Magnetic resonance detection coil that is immune to environmental noise
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsAllen N. Garroway, Bryan H. Suits, Joel B. Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A noise immune gradiometer split shield coil for use in magnetic resonance etection, such as in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR). The coil is formed by a transmission line configured as a magnetic field gradiometer. The transmission line has a conductor which is electrically continuous through the coil, and a shield which is split at a position that causes the gradiometer to be electrically balanced. In this manner, the coil provides a high degree of internal shielding to reduce the effects of environmental noise pick-up. Such coils are also less sensitive to the effects of nearby conducting media.
Claims24
A coil comprising:
- a transmission line including a conductor and a shield and having first and second ends, wherein
- the conductor is electrically continuous from the first to the second end, and
- the shield is split at a position between the first and second ends to cause the coil to be electrically balanced and to define first and second sections in series
- and the two sections are geometrically arranged so that a uniform magnetic field through the coil induces currents in each section with the sum of those currents being substantially less than the current flowing in either section.
A coil as in claim, 1, wherein the coil is for use in one of the group consisting of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR).
A coil comprising:
- a transmission line including a conductor and a shield and having first and second ends, wherein
- the transmission line forms first and second loops in series between the first and second ends, the first and second loops together having a geometric configuration so that a uniform magnetic field through the coil induces currents in each loop with the sum of those currents being substantially less than the current flowing in either loop,
- the conductor is electrically continuous from the first to the second end, and
- the shield is split at a position between the first and second loops to cause the coil to be electrically balanced.
A coil comprising:
- a transmission line including a conductor and a shield and configured as a magnetic field gradiometer, wherein
- the conductor is electrically continuous through the coil, and
- the shield is split at a position which causes the gradiometer to be electrically balanced.
A coil comprising:
- a transmission line including a conductor and a shield and having first and second ends, wherein
- the conductor is electrically continuous from the first to the second end, and
- the shield is split at a position between the first and second ends to cause the coil to be electrically balanced and to define first and second inductors in series which create fields in the opposite sense.
A coil comprising:
- a transmission line forming at least one inductor;
- and
- a plurality of electrically conducting strips electrically connected to the outside of the inductor, to provide additional electrical shielding, wherein
- the transmission line forms first and second inductors in series,
- a first plurality of electrically conducting strips are electrically connected to the first inductor, and
- a second plurality of electrically conducting strips are electrically connected to the second inductor, so that the first and second plurality of electrically conducting strips provide additional electrical shielding.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.