# US 2013/0278264 A1 · Systems and methods for damping common-mode energy > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0278264 A1 - Document ID: US20130278264A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/452,315 - Filed: 2012-04-20 - Published: 2013-10-24 - Earliest claimed: 2012-04-20 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Inventors: Eddy Benjamin Boskamp - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130278264A1 ## CPC - G01R 33/3685: {Means for reducing sheath currents, e.g. RF traps, baluns} - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract Systems and methods for damping cable common-mode energy in magnetic environments are provided. One system includes a damping arrangement having a transmission line within an electric (E) field environment and an energy damping device formed having a conductive plastic body and positioned adjacent a conductor of the transmission line. The energy damping device is configured to dampen common-mode energy induced within the transmission line by the E field environment. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A damping arrangement comprising: a transmission line within an electric (E) field environment; and an energy damping device formed having a conductive plastic body and positioned adjacent a conductor of the transmission line, the energy damping device configured to dampen common-mode energy induced within the transmission line by the E field environment. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The damping arrangement of claim 1, wherein the energy damping device is configured to dampen one or more currents induced in the transmission line by an E field generated within the E field environment. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The damping arrangement of claim 1, wherein the energy damping device is configured to dampen one or more voltages induced in the transmission line by an E field generated within the E field environment. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The damping arrangement of claim 1, wherein the transmission line comprises a coaxial cable and the energy damping device is positioned in physical contact with an outer shield of the coaxial cable. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The damping arrangement of claim 1, wherein the transmission line comprises a stripline and the energy damping device is positioned in physical contact with a ground plane of the stripline. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The damping arrangement of claim 1, wherein the transmission line comprises a microstripline and the energy damping device is positioned in physical contact with a ground plane of the microstripline. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The damping arrangement of claim 1, wherein the conductive plastic body comprises a carbon filled plastic material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The damping arrangement of claim 1, wherein the conductive plastic body is a planar structure. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The damping arrangement of claim 1, wherein the conductive plastic body is a non-planar structure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The damping arrangement of claim 1, wherein the energy damping device is positioned at a high voltage point on the transmission line. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The damping arrangement of claim 10, wherein the transmission line is a coaxial cable, and wherein a location of the high voltage points is based on the electrical length of the cable and a complex termination impedance at both ends of the coaxial cable. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The damping arrangement of claim 1, wherein the transmission line is configured to interconnect a transmit coil to a magnetic resonance system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The damping arrangement of claim 1, wherein the transmission line is configured to interconnect a receive coil to a magnetic resonance system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The damping arrangement of claim 1, wherein the conductive plastic body is formed from a material having a relative permittivity of between about 1-10 and a conductivity of between about 0.3-400 Siemens/meter (S/m). ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The damping arrangement of claim 1, wherein the energy damping device is coupled to the transmission line. ### Claim 16 A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system comprising: an imaging portion having at least one transmit coil; a processing portion; a system interface interconnecting the imaging portion and the processing portion, the system interface connected to the at least one transmit coil with at least one transmission line; and an energy damping device formed having a conductive plastic body and positioned adjacent a conductor of the at least one transmission line, the energy damping device configured to dampen common-mode energy induced within the at least one transmission line. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The MRI system of claim 16, wherein the at least one transmission line comprises a coaxial cable and the energy damping device is positioned in physical contact with an outer shield of the coaxial cable. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The MRI system of claim 16, wherein the at least one transmission line comprises a stripline and the energy damping device is positioned in physical contact with a ground plane of the stripline. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The MRI system of claim 16, wherein the at least one transmission line comprises a microstripline and the energy damping device is positioned in physical contact with a ground plane of the microstripline. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The MRI system of claim 16, wherein the conductive plastic body comprises a carbon filled plastic material. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The MRI system of claim 16, wherein the conductive plastic body is a planar structure. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The MRI system of claim 16, wherein the conductive plastic body is a non-planar structure. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The MRI system of claim 16, wherein the energy damping device is positioned at a high voltage point on the at least one transmission line. ### Claim 24 (depends on 16) The MRI system of claim 16, wherein the imaging portion comprises at least one receive coil and the at least one transmission line connects the system interface to the at least one receive coil. ### Claim 25 (depends on 16) The MRI system of claim 16, wherein the imaging portion comprises at least one receive coil array and the at least one transmission line connects the system interface to the at least one receive coil array. ### Claim 26 (depends on 16) The MRI system of claim 16, wherein the conductive plastic body is formed from a material having a relative permittivity of between about 1-10 and a conductivity of between about 0.3-400 Siemens/meter (S/m). ### Claim 27 A method for damping common-mode cable currents in an electric (E) field environment, the method comprising: providing at least one conductive plastic patch having damping properties; and positioning the at least one conductive plastic patch at a high voltage node of a transmission line within the E field environment to dampen common-mode energy induced in the transmission line by an E field of the E field environment. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27, wherein the transmission line comprises a coaxial cable. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27, wherein the transmission line comprises a stripline. ### Claim 30 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27, wherein the transmission line comprises a microstripline.