Conduction cooled passively-shielded MRI magnet
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsEvangelos Laskaris, Xianrui Huang, Michele Dollar Ogle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device for imaging a volume is provided with at least one main magnet for generating a magnetic field, and at least one gradient coil for manipulating the magnetic field generated by the at least one main magnet to image the volume. The magnetic fields generated by the at least one gradient coil are substantially unshielded.
Claims37
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device for imaging a volume, comprising:
- at least one main magnet for generating a magnetic field;
- at least one gradient coil for manipulating the magnetic field generated by said at least one main magnet to image said volume;
- and
- a main magnet cooled thermal spreader comprising a material in which eddy currents are substantially not induced during an operation of the least one gradient coil.
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device for imaging a volume, comprising:
- means for generating a main magnetic field;
- means for manipulating the main magnetic field to image said volume and
- means for cooling the means for generating a main magnetic field such that eddy currents are substantially not induced in the means for cooling during an operation of the means for manipulating.
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device for imaging a volume, comprising:
- at least one main magnet for generating a magnetic field;
- at least one gradient coil for manipulating the magnetic field generated by said at least one main magnet to image said volume;
- and
- at least one cooled thermal spreader, said at least one cooled thermal spreader comprising:
- a cooled coil former on which said main magnet is wound.
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device for imaging a volume, comprising;
- at least one main magnet comprising a superconducting coil for generating a magnetic field;
- at least one gradient coil for manipulating the magnetic field generated by said at least one main magnet;
- and
- at least one of a vacuum vessel and thermal shield enshrouding the superconducting coil;
- wherein the at least one of the vacuum vessel and the thermal shield enshrouding the superconducting coil comprise a material in which eddy currents are substantially not induced during an operation of the least one gradient coil.
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device for imaging a volume, comprising:
- at least one main magnet for generating a magnetic field;
- and
- at least one gradient coil for manipulating the magnetic field generated by said at least one main magnet to image said volume;
- wherein:
- the at least one gradient coil is not located in a vacuum vessel;
- and
- the magnetic fields generated by the at least one gradient coil are substantially unshielded.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.