Magnetic resonance imaging system with integrated photon detector ring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10470662-B2
Application number	US-201515317480-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2015
Priority date	Jun 23, 2014
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly ( 110 ) includes a cylindrical coil carrier tube ( 129 ). The cylindrical coil carrier tube has an inner surface ( 125 ) and an outer surface ( 129 ). The cylindrical coil carrier tube has a cylindrical axis of symmetry ( 200 ). The cylindrical coil carrier tube has a center ( 203 ). The cylindrical coil carrier tube has a photon detector ring receptacle ( 122 ) recessed into the inner surface of the cylindrical coil carrier tube. The detector ring receptacle is centered about the center. The photon detector ring receptacle includes side walls ( 126 ) formed from the cylindrical carrier tube and a solid back wall ( 128 ) formed from the cylindrical carrier tube. The magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly further includes a set of magnetic resonance imaging gradient coils ( 208, 210 ) attached to the cylindrical coil carrier tube.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly comprising:
a cylindrical coil carrier tube, wherein the cylindrical coil carrier tube has an inner surface and an outer surface, where the cylindrical coil carrier tube has a cylindrical axis of symmetry, wherein the cylindrical coil carrier tube has a center, wherein the cylindrical coil carrier tube has a photon detector ring receptacle recessed into the inner surface of the cylindrical coil carrier tube, wherein the photon detector ring receptacle is centered about the center, wherein the photon detector ring receptacle comprises side walls formed from the cylindrical carrier tube and a solid back wall formed from the cylindrical carrier tube; and
a set of magnetic resonance imaging gradient coils attached to the cylindrical coil carrier tube wherein the magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly further comprises connectors configured for connecting one or more cables to a photon detector ring received in the photon detector ring receptacle;
wherein the one or more cables are, routed at least for a part through channels in the outer surface of the cylindrical coil carrier tube.

2. The magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the connectors are plug and socket connectors.

3. The magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the set of magnetic resonance imaging gradient coils are applied as layers on: the inner surface of the cylindrical carrier tube, the outer surface of the cylindrical carrier tube, and the side walls of the photon detector ring receptacle.

4. The magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic resonance imaging gradient coils form a split gradient coil, wherein the split gradient coil is joined by the solid back wall.

5. A medical instrument comprising:
a magnetic resonance imaging system, wherein the magnetic resonance imaging system comprises a main magnet with a cylindrical bore, wherein the magnetic resonance imaging system further comprises a magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly is located within the cylindrical bore; and
a nuclear medical imaging system, wherein the nuclear medical imaging system comprises a photon detector ring installed into the photon detector ring receptacle of the magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly.

6. A magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly comprising:
a cylindrical coil carrier tube, wherein the cylindrical coil carrier tube has an inner surface and an outer surface, where the cylindrical coil carrier tube has a cylindrical axis of symmetry, wherein the cylindrical coil carrier tube has a center, wherein the cylindrical coil carrier tube has a photon detector ring receptacle recessed into the inner surface of the cylindrical coil carrier tube, wherein the photon detector ring receptacle is centered about the center, wherein the photon detector ring receptacle comprises side walls formed from the cylindrical carrier tube and a solid back wall formed from the cylindrical carrier tube; and
a set of magnetic resonance imaging gradient coils attached to the cylindrical coil carrier tube wherein the magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly further comprises connectors configured for connecting one or more cables to a photon detector ring wherein the connectors are plug and socket connectors;
wherein the one or more cables are routed at least for a part through channels in the outer surface of the cylindrical coil carrier tube, wherein the channels extend longitudinally along the cylindrical coil carrier tube.

7. The magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly of claim 6 , wherein the magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly comprises a photon detector ring accommodated in the photon detector ring receptacle.

8. The magnetic resonance imaging gradient coils assembly of claim 7 , wherein the photon detector ring is flush with the inner surface of the cylindrical coil carrier tube.

9. The magnetic resonance imaging gradient coils assembly of claim 7 , wherein the photon detector ring is a PET or a SPECT detector ring.

10. The magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly of claim 7 , wherein the magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly further comprises the following: vibration dampening elements configured for supporting the photon detector ring, and alignment pins for aligning modules of the photon detector ring with the cylindrical coil carrier tube.

11. The magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly of claim 7 , wherein the connectors are configured for connecting to the photon detector ring to provide any one of the following: electrical power, an electrical communication link, an optical communication link, coolant, air, and combinations thereof.

12. The magnet resonance imaging gradient coil assembly of claim 7 , wherein the one or more cables comprises any one of the following: an electrical cable, a fiber optic cable, and combinations thereof.

13. A magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly, comprising:
a cylindrical coil carrier tube, wherein the cylindrical coil carrier tube has an inner surface and an outer surface, where the cylindrical coil carrier tube has a cylindrical axis of symmetry, wherein the cylindrical coil carrier tube has a center, wherein the cylindrical coil carrier tube has a photon detector ring receptacle recessed into the inner surface of the cylindrical coil carrier tube, wherein the photon detector ring receptacle is centered about the center, wherein the photon detector ring receptacle comprises side walls formed from the cylindrical carrier tube and a solid back wall formed from the cylindrical carrier tube; and
a set of magnetic resonance imaging gradient coils attached to the cylindrical coil carrier tube;
a photon detector ring received in the photodetector ring receptacle, wherein the photon detector ring includes a plurality of photon detector ring modules, each of the photon detector ring modules including at least one photon detector module connector;
wherein a plurality of photon detector ring receptacle connectors are mounted on side and/or rear walls of the photon detector ring receptacle wherein the photon detector module connectors and the photon detector ring receptacle connectors are plug and socket connectors, such that the photon detector module connectors of each detector ring module are configured to be plugged into a corresponding photon detector ring receptacle connector mounted to the rear or side wall of the photon detector ring receptacle;
wherein the photon detector ring modules connectors are configured for connecting one or more cables to the photon detector ring;
wherein the one or more cables are routed at least for a part through channels defined in and extending longitudinally along the outer surface of the cylindrical coil carrier tube.

14. The magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly of claim 13 , wherein the photon detector ring receptacle connectors are attached to side walls of the photon detector ring receptacle.

15. The magnetic resonance imaging gradient coil assembly of claim 13 , wherein the photon detector ring receptacle connectors are attached to the solid back wall.

16. The magnet resonance imaging gradient coil assembly of claim 13 , wherein the magnet resonance imaging gradient coil assembly comprises one or more coolant tubes for providing the photon detector ring modules with coolant via the photon detector ring

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Lips Oliver
• Overweg Johannes Adrianus
• Uhlemann Falk

Classifications

• G01R33/385

  using gradient magnetic field coils · CPC title

• A61B6/4417

  related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities · CPC title

• G01T1/1603

  with a combination of at least two different types of detectors · CPC title

• A61B5/055

  involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging · CPC title

• A61B5/0035 Primary

  adapted for acquisition of images from more than one imaging mode, e.g. combining MRI and optical tomography · CPC title