Apparatus for magnetic resonance imaging
AssigneeOxford Instruments PLC
InventorsIan Leitch McDougall, Peter Hanley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for magnetic resonance imaging includes a first magnet for generating a first magnetic field and a second magnet for generating a second magnetic field, dissimilar to the first magnetic field, the second magnet being spaced apart from the first magnet. The apparatus is arranged such that the first and second magnets cooperate to generate a substantially homogeneous magnetic field defining a working region wherein the first and second magnetic fields are arranged asymmetrically with respect to the working region, and wherein at least part of the working region is positioned within the first magnet or between the first and second magnets.
Claims23
An apparatus for magnetic resonance imaging, comprising:
- a first magnet for generating a first magnetic field;
- and
- a second magnet for generating a second magnetic field, dissimilar to the first magnetic field, the second magnet being spaced apart from the first magnet,
- wherein each of the first and second magnets comprise one or more coils, the apparatus being arranged such that the first and second magnets cooperate to generate a substantially homogeneous magnetic field defining a working region, wherein the first and second magnetic fields are arranged asymmetrically with respect to the working region, wherein at least part of the working region is positioned within the first magnet or between the first and second magnets, and
- wherein the coils of the first and second magnets define corresponding planes, the apparatus being arranged such that each plane so defined is angled with respect to the horizontal and part of the first magnet coils are sunk into the floor of a location in which the apparatus is situated, the dimensions of the first magnet coils being sufficient to permit at least one person to approach the working region by walking through the first magnet coils and for said person to perform procedures upon a part of the body of a subject contained in the working region, when the apparatus is in use.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.