Apparatus and method for C-arm MRI with electropermanent magnets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12210078-B2
Application number	US-202218078661-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2022
Priority date	Dec 9, 2021
Publication date	Jan 28, 2025
Grant date	Jan 28, 2025

Abstract

A method and apparatus for accessing and imaging at least one body part of interest may position a subject in an imaging system to partially encloses the subject and partially expose the subject, and access at least one body part of the subject that is exposed outside the imaging system for a procedure. The at least one exposed body part is positioned to be imaged by the imaging system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
an imaging system that partially encloses a subject within a volume having a boundary ( 195 ) defined by a minimum surface of all coils or magnetizable material of the imaging system and partially exposes the subject outside of the minimum surface,
wherein at least one body part of the subject is exposed outside the minimum surface while being accessed for a procedure and while being imaged by the imaging system without moving the subject.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the imaging system includes at least one electropermanent magnet and at least one permanent magnet.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the imaging system is configured to vary a quasi-static magnetic field for the body part.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the imaging system includes a combination of permanent and electropermanent magnets configured to create both a uniform imaging field and imaging gradients in the exposed part of the subject.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the imaging system is configured to provide access to and imaging of the at least one exposed body part without moving the subject between the procedure and imaging.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the imaging system comprises at least three arrays, wherein at least one of the arrays contains at least one electropermanent magnet to establish quasi-static magnetic fields and magnetic gradients in a field-of-view containing the at least one body part to be accessed.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the imaging system comprises a c-shaped arm formed of three arrays, wherein at least one of the three arrays contains at least one electropermanent magnet.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a table configured to support the subject and the at least one body part, wherein the imaging system comprises a c-shaped arm and a portion of the table extends outside the c-shaped arm to expose the at least one body part for access.

9. A method of accessing and imaging at least one body part of interest comprising:
positioning a subject in an imaging system to partially enclose the subject within a volume having a boundary ( 195 ) defined by a minimum surface of all coils or magnetizable material of the imaging system and partially expose the subject outside the minimum surface, and
accessing at least one body part of the subject that is exposed outside the minimum surface for a procedure, wherein the at least one body part is exposed outside minimum surface while imaged by the imaging system and wherein the at least one body part is accessed and imaged without moving the subject.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the imaging system includes at least one electropermanent magnet.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the imaging system includes a combination of permanent and electropermanent magnets configured to create both a uniform imaging field and imaging gradients in the exposed part of the subject.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the imaging system is configured to provide access to and imaging of the at least one exposed body part without moving the subject between the procedure and imaging.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the imaging system comprises at least three arrays, wherein at least one of the arrays contains at least one electropermanent magnet to establish quasi-static magnetic fields and magnetic gradients in a field-of-view containing the at least one body part to be accessed.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the imaging system comprises a c-shaped arm formed of three arrays, wherein at least one of the arrays contains at least one electropermanent magnet.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising a table configured to support the subject and the at least one body part, wherein the imaging system comprises a c-shaped arm and a portion of the table extends outside the c-shaped arm to expose the at least one body part for access.

Assignees

• Weinberg Medical Physics Inc

Inventors

• Weinberg Irving N
• Udalov Oleg

Classifications

• A61B5/055

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

• G01R33/383 Primary

  using permanent magnets · CPC title

• G01R33/381

  using electromagnets · CPC title

• G01R33/3806

  Open magnet assemblies for improved access to the sample, e.g. C-type or U-type magnets · CPC title

• A61B5/702

  Posture restraints · CPC title