Laminate design-based radio frequency coil unit for MRI

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10401446-B2
Application number	US-201414905322-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2014
Priority date	Jul 18, 2013
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

A radio frequency coil unit ( 10 ) for use in a magnetic resonance imaging system, the radio frequency coil unit ( 10 ) comprising: at least one electrically insulating substrate ( 18 ); at least one radio frequency coil member ( 12 ) disposed at a first side ( 22 ) o f the electrically insulating substrate ( 18 ); a first capacitor member ( 26 ) disposed at the first side ( 22 ) of the electrically insulating substrate ( 18 ) and galvanically connected to the at least one radio frequency coil member ( 12 ); a second capacitor member ( 28 ) disposed at a second side ( 24 ) of the electrically insulating substrate ( 18 ) which is opposite of the first side ( 22 ); wherein the first capacitor member ( 26 ) and the second capacitor member ( 28 ) at least partially overlap in a direction ( 20 ) perpendicular to a surface of the electrically insulating substrate ( 18 ); and wherein the at least one radio frequency coil member ( 12 ), the first capacitor member ( 26 ) and the second capacitor member ( 28 ) are part of a radio frequency resonance circuit having a resonance frequency that coincides with the Larmor frequency, which is determined by a magnetic field strength of the magnetic resonance imaging system and the species of nuclei under investigation. The capacitor structure at the second side of the substrate has an integrated resonant loop structure of which the resoance properties are indicative of the capacitor values formed by the overlapping capacitor members.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A radio frequency coil unit for use in a magnetic resonance imaging system, the radio frequency coil unit comprising:
at least one electrically insulating substrate;
at least one radio frequency coil member formed as an electrically conductive pattern disposed at a first side of the electrically insulating substrate, and being configured to serve as an inductance member of the radio frequency coil unit;
a first capacitor member formed as an electrically conductive pattern disposed at the first side of the electrically insulating substrate and galvanically connected to the at least one radio frequency coil member;
a second capacitor member formed as an electrically conductive pattern disposed at a second side of the electrically insulating substrate which is opposite of the first side; wherein the first capacitor member and the second capacitor member at least partially overlap in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the electrically insulating substrate;
a third capacitor member and a fourth capacitor member, wherein the third capacitor member is formed as an electrically conductive pattern disposed at the second side of the electrically insulating substrate, and wherein the fourth capacitor member is formed as an electrically conductive pattern disposed at the first side of the electrically insulating substrate, wherein the third capacitor member and the fourth capacitor member at least partially overlap in the direction perpendicular to a surface of the electrically insulating substrate;
two electrically conductive bridge patterns disposed at the second side of the electrically insulating substrate in a spaced relationship, wherein the second capacitor member comprises two mutually insulated second capacitor member portions both disposed at the second side of the electrically insulating substrate, the third capacitor member comprises two mutually insulated third capacitor member portions both disposed at the second side of the electrically insulating substrate, and wherein each one of two electrically conductive bridge patterns galvanically connects one of the two mutually insulated second capacitor member portions with one of two mutually insulated third capacitor member portions;
wherein the at least one radio frequency coil member, the first capacitor member, the second capacitor member, and the two electrically conductive bridge patterns are part of a radio frequency resonance circuit having a resonance frequency that coincides with the Larmor frequency, which is determined by a magnetic field strength of the magnetic resonance imaging system and the species of nuclei under investigation; and
wherein the two mutually insulated second capacitor member portions, the two mutually insulated third capacitor member portions, and the two electrically conductive bridge patterns form a sensing coil having a sensing coil area disposed between the at least two electrically conductive bridge patterns wherein the sensing coil is connectable to a radio frequency transmitter;
wherein a resonance frequency of the sensing coil is higher than the resonance frequency of radio frequency resonance circuit.

2. The radio frequency coil unit as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the radio frequency coil member, the first capacitor member, the second capacitor member, and the at least one electrically insulating substrate are laminated.

3. The radio frequency coil unit as set forth in claim 1 , comprising a printed circuit board, wherein the at least one electrically insulating substrate is formed by a non-conducting substrate of the printed circuit board, and wherein the at least one radio frequency coil member is formed as a first conductive pattern and the first capacitor member is formed as a second conductive pattern, the first and second conductive pattern being laminated to the first side of the non-conducting substrate, and wherein the second capacitor member is formed as a third conductive pattern being laminated to a second side of the non-conducting substrate which is opposite of the first side.

4. The radio frequency coil unit as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising at least one short circuit member, wherein the two electrically conductive bridge patterns are galvanically connected by the least one short circuit member.

5. The radio frequency coil unit as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising at least one lumped tuning capacitor that is galvanically connected to two electrically conductive patterns disposed at the first side of the electrically insulating substrate and is configured for tuning a resonance frequency of the radio frequency resonance circuit.

6. The radio frequency coil unit as set forth in claim 2 , comprising a printed circuit board, wherein the at least one electrically insulating substrate is formed by a non-conducting substrate of the printed circuit board, and wherein the at least one radio frequency coil member is formed as a first conductive pattern and the first capacitor member is formed as a second conductive pattern, the first and second conductive pattern being laminated to the first side of the non-conducting substrate, and wherein the second capacitor member is formed as a third conductive pattern being laminated to a second side of the non-conducting substrate which is opposite of the first side.

7. The radio frequency coil unit as set forth in claim 2 , further comprising at least one lumped tuning capacitor that is galvanically connected to two electrically conductive patterns disposed at the first side of the electrically insulating substrate and is configured for tuning a resonance frequency of the radio frequency resonance circuit.

8. A radio frequency coil unit for use in a magnetic resonance imaging system, the radio frequency coil unit comprising:
at least one electrically insulating substrate;
at least one radio frequency coil member formed as an electrically conductive pattern disposed at a first side of the electrically insulating substrate, and being configured to serve as an inductance member of the radio frequency coil unit;
a first capacitor member formed as an electrically conductive pattern disposed at the first side of the electrically insulating substrate and galvanically connected to the at least one radio frequency coil member;
a second capacitor member formed as an electrically conductive pattern disposed at a second side of the electrically insulating substrate which is opposite of the first side, wherein the first capacitor member and the second capacitor member at least partially overlap in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the electrically insulating substrate;
wherein the at least one radio frequency coil member, the first capacitor member and the second capacitor member are part of a radio frequency resonance circuit having a resonance frequency;
a third capacitor member formed as an electrically conductive pattern disposed at the second side of the electrically insulating substrate;
at least two electrically conductive bridge patterns disposed at the second side of the electrically insulating substrate and galvanically connecting the third capacitor member to the second capacitor member;
a fourth capacitor member formed as an electrically conductive pattern disposed at the first side of the electrically insulating substrate, wherein the third capacitor member and the fourth capacitor member are configured to serve as parts of the radio frequency resonance circuit, wherein the third capacitor member and the fourth capacitor member at least partially overlap in the direction perpendicular to a surface of the electrically insulating substrate;
a sensing coil comprising at least the second capacitor member, the third capacitor member, and the at least two electri

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Lips Oliver

Classifications

• G01R33/341 Primary

  comprising surface coils · CPC title

• G01R33/34007

  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

• G01R33/3635

  Multi-frequency operation · CPC title