# US 2013/0278267 A1 · Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and magnetic resonance imaging method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0278267 A1 - Document ID: US20130278267A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/863,664 - Filed: 2013-04-16 - Published: 2013-10-24 - Earliest claimed: 2012-04-18 - Assignees: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation; Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba; Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation - Inventors: Masashi HORI; Motohiro MIURA; Motohisa YOKOI; Sho KAWAJIRI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130278267A1 ## CPC - G01R 33/28: Details of apparatus provided for in groups G01R33/44 - G01R33/64 - G01R 33/3852: {Gradient amplifiers; means for controlling the application of a gradient magnetic field to the sample, e.g. a gradient signal synthesizer} - G01R 33/546: {Interface between the MR system and the user, e.g. for controlling the operation of the MR system or for the design of pulse sequences} - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract According to one embodiment of the present invention, an MRI apparatus (20) includes a charge/discharge controlling unit (56, 126, 128), a judging unit (102, 132, 134, 136, 140 and 142) and a condition restricting unit (104). The charge/discharge controlling unit includes a charge/discharge element (126), receives electric power, and charges the charge/discharge element (126) by using the received electric power. The charge/discharge controlling unit also supplies a gradient magnetic field coil (26) with electric power discharged from the charge/discharge element (126) at a time of performance of magnetic resonance imaging. The judging unit judges whether capacitance of the charge/discharge element (126) falls below a threshold value or not. The condition restricting unit (104) restricts electric power amount supplied to the gradient magnetic field coil (26) by restricting conditions of an imaging sequence, when the capacitance of the charge/discharge element (126) falls below the threshold value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus performing magnetic resonance imaging, with application of a gradient magnetic field to an imaging region by supplying a gradient magnetic field coil with electric power according to an imaging sequence, comprising: a charge/discharge controlling unit configured to include a charge/discharge element, receive electric power, charge the charge/discharge element by using received electric power, and supply the gradient magnetic field coil with electric power discharged from the charge/discharge element at a time of performance of the magnetic resonance imaging. a judging unit configured to judge whether capacitance of the charge/discharge element falls below a threshold value or not; and a condition restricting unit configured to restrict electric power amount supplied to the gradient magnetic field coil by restricting conditions of the imaging sequence, when the judging unit judges that the capacitance of the charge/discharge element falls below the threshold value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a direct-current power supply configured to supply the gradient magnetic field coil with direct-current power, wherein the charge/discharge controlling unit is configured to supplement “shortfall of electric power supplied from the direct-current power supply as compared with power consumption of the gradient magnetic field coil”, by using electric power discharged from the charge/discharge element according to the imaging sequence. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a display device; and a warning unit configured to make the display device perform exchange recommendation display of the charge/discharge element, when the judging unit judges that the capacitance of the charge/discharge element falls below the threshold value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a storage device, wherein the judging unit is configured to calculate a capacitance value of the charge/discharge element based on at least one of “charging voltage of the charge/discharge element” and “charge and discharge current of the charge/discharge element”, and store the capacitance value calculated and measurement date in the storage device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the judging unit is configured to judge “whether or not the capacitance of the charge/discharge element falls below a first threshold value” and “whether or not the capacitance of the charge/discharge element falls below a second threshold value which is smaller than the first threshold value”; and when the capacitance of the charge/discharge element falls below the second threshold, the condition restricting unit restricts electric power supplied to the gradient magnetic field coil more than “a case where the capacitance of the charge/discharge element does not fall below the second threshold value but falls below the first threshold value”. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the judging unit is configured to start measuring at least one of “charging voltage of the charge/discharge element” and “charge and discharge current of the charge/discharge element” in synchronization with start-up of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus by power activation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the judging unit is configured to start measuring at least one of “charging voltage of the charge/discharge element” and “charge and discharge current of the charge/discharge element” in synchronization with reboot of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the judging unit is configured to measure at least one of “charging voltage of the charge/discharge element” and “charge and discharge current of the charge/discharge element” during implementation term of a prescan, and then judge whether the capacitance of the charge/discharge element falls below the threshold value or not. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the judging unit is configured to start measuring at least one of “charging voltage of the charge/discharge element” and “charge and discharge current of the charge/discharge element” in synchronization with start-up of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus by power activation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the judging unit is configured to start measuring at least one of “charging voltage of the charge/discharge element” and “charge and discharge current of the charge/discharge element” in synchronization with reboot of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the judging unit is configured to measure at least one of “charging voltage of the charge/discharge element” and “charge and discharge current of the charge/discharge element” during implementation term of a prescan, and then judge whether the capacitance of the charge/discharge element falls below the threshold value or not. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the judging unit is configured to judge “whether or not the capacitance of the charge/discharge element falls below a first threshold value” and “whether or not the capacitance of the charge/discharge element falls below a second threshold value which is smaller than the first threshold value”; and when the capacitance of the charge/discharge element falls below the second threshold, the condition restricting unit restricts electric power supplied to the gradient magnetic field coil more than “a case where the capacitance of the charge/discharge element does not fall below the second threshold value but falls below the first threshold value”. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a display device; and a warning unit configured to make the display device perform exchange recommendation display of the charge/discharge element, when the judging unit judges that the capacitance of the charge/discharge element falls below the threshold value. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage device, wherein the judging unit is configured to calculate a capacitance value of the charge/discharge element based on at least one of “charging voltage of the charge/discharge element” and “charge and discharge current of the charge/discharge element”, and store the capacitance value calculated and measurement date in the storage device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a direct-current power supply configured to supply the gradient magnetic field coil with direct-current power; and a switching control unit configured to switch between “a first circuit operation state in which the gradient magnetic field coil is supplied with electric power from the direct-current power supply without consuming accumulated electric power of the charge/discharge element” and “a second circuit operation state in which the gradient magnetic field coil is supplied with electric power from the direct-current power supply and the charge/discharge element”, according to power consumption of the gradient magnetic field coil. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising: a display device; and a warning unit configured to make the display device perform exchange recommendation display of the charge/discharge element, when the judging unit judges that the capacitance of the charge/discharge element falls below the threshold value. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a storage device, wherein the judging unit is configured to calculate a capacitance value of the charge/discharge element based on at least one of “charging voltage of the charge/discharge element” and “charge and discharge current of the charge/discharge element”, and store the capacitance value calculated and measurement date in the storage device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the judging unit is configured to start measuring at least one of “charging voltage of the charge/discharge element” and “charge and discharge current of the charge/discharge element” in synchronization with “start-up of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus by power activation” or “reboot of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus”. ### Claim 19 A magnetic resonance imaging method applying a gradient magnetic field to an imaging region by supplying a gradient magnetic field coil with electric power according to an imaging sequence, acquiring MR signals from the imaging region with the application of the gradient magnetic field, and reconstructing imaging data based on the MR signals, the magnetic resonance imaging method comprising the steps of: judging whether or not capacitance of “a charge/discharge element supplying the gradient magnetic field coil with electric power as discharge current” falls below a threshold value; and restricting electric power amount supplied to the gradient magnetic field coil by restricting conditions of the imaging sequence, when the capacitance of the charge/discharge element falls below the threshold value.