Status acquisition of a RF coil on or in a magnetic resonance device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10241164-B2
Application number	US-201514976003-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2015
Priority date	Dec 22, 2014
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

A device and a method are provided for status acquisition of a RF coil on or in a magnetic resonance device. The device may be arranged on the RF coil and comprises a status acquisition unit. The status unit is configured to acquire a status of the RF coil and to generate a status-dependent output signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a RF coil configured for use on or in a magnetic resonance device; and
a status acquisition unit arranged on the RF coil, wherein the status acquisition unit is configured to acquire a status of the RF coil and to generate a status-dependent output signal, wherein the status acquisition unit is configured to be at least partially deactivated.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the status acquisition unit comprises at least one magnetic field sensor configured to acquire at least one magnetic field characteristic.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the status-dependent output signal is dependent on a threshold value, on a change in a magnetic field characteristic acquired by the at least one magnetic field sensor, or the threshold value and the change in a magnetic field characteristic acquired by the at least one magnetic field sensor.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one magnetic field sensor comprises at least one reed contact, at least one Hall sensor, at least one induction coil, or a combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the status acquisition unit further comprises an output unit configured to output the status-dependent output signal.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the status-dependent output signal is an optical signal, an acoustic signal, or an optical signal and an acoustic signal.

7. The system of claim 2 , wherein the status-dependent output signal is based on the at least one magnetic field characteristic.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the status acquisition unit further comprises a connection status acquisition unit configured to acquire a connection status of the RF coil.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the status acquisition unit further comprises an energy storage device.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the status acquisition unit is configured to perform a discontinuous acquisition.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the status acquisition unit is configured so that the status-dependent output signal is suspended for a time following an acquisition of a change in status of the RF coil.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the status acquisition unit further comprises an output unit configured to generate the status-dependent output signal and to communicate the status-dependent output signal to an external receiver unit of the magnetic resonance device.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the status acquisition unit further comprises a temperature status sensor.

14. A method for status acquisition of a RF coil on or in a magnetic resonance device, the method comprising:
acquiring at least one signal which characterizes a status of the RF coil;
generating a status-dependent output signal; wherein the status-dependent output signal is based on the at least one signal; and
suspending the status-dependent output signal for a time following an acquisition of a change in status of the RF coil.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one signal is based on a magnetic field characteristic.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one signal is based on a connection status of the RF coil.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the status-dependent output signal is only generated when the RF coil is not connected and the signal dependent on a magnetic field characteristic exceeds at least one threshold value.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein acquiring and generating are repeated.

19. A magnetic resonance device comprising:
a local RF coil; and
a status acquisition unit arranged on the local RF coil, wherein the status acquisition unit is configured to acquire a status of the local RF coil and to generate a status-dependent output signal, wherein the status acquisition unit is configured to perform a discontinuous acquisition.

20. The magnetic resonance device of claim 19 , further comprising:
a receive unit, wherein the receive unit is configured to receive the status-dependent output signal.

Assignees

• Fischer Hubertus
• Matschl Volker
• Stark Helmut
• Sukkau Johann
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Fischer Hubertus
• Matschl Volker
• Stark Helmut
• Sukkau Johann

Classifications

• G01R31/72

  Testing of electric windings (testing of transformers G01R31/62) · CPC title

• G01R31/2822

  of microwave or radiofrequency circuits (of attenuation, gain, e.g. using network analyzers G01R27/28) · CPC title

• G01R35/00

  Testing or calibrating of apparatus covered by the other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• G01R33/36 Primary

  Electrical details, e.g. matching or coupling of the coil to the receiver · CPC title

• G01R33/28 Primary

  Details of apparatus provided for in groups G01R33/44 - G01R33/64 · CPC title