magnetic field strengths between conventional field strengths suitable for a birdcage coil and conventional travelling wave field strengths.
A liner for a bore of an MRI scanner, the liner installed in the bore and being formed of a metamaterial located adjacent to an internal surface of the bore and comprising unit cells having circumferential extent within the bore, the liner extending less than a full length of the bore.
A method of magnetic resonance imaging, the method comprising:
A liner for a bore of an MRI scanner, the liner installed into the bore and having a relative electrical permittivity that is negative and near zero at a working frequency of the MRI scanner corresponding to a Larmor frequency in the magnetic field of the MRI scanner and being formed of a metamaterial comprising unit cells having circumferential extent within the bore, the liner extending less than a full length of the bore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.