Magnetic resonance system and method for controlling a power supply for a superconducting coil of the magnetic resonance system
AssigneeSiemens Healthcare GmbH
InventorStephan Biber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus has an MR scanner that includes a basic field magnet, which defines a patient receiving zone and that has at least one superconducting coil that generates a basic magnetic field in the MR scanner. The MR scanner has a power supply controlled by at least one control computer of the MR apparatus for the purpose of providing electrical power to the superconducting coil. The power supply is arranged on, and may be fixedly mounted to, the basic field magnet or integrated into the basic field magnet.
Claims20
A magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus comprising:
- an MR data acquisition scanner comprising a basic field magnet that defines a patient receiving zone in said MR data acquisition scanner, said basic field magnet comprising at least one superconducting coil that generates a basic magnetic field in the MR data acquisition scanner;
- said MR data acquisition scanner comprising a power supply that is structurally combined in the MR data acquisition scanner by being situated on or integrated into said basic field magnet, said power supply being electrically connected to said superconducting coil;
- a computer configured to operate the power supply to selectively provide electrical power to said superconducting coil;
- and
- an uninterruptible power supply configured to provide electrical power at least to said computer,
- wherein said computer is further configured to, upon occurrence of a power failure being detected by said computer, control said power supply to ramp down a current flow through the at least one superconducting coil, using the electrical power of said uninterruptible power supply.
A method for controlling a power supply for a superconducting coil of a basic field magnet of a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner, wherein the power supply is structurally combined in the MR data acquisition scanner with the basic field magnet, said method comprising:
- from a computer in communication with said power supply, operating the power supply in order to ramp up current through the superconducting coil when a ramp-up criterion is fulfilled;
- and
- from said computer, ramping down the current flow through the superconducting coil when a ramp-down criterion is fulfilled, wherein, upon occurrence of a power failure detected by said computer, controlling said power supply, by said computer and using electrical power of an uninterruptible power supply, to ramp down the current flow through the superconducting coil.
A magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus comprising:
- an MR data acquisition scanner comprising a basic field magnet that defines a patient receiving zone in said MR data acquisition scanner, said basic field magnet comprising at least one superconducting coil that generates a basic magnetic field in the MR data acquisition scanner;
- said MR data acquisition scanner comprising a power supply that is structurally combined in the MR data acquisition scanner by being situated on or integrated into said basic field magnet, said power supply being electrically connected to said superconducting coil and including a high-current generator that provides a galvanic current of greater than 100 A to said superconducting coil, wherein said high-current generator is a power pack;
- and
- a computer configured to operate the power supply to selectively provide electrical power to said superconducting coil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.