Surface coil system for a single channel NMR receiver
OwnerRandall W. Jones, Fred Davisinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surface coil system for single channel MRI reception comprising a coil system including a plurality of self-resonant, overlapping coil conductor sections arranged relative to one another and to anatomical regions of a patient such that a combination of regions form a desired larger region of interest, a control unit located remotely from the coil system and electromagnetically communicating therewith, having means for selectively electronically activating and deactivating each coil section to produce MRI output signals when activated, means for combining selected MRI output signals, and means for electrically connecting the coil system to an MRI system to transmit selected MRI signals to the MRI system.
Claims20
A surface coil system for single channel MRI reception comprising:
- a coil system including a plurality of self-resonant, overlapping coil conductor sections arranged relative to one another and to anatomical regions of a patient such that a combination of regions form a desired larger region of interest;
- each of said coil sections including a plurality of coil conductor elements, each said coil element activatable to generate a MRI output signal;
- a control unit located remotely from said coil system and in electromagnetic communication therewith, having means for selectively electronically activating and deactivating each of said coil sections to cause the coil elements within each section to produce MRI output signals when activated;
- said control unit including means for broadcasting an electromagnetic signal through space to the coil system, and said coil system including means for receiving said electromagnetic signal from said control unit;
- said coil system including means for broadcasting an electromagnetic signal through space to the control unit, and the control unit including means for receiving said electromagnetic signal from the coil system;
- said broadcasting and receiving means in the control unit and coil system enabling wireless electromagnetic communication therebetween;
- and
- said coil system including means for combining selected MRI output signals;
- and means for electrically connecting said coil system to an MRI system to transmit said combined signals to the MRI system.
A surface coil system for single channel MRI reception comprising:
- a coil system including a plurality of self resonant, overlapping quadrature coil conductor sections arranged relative to one another and to anatomical regions of a patient such that a combination of regions formed a desired region of interest;
- each of said coil sections including a pair of self resonant coil conductor loops arranged in quadrature;
- means for electronically combining signals generated by each coil loop of each quadrature coil pair to form a unique region of sensitivity;
- a control unit located remotely from said coil system and operably connected thereto, having means for selectively electronically activating and deactivating each of said coil sections to cause the coil loops within each section to produce MRI output signals when activated;
- said coil system including means for combining selected MRI output signals;
- and means for electrically connecting said coil system to a MRI system to transmit said combined signals to the MRI system.
A surface coil system for single channel MRI reception comprising:
- a coil system including a plurality of self-resonant, overlapping coil conductor sections arranged relative to one another and to anatomical regions of a patient such that a combination of regions form a desired larger region of interest;
- each of said coil sections including at least one coil conductor elements for generating MRI signal voltages upon activation thereof;
- a control unit located remotely from said coil system and electromagnetically communicating therewith, having means for selectively electronically activating and deactivating each of said coil sections to cause the coil loops within each section to produce MRI output signals when activated;
- wherein said MRI system includes an acquisition cycle having a transmit portion and a receive portion;
- a time-multiplexing circuit for synchronously activating coil sections and sampling their MRI outputs;
- and
- means for electrically connecting said coil system to an MRI system to transmit said combined MRI output signals to the MRI system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.