Methods and apparatus for protecting an MR imaging system
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorJinhua Huang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of protecting an MR imaging system including a plurality of coil groups includes connecting at least one first diode between terminals of a first coil group, connecting at least one second diode between terminals of a second coil group, wherein the second group is connected to the first coil group via a separation line, and connecting at least one quench heater between the separation line and the first and second diodes.
Claims25
A method of protecting an MR imaging magnet including a plurality of coil groups, said method comprising:
- connecting at least one first diode between terminals of a first coil group;
- connecting at least one second diode between terminals of a second coil group, wherein the second group is connected to the first coil group via a separation line;
- and
- connecting at least one quench heater directly with the separation line and with the first and second diodes, wherein a voltage across the first coil group is at least equal to a sum of voltages across the at least one first diode and the at least one quench heater, and wherein an amount of current flowing through the at least one quench heater is different than an amount of current flowing through the at least one first diode.
A method for adjusting energy input to a quench heater, said method comprising:
- connecting at least one diode in series with dump resistor;
- and
- connecting a quench heater, the at least one diode, and the dump resistor in parallel with a coil group of a magnetic resonance imaging system, wherein a voltage across the coil group is equal to a sum of voltages across the quench heater, the at least one diode, and the dump resistor.
A method for adjusting a current flowing through a coil quench heater, said method comprising:
- connecting at least one quench heater directly to a coil separation line separating a first coil group from a second coil group;
- connecting at least one shunt resistor or protecting diode in parallel to the quench heater to adjust the current flowing through the coil quench heater;
- and
- connecting a quench protection diode and the at least one quench heater in parallel with the first coil group, wherein a voltage across the first coil group is equal to a sum of voltages across the quench protection diode and the at least one quench heater, and wherein an amount of current flowing through the at least one quench heater is different than an amount of current flowing through the quench protection diode.
A quench protection circuit comprising:
- a first coil group;
- a second coil group;
- a coil separation line connecting said first group to said second group;
- a first quench heater directly connected to said coil separation line;
- and
- a first diode and said first quench heater are coupled in parallel with said first coil group, wherein a voltage across the first coil group is equal to a sum of voltages across the first diode and the first quench heater, and wherein an amount of current flowing through the first quench heater is different than an amount of current flowing through the first diode.
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system comprising:
- a radio frequency (RF) coil assembly for imaging a subject volume;
- a computer coupled to said RE coil, said computer configured to generate images of a scanned object;
- and
- a magnetic resonance imaging magnet having a quench protection circuit, said quench protection system comprising:
- a first coil group;
- a second coil group;
- a coil separation line connecting said first group to said second group;
- a first quench heater directly connected to said coil separation line;
- and
- a first diode and said first quench heater are coupled in parallel with said first coil group, wherein a voltage across the first coil group is equal to a sum of voltages across the first diode and the first quench heater, and wherein an amount of current flowing through the first quench heater is different than an amount of current flowing through the first diode.
A method of protecting an MR imaging magnet including a plurality of coil groups including a first coil group and a second coil group, said method comprising:
- connecting a first diode with the first coil group;
- connecting the second coil group with the first coil group via a separation line;
- and
- connecting a quench heater directly with the separation line and with the first diode, wherein a voltage across the first coil group is equal to a sum of voltages across the first diode and the quench heater, and wherein an amount of current flowing through the quench heater is different than an amount of current flowing through the first diode, and wherein the first and second coil groups have substantially no unbalanced quench forces during quench events.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.