NMR shim system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10481230-B2
Application number	US-201816232569-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2018
Priority date	Jan 4, 2018
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

A shim system for influencing and homogenizing the magnetic field of an NMR system includes a coil former ( 1 ), an extension tube ( 2 ) and a terminal unit ( 3 ), as well as partial coils ( 4, 4 a ) that are mounted on the coil former. Terminal lines ( 6 a , 6 b ) for connecting the partial coils to the terminal unit are initially electrically disconnected from one another between the coil former and the extension tube. A circuit board ( 5 ) with connection lines ( 5 a , 5 b , 5 c , 5 d ), however, is interposed between the disconnected terminal lines. This makes it possible to redesign the shim system in the mechanical construction thereof using simple technical measures and standard components, and without giving rise to significant additional costs. Therefore, production of the partial windings on the coil former can take place in a simplified, economical and automated manner, without requiring an extension tube to be already fitted.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shim system for influencing and homogenizing the magnetic field of a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) system, comprising:
a coil former, an extension tube and a terminal unit,
partial coils mounted on the coil former and having terminal lines configured to connect the partial coils to the terminal unit,
wherein the terminal lines are disconnected from one another between the coil former and the extension tube, and
a circuit board interposed between the coil former and the extension tube, and having connection lines interconnecting the terminal lines to one another.

2. The shim system according to claim 1 , wherein the interposed circuit board interconnects the terminal lines between the coil former and the extension tube to one another with a plurality of solder points and the connection lines.

3. The shim system according to claim 1 , wherein the interposed circuit board electrically interconnects the terminal lines between the coil former and the extension tube to one another with at least one of: clamp connections, screw connections or plug connections.

4. The shim system according to claim 1 , wherein the interposed circuit board comprises at least one first connection line of the terminal lines to the partial coils, at least one second connection line of the terminal lines to the terminal unit, and additional connection lines to connect individual ones of the partial coils electrically in series with one another.

5. The shim system according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit board is a flexible circuit board fastened at a periphery around a lower end of the coil former.

6. The shim system according to claim 5 , wherein the flexible circuit board is arranged on the coil former such that the flexible circuit board comprises shielded solder connections of the terminal lines to the partial coils and to sensors.

7. The shim system according to claim 2 , wherein, in addition to the solder points and the connection lines for the partial coils, the circuit board comprises further solder points and supplementary connection lines.

8. The shim system according to claim 7 , wherein the further solder points and the supplementary connection lines electrically connect the terminal lines to at least one temperature sensor.

9. The shim system according to claim 7 , wherein the circuit board, in addition to solder pads for the terminal lines, also comprises contact points with corresponding ones of the supplementary connection lines configured to test fully wound partial coils.

10. The shim system according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal lines from the circuit board to the terminal unit have a different wire diameter than do the terminal lines from the partial coils to the circuit board.

11. The shim system according to claim 10 , wherein the terminal lines from the circuit board to the terminal unit have a larger wire diameter than do the terminal lines from the partial coils to the circuit board.

12. A coil former for a shim system as claimed in claim 1 , comprising wire-holding devices arranged in a vicinity of grooves configured to receive the terminal lines and in a vicinity of a space configured to receive the circuit board.

13. A method for producing a shim system comprising a coil former, an extension tube and a terminal unit, said method comprising:
a) providing the coil former with a circuit board and wire-holding devices thereon;
b) connecting a terminal line to one of the wire-holding devices of the coil former;
c) running the terminal line to an upper end of a partial coil region for partial coils having an uneven number of layers or to a lower end of a partial coil region for partial coils having an even number of layers;
d) winding a partial coil having one or more layers towards a lower end of the partial coil region that faces the circuit board;
e) running the terminal line to one of the wire-holding devices;
f) running the terminal line to a further one of the wire-holding devices for a further partial coil;
g) repeating steps c) to f) for each additional partial coil and each additional terminal line;
h) connecting all the terminal lines to the circuit board;
i) removing the terminal line parts running between the circuit board and the wire-holding devices; and
j) fitting the extension tube and the terminal unit into the shim system and connecting all the terminal lines that run to the circuit board to the terminal unit.

14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the steps b) through g) are executed in an automated production sequence.

Assignees

• Bruker Biospin Ag
• Bruker Switzerland Ag

Inventors

• Mayer Markus

Classifications

• G01R33/3802

  Manufacture or installation of magnet assemblies; Additional hardware for transportation or installation of the magnet assembly or for providing mechanical support to components of the magnet assembly · CPC title

• H01F41/098

  Mandrels; Formers · CPC title

• G01R33/443

  Assessment of an electric or a magnetic field, e.g. spatial mapping, determination of a B0 drift or dosimetry · CPC title

• G01R33/3875 Primary

  using correction coil assemblies, e.g. active shimming · CPC title