# US 2016/0259019 A1 · Magnetic resonance coil unit and method for its manufacture

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- Number: US 2016/0259019 A1
- Document ID: US20160259019A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/031,392
- Filed: 2013-10-25
- Published: 2016-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2013-10-25
- Assignees: Brainlab AG; Siemens Aktiengesellschaft; pro med instruments GmbH
- Applicants: Brainlab AG; Pro Med Instruments GmbH; Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
- Inventors: Patrick GROSS; Tilman NIEDERFÜHR; Brian VASEY; Nadja HEINDL; Dimitrios SAPNARAS
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160259019A1

## CPC

- G01R 33/3415: comprising arrays of sub-coils {, i.e. phased-array coils with flexible receiver channels}
- A61B 5/055: involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
- A61B 5/702: {Posture restraints}
- G01R 33/4808: {Multimodal MR, e.g. MR combined with positron emission tomography [PET], MR combined with ultrasound or MR combined with computed tomography [CT]}
- G01R 33/58: Calibration of imaging systems, e.g. using test probes {, Phantoms; Calibration objects or fiducial markers such as active or passive RF coils surrounding an MR active material}
- A61B 90/20: Surgical microscopes characterised by non-optical aspects
- A61B 2034/2055: {Optical tracking systems}
- A61B 2034/2057: {Details of tracking cameras}
- A61B 2090/3937: {Visible markers}
- A61B 2090/3954: {magnetic, e.g. NMR or MRI}
- A61B 2562/12: Manufacturing methods specially adapted for producing sensors for in-vivo measurements
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

A magnetic resonance (MR) coil unit,comprising:—an MR coil body which houses at least one MR coil, the MR coil body having a front surface for facing a patient, a reverse surface opposite to the front surface, and at least one opening through the MR coil body which connects the front and reverse surfaces;—at least one MR marker located at least partly in said at least one opening in the MR coil body; and—at least one optical marker located above the reverse surface of the MR coil body.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A magnetic resonance (MR) coil unit (1), comprising:
an MR coil body which houses at least one MR coil, the MR coil body having a front surface for facing a patient, a reverse surface opposite to the front surface, and at least one opening through the MR coil body connecting the front and reverse surfaces;
at least one MR marker located at least partly in said at least one opening in the MR coil body; and
at least one optical marker located above the reverse surface of the MR coil body.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The MR coil unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one MR marker does not protrude over the front surface of the MR coil body.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The MR coil unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one MR marker is completely located in the at least one opening.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The MR coil unit according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of MR markers in a known spatial relationship.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The MR coil unit according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of optical markers in a known spatial relationship.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The MR coil unit according to claim 1, wherein the optical and MR markers are fixed to a common holding bracket.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The MR coil unit according to claim 1, wherein an MR marker comprises a fill opening pointing towards the reverse surface of the MR coil body.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The MR coil unit according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the MR coil body in a direction between its front and reverse surfaces is basically identical to the thickness of the MR markers in this direction.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A magnetic resonance (MR) unit, comprising:
an MR coil unit according to claim 1;
a patient support for accommodating a patient; and
an MR holder holding the MR coil unit such that the front surface of the MR coil body faces the patient support.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The MR unit according to claim 9, further comprising a medical navigation system including a camera for detecting the optical markers, wherein the camera is aligned such that the optical markers are within the camera's field of view.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The MR unit according to claim 9, wherein the MR holder is directly connected to the patient support.

### Claim 12

A method for manufacturing a magnetic resonance (MR) coil unit, comprising the steps of:
providing an MR coil body housing at least one MR coil, the MR coil body having a front surface for facing a patient, a reverse surface opposite to the front surface, and at least one opening through the MR coil body connecting the front and reverse surfaces;
placing at least one MR marker at least partly in said at least one opening in the MR coil body; and
placing at least one optical marker above the reverse surface of the MR coil body.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one MR marker is placed in the at least one opening such that it does not protrude over the front surface of the MR coil body.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12, 13)

The method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the optical and MR markers are fixed to a common holding bracket, and the holding bracket is attached to the MR coil body such that the MR marker(s) is/are located at least partly in said at least one opening in the MR coil body and the optical marker(s) is/are located above the reverse surface of the MR coil body.

### Claim 15

(canceled)