Neck coil arrangements for magnetic resonance imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9494664-B2
Application number	US-201213476866-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2012
Priority date	May 21, 2012
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods for coil arrangements in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are provided. One arrangement includes a magnet bore, a radio-frequency (RF) transmit coil coupled to the magnet bore and at least one RF neck coil coupled to the magnet bore. The RF neck coil is movable within the magnet bore under and separate from a table within the magnet bore.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A coil arrangement for a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system, the coil arrangement comprising:
a magnet bore;
a radio-frequency (RF) transmit coil coupled to the magnet bore; and
at least one RF neck coil coupled to the magnet bore, the RF neck coil movable within the magnet bore under and separate from a table within the magnet bore, wherein the RF neck coil is configured to move outside of a field of view (FOV) of the RF transmit coil.

2. The coil arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the RF neck coil comprises a posterior coil array configured to move along an examination axis within the magnet bore.

3. The coil arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the RF neck coil comprises a posterior coil array configured to move radially within the magnet bore.

4. The coil arrangement of claim 3 , wherein the RF neck coil is configured to move upward through an opening in the table.

5. The coil arrangement of claim 4 , wherein the table includes a head support and the RF neck coil includes wing portions, a central portion of the neck coil stopped from upward movement by the head support with the wing portions extending through the opening.

6. The coil arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the RF neck coil is bent to encompass a portion of a neck of a patient supported on the table.

7. The coil arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator coupled to the RF neck coil; and
a rail extending along a length of the magnet bore, wherein the actuator is configured to move the RF neck coil within the magnet bore by moving along the rail.

8. The coil arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) detector configured to acquire PET data within the magnet bore and the RF neck coil is configured to move outside of a field of view (FOV) of the PET detector.

9. The coil arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising at least one posterior receive coil array movable with the neck coil within the magnet bore along an examination axis.

10. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system comprising:
an imaging portion having a magnet bore;
a radio-frequency (RF) transmit coil coupled to the magnet bore; and
an RF neck coil coupled to the magnet bore, the RF neck coil movable within the magnet bore along an examination axis under a table and upward towards the table, wherein the RF neck coil is configured to move outside of a field of view (FOV) of the RF transmit coil.

11. The MRI system of claim 10 , wherein the RF neck coil comprises a posterior coil array configured to move radially within the magnet bore.

12. The MRI system of claim 10 , wherein the RF neck coil is configured to move upward through an opening in the table.

13. The MRI system of claim 12 , wherein the table includes a head support and the RF neck coil includes wing portions, a central portion of the neck coil stopped from upward movement by the head support with the wing portions extending through the opening.

14. The MRI system of claim 10 , wherein the RF neck coil is bent to encompass a portion of a neck of a patient supported on the table.

15. The MRI system of claim 10 , further comprising an actuator coupled to the RF neck coil; and
a rail extending along a length of the magnet bore, wherein the actuator is configured to move the RF neck coil within the magnet bore by moving along the rail.

16. The MRI system of claim 10 , further comprising a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) detector configured to acquire PET data within the magnet bore and the RF neck coil is configured to move outside of a field of view (FOV) of the PET detector.

17. The MRI system of claim 10 , further comprising at least one posterior receive coil array movable with the neck coil within the magnet bore along the examination axis.

18. The MRI system of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of anterior coil array portions, each including at least one RF receive coil, the coil array portions individually movable radially within the magnet bore.

19. A method of medical imaging, the method comprising: acquiring Magnetic Resonance (MR) data using a transmit coil coupled to a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) magnet bore and at least one radio-frequency (RF) neck coil movably coupled to the MRI magnet bore, the RF neck coil movable along an examination axis of the MRI magnet bore and upward from under a table within the MRI magnet bore, wherein the RF neck coil is configured to move outside of a field of view (FOV) of the RF transmit coil.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising moving the RF neck coil and acquiring MR data from a specialty receive coil, the movable RF neck coil moved out of a field of view of the transmit coil.

21. The method of claim 19 , further comprising moving the RF neck coil and acquiring Positron Emission Tomography (PET) data from a PET detector within the MRI magnet bore, the movable RF neck coil moved out of a field of view of the PET detector.

Assignees

• Taracila Victor
• Robb Fraser
• Navarro Miguel Angel
• Gregan Darren Charles
• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Taracila Victor
• Robb Fraser
• Navarro Miguel Angel
• Gregan Darren Charles

Classifications

• G01R33/481

  MR combined with positron emission tomography [PET] or single photon emission computed tomography [SPECT] · CPC title

• G01R33/3657

  Decoupling of multiple RF coils wherein the multiple RF coils do not have the same function in MR, e.g. decoupling of a transmission coil from a receive coil · CPC title

• G01R33/3415 Primary

  comprising arrays of sub-coils {, i.e. phased-array coils with flexible receiver channels} · CPC title

• G01R33/34084

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