Local coil

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9255977-B2
Application number	US-201213683469-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2012
Priority date	Nov 22, 2011
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

A local coil for an imaging system includes an anterior torso part and a posterior torso part that are detachably connected to one another with a fastening device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A local coil for an imaging system, the local coil comprising:
an anterior torso part;
a posterior torso part;
a first adjustable and detachable closing mechanism configured to connect the anterior torso part to the posterior torso part at a first shoulder of a patient between a neck of the patient and a first shoulder opening for an arm of the patient to pass through; and
a second adjustable and detachable closing mechanism configured to connect the anterior torso part to the posterior torso part below a second shoulder of the patient laterally at hip height, in abdominal region, or at a chest region of the patient,
wherein the anterior torso part and the posterior torso part are not configured to be connected at the second shoulder of the patient.

2. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the local coil is a magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) local coil.

3. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the local coil is configured as a piece of upper body clothing.

4. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the local coil is in the form of a vest that surrounds part of the torso of the patient.

5. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the local coil is in the form of a wearable jacket with a single sleeve.

6. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the local coil is in the form of a piece of upper body clothing that surrounds a body of the patient when worn anterior in the chest region, in the abdominal region, or in the chest region and in theabdominal region.

7. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the local coil is in the form of a piece of upper body clothing that surrounds a body of the patient when worn as a piece of clothing in the chest region, in the abdominal region, or in the chest region and in the abdominal region along a periphery about a longitudinal axis of the body.

8. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first adjustable and detachable closing mechanism or the second adjustable and detachable closing mechanism is a fastener.

9. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the local coil is an abdominal region coil, a heart coil, a chest coil, or a combination thereof.

10. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a planar anterior region with antennae, a planar posterior region with antennae, or the planar anterior region with antennae and the planar posterior region with antennae.

11. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a high frequency (HF) field receiving antenna anterior in the abdominal region, the chest region, or the abdominal region and the chest region of the patient, posterior in a back region of the patient, or a combination thereof.

12. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a planar region with antennae, electronics, and the first adjustable and detachable closing mechanism or the second adjustable and detachable closing mechanism.

13. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional closing mechanisms operable for adapting the local coil to different patients.

14. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first adjustable and detachable closing mechanism and the second adjustable and detachable closing mechanism are operable for adapting to different anatomies of different patients.

15. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first adjustable and detachable closing mechanism and the second adjustable and detachable closing mechanism are belts.

16. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising belts and belt buckles.

17. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first adjustable and detachable closing mechanism and/or the second adjustable and detachable closing mechanism comprises a pair of belts and belt buckles, a first part of each pair being located on the anterior torso part and a second part of each pair being located on the posterior torso part.

18. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first adjustable and detachable closing mechanism and the second adjustable and detachable closing mechanism are belts attached to the local coil laterally with reference to the patient when attached to the patient,
wherein each of the belts is guidable around a longitudinal axis of the patient relative to a belt buckle.

19. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first adjustable and detachable closing mechanism comprises one or more belts attached to a side of the local coil near a head in a state attached to the patient,
wherein the one or more belts are guidable around an axis extending through the first and second shoulders of the patient.

20. The local coil as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the one or more belts are guidable around the axis extending through the first and second shoulders of the patient, such that a first part of the local coil positionable on a stomach/chest side of the patient is fastened to a second part of the local coil positionable on a rear side of the patient.

21. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first adjustable and detachable closing mechanism and the second adjustable and detachable closing mechanism comprise belts, the belts being adjustable in length, adjustable by mechanically flexible elements, or adjustable in length and by the mechanically flexible elements.

22. The local coil as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the belts are made of rubber of a spring material.

23. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a part of the local coil lies between the abdomen and the arm of the patient in a state worn by the patient.

24. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the anterior torso part extends from the abdominal region to the first shoulder of the patient.

25. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the posterior torso part extends at least from a rear side of the abdominal region to the first shoulder of the patient.

26. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an edge of a front side of the local coil is oriented at an angle of 10-70 degrees oblique to a longitudinal axis of the patient on the neck of the patient.

27. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a planar front side, a planar rear side, or the planar front side and the planar rear side of the local coil are mechanically flexible.

28. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a planar front side, a planar rear side, or the planar front side and the planar rear side of the local coil comprise antennae, electronics, or the antennae and the electronics.

29. The local coil as claimed in claim 28 , wherein the electronics comprise a preamplifier, a mixer, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a detuning circuit, or a combination thereof.

30. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the local coil at least partially covers the torso of the patient on three sides.

31. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the local coil covers the torso of the patient on four sides, anteriorly, dorsally and laterally on both sides.

32. The local coil as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a lateral torso part, wherein the lateral torso part of the local coil connects the anterior torso part and the posterior torso part to one another below the first shoulder opening at hip he

Assignees

• Biber Stephan
• Jahns Karsten
• Kundner Thomas
• Rothard Joerg
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Biber Stephan
• Jahns Karsten
• Kundner Thomas
• Rothard Joerg

Classifications

• 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

• G01R33/36 Primary

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

• G01R33/34084 Primary

  implantable coils or coils being geometrically adaptable to the sample, e.g. flexible coils or coils comprising mutually movable parts · CPC title