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US 12,758,452 B2Granted
Advanced MRI incubator hybrid system for safe infant imaging
AssigneeAdvanced Imaging Research, Inc.
InventorRavi Srinivasan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An incubator includes a patient compartment, a support structure, a patient table coupled to the support structure, an RF coil selectively coupled to the support structure, the RF coil including a receiver arranged along a peripheral edge of the RF coil, and a hood selectively coupled to one of the support structure or the patient table and configured to engage the receiver. When the hood is engaged with the receiver a volume of the hood and a volume of the RF coil merge together.
Claims20
An incubator of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system including a patient compartment, comprising:
- a support structure;
- a patient table connected to the support structure;
- a radiofrequency (RF) coil selectively coupled to the support structure, the RF coil including a receiver arranged along a peripheral edge of the RF coil;
- and
- a hood selectively coupled to one of the support structure or the patient table and configured to engage the receiver, wherein when the hood is engaged with the receiver a volume of the hood and a volume of the RF coil merge together;
- wherein the MRI system is configured to generate acoustic noise from a noise source during operation, the noise source being exterior of the patient compartment;
- wherein the receiver defines a bounded passage extending between an exterior of the patient compartment and an interior of the patient compartment, the passage including:
- an entrance port opening from the exterior of the patient compartment into the receiver;
- a first passage segment extending from the entrance port in a first direction;
- a first reflective surface at an end of the first passage segment, the first reflective surface being orthogonal to the first passage segment;
- a second passage segment joined to the first passage segment and extending in a second direction oriented at a right angle relative to the first direction;
- a second reflective surface at an end of the second segment, the second reflective surface being orthogonal to the second passage segment;
- a third passage segment joined to the second passage segment and extending in a third direction oriented at a right angle relative to the second direction;
- and
- an exit port opening from the third passage segment into the interior of the patient compartment;
- wherein the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface are orthogonal to one another, and the first passage segment, the second passage segment, the first reflective surface, and the second reflective surface are structurally arranged such that acoustic waves entering through the entrance port and propagating along the first passage segment strike the first reflective surface, with a first portion of the acoustic waves reflected back toward the entrance port, and a second portion of the acoustic waves passing into the second passage segment and striking the second reflective surface, the second reflective surface reflecting the second portion back toward the first passage segment and away from the exit port;
- whereby, by virtue of the structural arrangement, acoustic energy at the exit port is reduced relative to acoustic energy entering through the entrance port.
14 more elements
An incubator of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system including a patient compartment, comprising:
- a support structure;
- a patient table coupled to the support structure;
- a radiofrequency (RF) coil selectively coupled to the support structure, the RF coil including a receiver arranged along a peripheral edge of the RF coil;
- and
- a hood selectively coupled to one of the support structure or the patient table and configured to engage the receiver, wherein when the hood is engaged with the receiver, an exterior surface of the patient compartment is defined by both the hood and the RF coil;
- wherein the MRI system is configured to generate acoustic noise from a noise source during operation, the noise source being exterior of the patient compartment;
- wherein the receiver defines a bounded passage extending between an exterior of the patient compartment and an interior of the patient compartment, the passage including:
- an entrance port opening from the exterior of the patient compartment into the receiver;
- a first passage segment extending from the entrance port in a first direction;
- a first reflective surface at an end of the first passage segment, the first reflective surface being orthogonal to the first passage segment;
- a second passage segment joined to the first passage segment and extending in a second direction oriented at a right angle relative to the first direction;
- a second reflective surface at an end of the second passage segment, the second reflective surface being orthogonal to the second passage segment;
- a third passage segment joined to the second passage segment and extending in a third direction oriented at a right angle relative to the second direction;
- and
- an exit port opening from the third passage segment into the interior of the patient compartment;
- wherein the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface are orthogonal to one another, and the first passage segment, the second passage segment, the first reflective surface, and the second reflective surface are structurally arranged such that acoustic waves entering through the entrance port and propagating along the first passage segment strike the first reflective surface, with a first portion of the acoustic waves reflected back toward the entrance port, and a second portion of the acoustic waves passing into the second passage segment and striking the second reflective surface, the second reflective surface reflecting the second portion back toward the first passage segment and away from the exit port;
- whereby, by virtue of the structural arrangement, acoustic energy at the exit port is reduced relative to acoustic energy entering through the entrance port.
14 more elements
An incubator of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system including a patient compartment, comprising
- a support structure;
- a patient table coupled to the support structure;
- a radiofrequency (RF) coil selectively coupled to the support structure, the RF coil including a receiver arranged along a peripheral edge of the RF coil;
- and
- a hood selectively coupled to one of the support structure or the patient table and configured to engage the receiver, wherein when the hood is engaged with the receiver, the RF coil forms an exterior surface of the incubator and an interior surface of the patient compartment;
- wherein the MRI system is configured to generate acoustic noise from a noise source during operation, the noise source being exterior of the patient compartment;
- wherein the receiver defines a bounded passage extending between an exterior of the patient compartment and an interior of the patient compartment, the passage including:
- an entrance port opening from the exterior of the patient compartment into the receiver;
- a first passage segment extending from the entrance port in a first direction;
- a first reflective surface at an end of the first passage segment, the first reflective surface being orthogonal to the first passage segment;
- a second passage segment joined to the first passage segment and extending in a second direction oriented at a right angle relative to the first direction;
- a second reflective surface at an end of the second passage segment, the second reflective surface being orthogonal to the second passage segment;
- a third passage segment joined to the second passage segment and extending in a third direction oriented at a right angle relative to the second direction;
- and
- an exit port opening from the third passage segment into the interior of the patient compartment;
- wherein the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface are orthogonal to one another, and the first passage segment, the second passage segment, the first reflective surface, and the second reflective surface are structurally arranged such that acoustic waves entering through the entrance port and propagating along the first passage segment strike the first reflective surface, with a first portion of the acoustic waves reflected back toward the entrance port, and a second portion of the acoustic waves passing into the second passage segment and striking the second reflective surface, the second reflective surface reflecting the second portion back toward the first passage segment and away from the exit port;
- whereby, by virtue of the structural arrangement, acoustic energy at the exit port is reduced relative to acoustic energy entering through the entrance port.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.