Magnetic resonance scanner with improved packaging for circuitry within the magnetic field

A magnetic resonance apparatus comprising:

• a means for creating a magnetic field through an examination region;
• a means for exciting nuclei of a subject within the examination region to emit radio frequency magnetic resonance signals;
• a radio frequency receiving coil means disposed in or closely contiguous to the examination region for receiving the magnetic resonance signals, the coil means including at least one coil segment and a magnetic resonance signal processing circuit constructed using at least one of chip and wire hybrid technology, flip chip technology, and tape automated bonding technology, the signal processing circuit including:
• a substrate having lead lines defined thereon;
• a plurality of unpackaged, ferrous-free dice bonded to the substrate, the ferrous-free dice including at least one of unpackaged microprocessor, unpackaged diode, unpackaged transistor, unpackaged multiplexer, and unpackaged analog-to-digital converter dice;
• electrical conductor means bonded to the substrate lead lines and to electrically conductive portions of the at least one ferrous-free die;
• a radio receiver for receiving magnetic resonance signals from the resonance signal processing circuit, the receiver means being disposed outside of the examination region;
• a data reconstruction means operatively connected with the receiver means for processing the received data;
• a memory means for storing the processed data for selected display on a video monitor.

A magnetic resonance apparatus comprising:

• a means for creating a magnetic field through an examination region;
• a radio frequency coil surrounding the examination region;
• a radio frequency transmitter for providing radio frequency signals to the radio frequency coils for exciting nuclei of a subject within the examination region to emit radio frequency magnetic resonance signals;
• a magnetic resonance signal processing circuits mounted at the radio frequency coil, the magnetic resonance signal processing circuit including:
• substrates having lead lines defined thereon,
• ferrous-free dice mounted to the substrates, the dice including an unpackaged analog-to-digital converter dice for converting magnetic resonance signals received by the radio frequency coil from analog-to-digital format at the radio frequency coil,
• an electrically conductive means connected to the substrate lead lines and to electrically conductive portions of the analog-to-digital converter dice;
• a digital radio frequency receiver for receiving digital magnetic resonance signals from the resonance signal processing circuits;
• a data reconstruction means operatively connected with the digital receiver means for processing the received data;
• a memory means for storing the processed data for selective display on a video monitor.

A receiving coil which is configured to be received within or closely contiguous to an examination region of a magnetic resonance apparatus for receiving radio frequency resonance signals emanating from an adjacent subject in the examination region, the receiving coil comprising:

• an insulating member;
• at least one coil segment supported by the insulating member;
• a magnetic resonance signal processing circuit mounted on the insulating sheet and connected with the coil segment for processing signals received by the coil segment, the signal processing circuit including:
• a substrate,
• lead lines defined on the substrate,
• at least one ferrous-free unpackaged die including at least one of:
• an unpackaged diode die, an unpackaged analog-to-digital converter die, an unpackaged transistor die, and an unpackaged microprocessor die, mounted to the substrate and electrically connected to the lead lines.

A signal processing circuit for mounting in or contiguous to a subject receiving region of a magnetic resonance apparatus, the signal processing circuit including:

• an insulating substrate;
• a plurality of electrically conductive lead lines defined along the substrate;
• a plurality of ferrous-free unpackaged component dice;
• non-ferrous electrical connecting means for directly connecting electrically conductive portions of the dice to the electrically conductive lead lines.