Automatic control of the power consumption of a magnetic resonance facility

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9234950-B2
Application number	US-201213550840-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2012
Priority date	Jul 18, 2011
Publication date	Jan 12, 2016
Grant date	Jan 12, 2016

Abstract

A method for operating a magnetic resonance facility is proposed. The magnetic resonance facility has a number of power-consuming components. The power consumption is determined for each component. Operation of the components is controlled based on at least one criterion so that a predetermined threshold value for the overall power consumption of the magnetic resonance facility is not exceeded.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating a magnetic resonance apparatus having a plurality of power consuming components, comprising:
determining a power consumption for each of the power consuming components of the magnetic resonance apparatus by an energy control facility, wherein the power consuming components comprise a cooling facility with a cold head for a basic field magnet, a cooling facility for a gradient coil or a high-frequency coil, and an amplifier for the gradient coil, and an amplifier for the high-frequency coil; and
controlling the power consumption of the each of the power consuming components by the energy control facility based on a criteria so that a threshold value for a power consumption of the magnetic resonance apparatus is not exceeded, wherein the criteria comprises a safety operation of the magnetic resonance apparatus, and a planned performance of the magnetic resonance apparatus.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a current power consumption of the each of the components is determined and is taken into account during the control.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a power consumption of at least one of the components is calculated beforehand as a function of a planned examination described by an examination protocol for activating the magnetic resonance facility with a sequence, and/or as a function of a status parameter describing an ambient condition or an operating state of the magnetic resonance facility.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a time of the planned examination and/or the sequence of at least two examinations is changed if the threshold value is exceeded so that the threshold value is no longer exceeded.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein an operating parameter of the magnetic resonance facility in the examination protocol is changed and/or a sequence in the examination protocol is adjusted or replaced.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the change is displayed to a user for confirmation and/or for selection and is made after the confirmation and/or the selection.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the threshold value comprises a fixed energy supply-specific component value and/or a varied component value over time.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the varied component value over time is determined as a function of a measured measurement parameter describing a current energy supply.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein a measurement parameter pattern is stored and is taken into account in calculating a pattern of the varied component value over time.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the varied component value over time is determined as a function of a pattern of a power price over time.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a maximum permissible heat input is determined beforehand relating to a basic field magnet of the magnetic resonance facility.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein a heat input is determined during performing an examination protocol and is monitored in respect of being not exceeding the maximum permissible heat input in parallel to the threshold value for the overall power consumption.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the criterion relates to the maximum permissible heat input.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the criterion relates to an inertia of a cooling facility for a basic field magnet of the magnetic resonance facility.

15. A magnetic resonance apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of power consuming components, wherein the power consuming components comprise a cooling facility with a cold head for a basic field magnet, a cooling facility for a gradient coil or a high-frequency coil, and an amplifier for the gradient coil, and an amplifier for the high-frequency coil; and
an energy control facility for determining a power consumption for each of the power consuming components and controlling the power consumption of the each of the power consumption components based on a criterion so that a threshold value for a power consumption of the magnetic resonance apparatus is not exceeded, wherein the criteria comprises a safety operation of the magnetic resonance apparatus, and a planned performance of the magnetic resonance apparatus.

Assignees

• Biber Stephan
• Heismann Björn
• Matschl Volker
• Schmidt Sebastian
• Vester Markus
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Biber Stephan
• Heismann Björn
• Matschl Volker
• Schmidt Sebastian
• Vester Markus

Classifications

• G01R33/34023

  Superconducting RF coils · CPC title

• G01R33/44 Primary

  using nuclear magnetic resonance [NMR] (G01R33/24, G01R33/62 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01R33/36 Primary

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

• G01R33/3806

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