Magnetic resonance imaging system with infrared thermometry sensors

A magnetic resonance imaging system for acquiring radio frequency (RF) magnetic resonance data from a three-dimensional (3D) imaging zone within a subject, wherein the magnetic resonance imaging system comprises:

• a surface magnetic resonance imaging radio frequency (RF) antenna comprising a plurality of loop RF antenna elements, wherein the magnetic resonance imaging RF antenna includes a plurality of infrared thermometry sensors, wherein the magnetic resonance imaging RF antenna is configured to be positioned onto a portion of the subject and adjacent and at least partially conform to an external surface of the subject to receive the RF magnetic resonance data from the 3D imaging zone within the subject, such that at least a portion of the plurality of the infrared thermometry sensors are directed towards the external surface of the subject when the magnetic resonance imaging antenna is positioned adjacent to the external surface of the subject with the loop RF antenna elements generally parallel to the external surface, wherein each of the plurality of loop antenna elements have current leads for feeding radio frequency currents into or receiving radio frequency currents from the loop antenna elements, wherein at least a subset of the multiple infrared thermometry sensors are positioned in an offset region offset from a center of the corresponding loop antenna element, wherein the current leads are within the offset region;
• a computer processor configured to control the magnetic resonance imaging system to:
• acquire the RF magnetic resonance data by controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system with pulse sequence instructions;
• repeatedly measure surface temperature of the subject with the plurality of infrared thermometry sensors during the acquisition of the RF magnetic resonance data;
• and
• based on the measured surface temperature, modify the pulse sequence instructions during the acquisition of the RF magnetic resonance data to accelerate the acquisition of the magnetic resonance data.

A method of operating a magnetic resonance imaging system for acquiring magnetic resonance data from a subject within an imaging zone, wherein the magnetic resonance imaging system comprises a magnetic resonance imaging antenna comprising a plurality of antenna elements, wherein each of the antenna elements is a loop antenna element, wherein the magnetic resonance imaging antenna further comprises multiple infrared thermometry sensors, wherein the magnetic resonance imaging antenna is positioned onto a portion of the subject and adjacent to an external surface of the subject, wherein at least a portion of the multiple infrared thermometry sensors are directed towards the external surface when the magnetic resonance imaging antenna is positioned adjacent to the external surface with at least a subset of the loop antenna elements parallel to the external surface, wherein each of the plurality of loop antenna elements have current leads for feeding radio frequency currents into or receiving radio frequency currents from the loop antenna elements, wherein at least a subset of the multiple infrared thermometry sensors are positioned in an offset region offset from a center of the corresponding loop antenna element, wherein the current leads are within the offset region, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

• acquiring the magnetic resonance data by controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system with pulse sequence instructions;
• repeatedly measuring a surface temperature of the subject with the multiple infrared thermometry sensors during acquisition of the magnetic resonance data;
• and
• performing a predefined action based on the surface temperature.

A magnetic resonance imaging system for acquiring magnetic resonance data from a subject within an imaging zone, wherein the magnetic resonance imaging system comprises:

• a magnetic resonance imaging antenna comprising a plurality of loop antenna elements and the magnetic resonance imaging antenna further comprises multiple infrared thermometry sensors, wherein the magnetic resonance imaging antenna is configured for being positioned onto a portion of the subject and adjacent to an external surface of the subject such that at least a portion of the multiple infrared thermometry sensors are disposed adjacent and directed towards the external surface of the subject when the magnetic resonance imaging antenna is positioned adjacent to the external surface of the subject to sense infrared radiation emanating from measurements on the external surface of the subject, wherein each of the plurality of loop antenna elements have current leads for feeding radio frequency currents into or receiving radio frequency currents from the loop antenna elements, wherein at least a subset of the multiple infrared thermometry sensors are positioned in an offset region offset from a center of the corresponding loop antenna element, wherein the current leads are within the offset region;
• a processor configured to control the magnetic resonance imaging system to:
• acquire the magnetic resonance data from the subject using magnetic resonance sequences that induce heating in the subject,
• repeatedly measure surface temperatures of the subject at the measurement points with the multiple infrared thermometry sensors during acquisition of the magnetic resonance data, and
• in response to surface temperatures at one or more of the measurement points being below heating limits during acquisition of the magnetic resonance data, recalculating the magnetic resonance sequences to shorten magnetic resonance data acquisition times.