MRT system with a magnetic coil and method for manufacturing a circuit arrangement for switching a coil current

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9341688-B2
Application number	US-201213675945-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2012
Priority date	Nov 14, 2011
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

In a magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) system, a current strength of a coil current is controllable by a plurality of semiconductor power switches as a function of a control signal. The plurality of semiconductor power switches receive the control signal at respective control inputs from a control line. In each of at least two semiconductor power switches of the plurality of semiconductor power switches, a compensation resistance element is connected between the control input and the control line. Resistance values of the compensation resistance elements are different.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) system comprising:
at least one magnetic coil for producing a magnetic resonance, a current strength of a coil current in the at least one magnetic coil being controllable by a plurality of semiconductor power switches as a function of a control signal,
wherein the plurality of semiconductor power switches is operable to receive the control signal at a respective control input from a control line, and
wherein in each of at least two semiconductor power switches of the plurality of semiconductor power switches, a compensation resistance element is connected between the control input and the control line, and resistance values of the compensation resistance elements are different.

2. The MRT system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one compensation resistance element is connected immediately in front of a terminal of an electronic component that an associated semiconductor power switch of the plurality of semiconductor power switches includes.

3. The MRT system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the resistance values are selected such that, during operation of the MRT system, for a prespecified curve of the control signal, current strengths of part currents, of which each flows through a semiconductor power switch of the plurality of semiconductor power switches and which together form the coil current, have a smaller difference than when the compensation resistance elements have the same resistance values.

4. The MRT system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein at least one semiconductor power switch of the plurality of semiconductor power switches comprises a transistor.

5. The MRT system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the plurality of semiconductor power switches is disposed on a common circuit board.

6. The MRT system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein to form the coil current to be provided overall in the at least one magnetic coil, the plurality of semiconductor power switches are connected to form a parallel circuit.

7. The MRT system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the resistance values are selected such that, during operation of the MRT system, for a prespecified curve of the control signal, current strengths of part currents, of which each flows through a semiconductor power switch of the plurality of semiconductor power switches and which together form the coil current, have a smaller difference than when the compensation resistance elements have the same resistance values.

8. The MRT system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein at least one semiconductor power switch of the plurality of semiconductor power switches comprises a transistor.

9. The MRT system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the plurality of semiconductor power switches is disposed on a common circuit board.

10. The MRT system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein to form the coil current to be provided overall in the at least one magnetic coil, the plurality of semiconductor power switches are connected to form a parallel circuit.

11. The MRT system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one semiconductor power switch of the plurality of semiconductor power switches comprises a transistor.

12. The MRT system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the transistor is a metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) or an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT).

13. The MRT system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the plurality of semiconductor power switches is disposed on a common circuit board.

14. The MRT system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein to form the coil current to be provided overall in the at least one magnetic coil, the plurality of semiconductor power switches are connected to form a parallel circuit.

15. The MRT system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of semiconductor power switches is disposed on a common circuit board.

16. The MRT system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein to form the coil current to be provided overall in the at least one magnetic coil, the plurality of semiconductor power switches are connected to form a parallel circuit.

17. The MRT system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein to form the coil current to be provided overall in the at least one magnetic coil, the plurality of semiconductor power switches are connected to form a parallel circuit.

18. A method for manufacturing a circuit arrangement configured for switching a coil current of a magnetic coil of a magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) system, wherein the circuit arrangement comprises a plurality of semiconductor power switches operable to switch the coil current of the magnetic coil, each semiconductor power switch of the plurality of semiconductor power switches being operable to switch a part current of the coil current as a function of a control signal that the respective semiconductor power switch receives at a control input via a compensation resistor from a control line, the method comprising:
creating a pre-specified curve of the control signal and through the creating, generating the part currents;
comparing current strength values of the part currents; and
modifying a resistance value of at least one of the compensation resistors and through the modifying, balancing the current strength values,
wherein after the modifying, resistance values of at least two of the compensation resistors are different.

Assignees

• Albrecht Adam
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Albrecht Adam

Classifications

• G01R33/3852

  Gradient amplifiers; means for controlling the application of a gradient magnetic field to the sample, e.g. a gradient signal synthesizer · CPC title

• G01R33/3614

  RF power amplifiers · CPC title

• G01R33/341 Primary

  comprising surface coils · CPC title

• G01R3/00

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture {or maintenance} of measuring instruments {, e.g. of probe tips} · CPC title

• Y10T29/49117

  Conductor or circuit manufacturing · CPC title