Magnetic resonance tomography unit with transmitting unit and selector and method for operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10509083-B2
Application number	US-201715659233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2017
Priority date	Jul 25, 2016
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

A magnetic resonance tomography unit includes a control unit, a transmitting unit having one or a plurality of transmitting antennae, a selector, and a high-frequency unit having a signal output in signal connection with the transmitting unit. The transmitting unit is configured to irradiate high-frequency energy using the selector and the one or plurality of transmitting antennae optionally into only a first region of a plurality of different regions in a patient.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A magnetic resonance tomography unit comprising:
a controller;
a transmitter comprising a plurality of transmitting antennae;
a selector including a switching matrix and a positioning device configured to position the plurality of transmitting antennae in predetermined different relative positions to a patient; and
a high-frequency unit having a signal output in signal connection with the transmitter,
wherein the magnetic resonance tomography unit is configured to irradiate high-frequency energy into only a first region of a plurality of different regions in the patient using the selector and the plurality of transmitting antennae,
wherein the switching matrix is configured to bring a signal output of the high-frequency unit into signal connection with a non-empty subset of multiple transmitting antennae of the plurality of transmitting antennae.

2. The magnetic resonance tomography unit of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to set the switching matrix as a function of a region of the patient to be examined such that the first region of the patient essentially comprises only the region to be examined.

3. The magnetic resonance tomography unit of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to maximize a transmitting power of the high-frequency unit as a function of the first region.

4. The magnetic resonance tomography unit of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to maximize a transmitting power of the high-frequency unit as a function of the first region.

5. The magnetic resonance tomography unit of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to maximize a transmitting power of the high-frequency unit as a function of a first region of the patient.

6. A method for operating a magnetic resonance tomography unit, wherein the magnetic resonance tomography unit comprises a controller, a transmitter, a selector including a switching matrix, and a high-frequency unit having a signal output in signal connection with the transmitter, the transmitter having plurality of transmitting antennae, the method comprising:
detecting, by the controller using a position detector, a position of a patient relative to the transmitter;
detecting, by the controller, a first region of a plurality of different regions in the patient to be examined;
determining and implementing, by the controller, a setting of the selector that is required for excitation of spins in only the first region to be examined by the plurality of transmitting antennae;
bringing, by the switching matrix, a signal output of the high-frequency unit into signal connection with a non-empty subset of multiple transmitting antennae of the plurality of transmitting antennae; and
emitting, by the high-frequency unit and the transmitter, a high-frequency pulse for excitation of the spins in only the first region to be examined.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining and adjusting a maximum power as a function of the first region to be examined and predetermined SAR limit values.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a controller of a magnetic resonance tomography unit to operate the magnetic resonance tomography unit, wherein the magnetic resonance tomography unit comprises a controller, a transmitter, a selector including a switching matrix, and a high-frequency unit having a signal output in signal connection with the transmitter, the transmitter having plurality of transmitting antennae, the instructions comprising:
detecting, by the controller using a position detector, a position of a patient relative to the transmitter;
detecting, by the controller, a first region of a plurality of different regions in the patient to be examined;
determining and implementing, by the controller, a setting of the selector that is required for excitation of spins in only the first region to be examined by the plurality transmitting antennae;
bringing, by the switching matrix, a signal output of the high-frequency unit into signal connection with a non-empty subset of multiple transmitting antennae of the plurality of transmitting antennae; and
emitting, by the high-frequency unit and the transmitter, a high-frequency pulse for excitation of the spins in only the first region to be examined.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further comprise:
determining and adjusting a maximum power as a function of the region to be examined and predetermined SAR limit values.

Assignees

• Heismann Bjoern
• Vester Markus
• Siemens Healthcare Gmbh

Inventors

• Heismann Björn
• Vester Markus

Classifications

• G01R33/288 Primary

  Provisions within MR facilities for enhancing safety during MR, e.g. reduction of the specific absorption rate [SAR], detection of ferromagnetic objects in the scanner room · CPC title

• G01R33/3607

  RF waveform generators, e.g. frequency generators, amplitude-, frequency- or phase modulators or shifters, pulse programmers, digital to analog converters for the RF signal, means for filtering or attenuating of the RF signal · CPC title

• G01R33/3664

  Switching for purposes other than coil coupling or decoupling, e.g. switching between a phased array mode and a quadrature mode, switching between surface coil modes of different geometrical shapes, switching from a whole body reception coil to a local reception coil or switching for automatic coil selection in moving table MR or for changing the field-of-view (G01R33/3671 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01R33/3415

  comprising arrays of sub-coils {, i.e. phased-array coils with flexible receiver channels} · 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