Switching power supply and magnetic resonance imaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11209507-B2
Application number	US-201916716704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2019
Priority date	Dec 19, 2018
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

The present application provides a switching power supply and a magnetic resonance imaging system. The switching power supply is used for supplying power to a radio frequency coil control device, wherein the radio frequency coil control device is used for controlling a flow direction of radio frequency power output by a radio frequency amplifier of the magnetic resonance imaging system. Moreover, the switching power supply comprises a first power unit, a second power unit, and an air-cored transformer, the second power unit and the first power unit being electrically coupled through the air-cored transformer, wherein the switching power supply is configured to operate at a preset frequency, and frequency multiplication of the preset frequency is beyond a reception bandwidth of the magnetic resonance imaging system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A switching power supply, for supplying power to a radio frequency coil control device, wherein the radio frequency coil control device is used for controlling a flow direction of radio frequency power output by a radio frequency amplifier of a magnetic resonance imaging system, the switching power supply comprising:
a first power unit and a second power unit; and
an air-cored transformer, the second power unit and the first power unit being electrically coupled through the air-cored transformer, wherein
the switching power supply is configured to supply direct current power to the radio frequency coil control device and operate at a preset frequency, and frequency multiplication of the preset frequency is beyond a reception bandwidth of the magnetic resonance imaging system.

2. The switching power supply according to claim 1 , wherein the air-cored transformer comprises a non-magnetic core, a first winding, and a second winding magnetically coupled to the first winding, and the first winding and the second winding are wound on the non-magnetic core side by side.

3. The switching power supply according to claim 2 , further comprising a bypass unit, wherein the bypass unit is connected between the first winding and the second winding.

4. The switching power supply according to claim 2 , wherein the first power unit comprises:
a power amplifier, for performing power amplification on an input signal; and
a first capacitor, connected to the power amplifier and used for filtering out a direct current component in the amplified signal to output a first signal to the first winding.

5. The switching power supply according to claim 4 , wherein the input signal operates at the preset frequency.

6. The switching power supply according to claim 4 , wherein the second power unit comprises:
a second capacitor, connected to the second winding and used for filtering out a direct current component in a second signal output by the second winding; and
a rectifying unit, connected to the second capacitor and used for converting an alternating current component in the second signal into a direct current output signal.

7. The switching power supply according to claim 1 , wherein the preset frequency is 1.4 MHz.

8. A magnetic resonance imaging system, comprising:
a radio frequency coil assembly, comprising a radio frequency transmitting coil and a radio frequency receiving coil;
a radio frequency amplifier, for outputting radio frequency power to excite the radio frequency coil assembly to generate a radio frequency signal;
a radio frequency coil control device, for controlling an output flow direction of the radio frequency power to control selection of at least one of a specific type of the radio frequency transmitting coil and a specific type of the radio frequency receiving coil; and
a switching power supply configured to supply power to the radio frequency coil control device, wherein the switching power supply further comprises:
(i) a first power unit and a second power unit; and
(ii) an air-cored transformer, the second power unit and the first power unit being electrically coupled through the air-cored transformer,
wherein the switching power supply is configured to supply direct current power to the radio frequency coil control device and operate at a preset frequency, and

frequency multiplication of the preset frequency is beyond a reception bandwidth of the magnetic resonance imaging system.

9. The magnetic resonance imaging system according to claim 8 , wherein the radio frequency coil control device comprises:
a control switch, configured to control the output flow direction of the radio frequency power;
a half-bridge circuit, comprising a first switch and a second switch connected in series, wherein a connection point of the first switch and the second switch is connected to the control switch; and
a voltage conversion device, connected to a driving end of the first switch and the switching power supply, and configured to convert a first driving signal into a first control signal to control the first switch.

10. The magnetic resonance imaging system according to claim 9 , wherein the radio frequency coil control device further comprises a buffer unit that is connected to a driving end of the second switch, and configured to buffer a second driving signal to control the second switch.

11. The magnetic resonance imaging system according to claim 8 , wherein the air-cored transformer comprises a non-magnetic core, a first winding, and a second winding magnetically coupled to the first winding, and the first winding and the second winding are wound on the non-magnetic core side by side.

12. The magnetic resonance imaging system according to claim 11 , wherein the switching power supply further comprises a bypass unit, wherein the bypass unit is connected between the first winding and the second winding.

13. The magnetic resonance imaging system according to claim 11 , wherein the first power unit comprises:
a power amplifier, for performing power amplification on an input signal; and
a first capacitor, connected to the power amplifier and used for filtering out a direct current component in the amplified signal to output a first signal to the first winding.

14. The magnetic resonance imaging system according to claim 13 , wherein the input signal operates at the preset frequency.

15. The magnetic resonance imaging system according to claim 13 , wherein the second power unit comprises:
a second capacitor, connected to the second winding and used for filtering out a direct current component in a second signal output by the second winding; and
a rectifying unit, connected to the second capacitor and used for converting an alternating current component in the second signal into a direct current output signal.

16. The magnetic resonance imaging system according to claim 8 , wherein the preset frequency is 1.4 MHz.

Assignees

• Ge Prec Healthcare Llc

Inventors

• Gu Hong
• Yang Zhenglin
• Chen Yanan
• Sun Haiyuan
• Chen Yang

Classifications

• G01R33/3607 Primary

  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

• G01R33/36

  Electrical details, e.g. matching or coupling of the coil to the receiver · 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

• G01R33/3664 Primary

  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