Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and method with wireless transmission of compressed echo signals that are expanded and extracted at the receiver

A method of imaging a subject by a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus which comprises a probe unit and a control/imaging unit, wherein

• in the probe unit,
• detecting an RF echo signal generated in the subject by a magnetic resonance phenomenon,
• digitizing the detected RF echo signal,
• acquiring a compressed echo signal by decimating samples of the digitized RF echo signal in accordance with a predetermined compression parameter, and
• generating a first transmission signal in order to wirelessly transmit the compressed echo signal and sends the first transmission signal to a first radio channel, and
• in the control/imaging unit:
• receiving the first transmission signal transmitted via the first radio channel and extracts the compressed echo signal from the received first transmission signal,
• expanding the extracted compressed echo signal in accordance with the compression parameter in order to obtain the RF echo signal, and
• generating a video signal regarding the subject on the basis of the obtained RF echo signal.

A probe unit used in a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus together with a control/imaging unit, the probe unit comprising:

• an RF probe which detects an RF echo signal generated in a subject by a magnetic resonance phenomenon;
• an analog-digital converter which digitizes the RF echo signal detected by the RF probe;
• an echo compressor which acquires a compressed echo signal by decimating samples of the RF echo signal that was digitized by the analog-digital converter in accordance with a predetermined compression parameter;
• and
• a first transmitter which generates a first transmission signal in order to wirelessly transmit the compressed echo signal and sends the first transmission signal to a first radio channel.

A control/imaging unit used in an magnetic resonance imaging apparatus together with a probe unit having functions of digitizing an RF echo signal generated in a subject by a magnetic resonance phenomenon, acquiring a compressed echo signal by decimating samples of the digitized RF echo signal in accordance with a predetermined compression parameter, and generating a first transmission signal in order to wirelessly transmit the compressed echo signal and sending the first transmission signal to a first radio channel, the control/imaging unit comprising:

• a first receiver which receives the first transmission signal transmitted via the first radio channel and extracts the compressed echo signal from the received first transmission signal;
• an echo expander which expands the compressed echo signal extracted by the first receiver in accordance with the compression parameter in order to obtain the RF echo signal;
• and
• an image reconstructor which generates a video signal regarding the subject on the basis of the RF echo signal obtained by the echo expander.