Tiltable head coil

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10379178-B2
Application number	US-201514809217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2015
Priority date	Jul 25, 2014
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

A head coil for an imaging magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) system is provided. The head coil includes a head coil upper part and a head coil lower part. The head coil lower part includes a lower part base and a movable lower part that may be moved relative to one another via a mechanism for setting a tilt angle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A head coil for an imaging magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) system, the head coil comprising:
a head coil upper part;
a head coil lower part comprising a housing; and
a mechanism for setting a tilt angle and locking, the mechanism at least partially disposed within the housing of the head coil lower part,
wherein the head coil lower part comprises a lower part base and a movable lower part that are movable relative to one another via the mechanism, and
wherein the mechanism comprises a base element, a latching pin, and a guide.

2. The head coil of claim 1 , wherein the lower part base comprises a direct plug-in unit, the lower part base being fixable to a patient couch and contacts of the direct plug-in unit being connectable to contacts on a patient couch with the direct plug-in unit.

3. The head coil of claim 1 , wherein the movable lower part is supported in a pivot point such that the movable lower part is rotatable relative to the lower part base.

4. The head coil of claim 1 , wherein the latching pin is passed in a linear manner through the guide of the mechanism for setting the tilt angle and locking.

5. The head coil of claim 1 , wherein in the guide of the mechanism for setting the tilt angle and locking, the latching pin is pressed against a base element of the mechanism by a compression spring.

6. The head coil of claim 1 , wherein the mechanism for setting the tilt angle and locking has two, three, or more than three latching positions.

7. The head coil of claim 1 , wherein the base element is configured as fixed to the lower part base.

8. The head coil of claim 7 , wherein the base element is configured as fixed to the lower part base by a screw connection or being latched therein with a form fit.

9. The head coil of claim 1 , wherein a part of the mechanism is fastened to the movable lower part.

10. The head coil of claim 9 , wherein the guide of the mechanism is fastened to the movable lower part.

11. The head coil of claim 1 , wherein the mechanism together with the lower part is movable in an upward direction by raising the movable lower part, in a downward direction due to gravity, or a combination thereof.

12. The head coil of claim 1 , wherein the latching pin of the mechanism is latchable into a latching position in the base element by a compression spring that presses against the base element during movement of the latching pin along the base element.

13. The head coil of claim 12 , further comprising an operating lever, the operating lever configured to unlock the locking of the latching pin in the base element, the operating lever allowing the latching pin to be moved against the compression spring.

14. The head coil of claim 1 , further comprising insertion gradients in the form of chamfers provided on the base element, on the latching pin, or on a combination thereof.

15. The head coil of claim 14 , wherein the insertion gradients improve engagement of the base element and the latching pin relative to one another in a latching position.

16. The head coil of claim 1 , wherein the mechanism with the base element and the latching pin is arranged centrally in the local coil or to a side in the local coil.

17. The head coil of claim 1 , wherein the mechanism is a first latching element, and
wherein the head coil further comprises a second latching element, the first latching element and the second latching element being arranged in the local coil.

18. The head coil of claim 1 , wherein the head coil is a head coil for recording images of just the head of a patient, or the head coil is a combined local head/neck coil for recording images of the head and neck of the patient.

Assignees

• Driemel Daniel
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Driemel Daniel

Classifications

• G01R33/34084

  implantable coils or coils being geometrically adaptable to the sample, e.g. flexible coils or coils comprising mutually movable parts · CPC title

• G01R33/34007 Primary

  Manufacture of RF coils, e.g. using printed circuit board technology; additional hardware for providing mechanical support to the RF coil assembly or to part thereof, e.g. a support for moving the coil assembly relative to the remainder of the MR system · CPC title