Miniature magnetic resonance catheter coils and related methods

Abstract

The present invention provides several embodiments of methods of making magnetic resonance catheter coils which include employing a flexible electrically insulative base member, depositing an electrically conductive material on the base member in a predetermined pattern to create at least one pair of generally parallel electrically conductive coil elements which are electrically connected to each other. A catheter is provided over the coil assembly. In one embodiment, a second pair of generally parallel electrically conductive coil elements are provided in order to create a quadrature coil. In this latter embodiment, the electrically insulative base member may have the first pair of coil elements created on one surface thereof and a second pair on the other with the base member subsequently being deformed to create a tubular coil having one pair of coil elements on the outside and the other pair on the inside. In some embodiments, tuning and matching circuits and decoupling circuits may be provided. The (a) coils, (b) coil assemblies, as well as (c) catheter coils containing coil assemblies produced by these methods are also disclosed. The coils may be miniaturized so as to facilitate ready insertion within a suitable sheath, such as a probe or catheter, into a patient, including into body openings, or into blood vessels or into interior regions of the body.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.