Radio frequency coil methods and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016334479-A1
Application number	US-201615152951-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 12, 2016
Priority date	May 12, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Aspects relate to providing radio frequency components responsive to magnetic resonance signals. According to some aspects, a radio frequency component comprises at least one coil having a conductor arranged in a plurality of turns oriented about a region of interest to respond to corresponding magnetic resonant signal components. According to some aspects, the radio frequency component comprises a plurality of coils oriented to respond to corresponding magnetic resonant signal components. According to some aspects, an optimization is used to determine a configuration for at least one radio frequency coil.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A radio frequency component configured to be responsive to magnetic resonance signals, the radio frequency component comprising:
a first coil, including a first conductor arranged in a plurality of turns, oriented to be responsive to first magnetic resonance signal components; and a second coil, including a second conductor arranged in a plurality of turns, oriented to be responsive to second magnetic resonance signal components.

2 . The radio frequency component of claim 1 , wherein the first magnetic resonance signal components are oriented along a first principal axis, and wherein the second magnetic resonance signal components are oriented along a second principal axis oriented differently than the first principal axis.

3 . The radio frequency component of claim 2 , wherein the first principal axis is substantially orthogonal to the second principal axis so that the first coil and the second coil are responsive to substantially orthogonal magnetic resonance signal components.

4 . The radio frequency component of claim 3 , wherein the first coil and the second coil are configured to detect magnetic resonance signals emitted from within a field of view of a B0 field oriented along a third axis.

5 . The radio frequency component of claim 4 , wherein the first axis and the second axis are substantially orthogonal to the third axis.

6 . The radio frequency component of claim 4 , wherein the first axis and the second axis are oriented at approximately 45° relative to the third axis.

7 . The radio frequency component of claim 1 , wherein the radio frequency component comprises a support structure for the first coil and the second coil, the support structure comprising:
a first substrate layer to which the first coil is applied; and a second substrate layer to which the second coil is applied.

8 . The radio frequency component of claim 7 , wherein the support structure defines a three dimensional surface and wherein the second substrate layer is offset from the first substrate layer substantially along surface normal directions to the three dimensional surface.

9 . The radio frequency component of claim 7 , wherein the support structure defines a three dimensional surface about a region of interest, and wherein the second substrate layer is offset from the first substrate layer relative to the region of interest.

10 . The radio frequency component of claim 7 , wherein the first substrate layer at least one groove into which the first conductor is positioned and wherein the second substrate layer comprises at least one groove into which the second conductor is positioned.

11 . The radio frequency component of claim 2 , comprising a support structure configured to accommodate a patient's head, and wherein the first principal axis is substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the patient's body.

12 . The radio frequency component of claim 2 , comprising a support structure configured to accommodate a patient's appendage, and wherein the first principal axis is substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the appendage.

13 . The radio frequency component of claim 12 , wherein the appendage is a leg.

14 . The radio frequency component of claim 12 , wherein the appendage is an arm.

15 . The radio frequency component of claim 2 , comprising a support structure configured to accommodate a patient's torso, and wherein the first principal axis is substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the patient's body.

16 . The radio frequency component of the claim 1 , wherein the first conductor and/or the second conductor have a length of at least 1 meter.

17 . The radio frequency component of the claim 1 , wherein the first conductor and/or the second conductor have a length of at least 2 meters.

18 . The radio frequency component of the claim 1 , wherein the first conductor and/or the second conductor have a length of at least 3 meters.

19 . The radio frequency component of the claim 1 , wherein the first conductor and/or the second conductor are configured with at least 5 turns.

20 . The radio frequency component of the claim 1 , wherein the first conductor and/or the second conductor are configured with at least 10 turns.

21 . The radio frequency component of the claim 1 , wherein the first conductor and/or the second conductor are configured with at least 15 turns.

22 . The radio frequency component of the claim 1 , wherein the first conductor and/or the second conductor are configured with at least 20 turns.

23 . The radio frequency component of the claim 1 , wherein the first coil and the second coil are tuned to resonate at a target frequency, and wherein a number of turns of the first conductor and the second conductor are limited so that a self-resonance of the first conductor and a self-resonance of the second conductor are each respectively at a frequency at least twice the target frequency.

24 . The radio frequency component of the claim 1 , wherein the first coil and the second coil are tuned to resonate at a target frequency, and wherein a number of turns of the first conductor and the second conductor are limited so that a self-resonance of the first conductor and a self-resonance of the second conductor are each respectively at a frequency at least three times the target frequency.

25 . The radio frequency component of the claim 1 , wherein the first coil and the second coil are tuned to resonate at a target frequency, and wherein a number of turns of the first conductor and the second conductor are limited so that a self-resonance of the first conductor and a self-resonance of the second conductor are each respectively at a frequency at least five times the target frequency.

26 . The radio frequency component of claim 1 , wherein the first conductor is arranged according to a first coil configuration determined based, at least in part, on performing an optimization using a model of the first coil and/or the second conductor is arranged according to a second coil configuration determined based, at least in part, on performing an optimization using a model of the second coil.

27 . The radio frequency component of claim 1 , wherein the first coil and the second coil are tuned to resonate at a frequency corresponding to a B0 field of less than or equal to approximately 0.2 T and greater than or equal to approximately 0.1 T.

28 . The radio frequency component of claim 1 , wherein the first coil and the second coil are tuned to resonate at a frequency corresponding to a B0 field of less than or equal to approximately 0.1 T and greater than or equal to approximately 50 mT.

29 . The radio frequency component of claim 1 , wherein the first coil and the second coil are tuned to resonate at a frequency corresponding to a B0 field of less than or equal to approximately 50 mT and greater than or equal to approximately 20 mT.

30 . The radio frequency component of claim 1 , wherein the first coil and the second coil are tuned to resonate at a frequency corresponding to a B0 field of less than or equal to approximately 20 mT and greater than or equal to approximately 10 mT.

31 . The radio frequency component of claim 1 , wherein the first coil and the second coil are tuned to resonate at a frequency corresponding to a B0 fi

Assignees

• Hyperfine Res Inc

Inventors

• Poole Michael Stephen
• Charvat Gregory L
• Rearick Todd
• Rothberg Jonathan M

Classifications

• G01R33/34046

  Volume type coils, e.g. bird-cage coils; Quadrature bird-cage coils; Circularly polarised coils · 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

• G01R33/381

  using electromagnets · CPC title

• A61B5/0042

  for the brain · CPC title

• A61B5/7203 Primary

  for noise prevention, reduction or removal · CPC title