Integrated MR imaging and interventional coil device, method and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9538991-B2
Application number	US-201214342456-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2012
Priority date	Sep 19, 2011
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

MR imaging and intervention functions are localized within a single device. At least one integrated coil device ( 62,63,64,90 ) which has at least one RF coil ( 72,94,112,118 ), a housing ( 70,74,92,96,110,114 ) which encases the RF coil and provides an anatomically conformal surface, and a plurality of apertures. The integrated coil device slides along a guide rail system ( 66 ) to adjust the size of a patient anatomical imaging region ( 60 ). The apertures in the integrated coil device are available to secure tool holder grid plate inserts ( 67,116,130,131 ) or other interventional device guides. The inserts assist in holding the soft tissue for diagnostic imaging and provide support for biopsy/interventional instrument guides ( 140 ). The integrated MR imaging and interventional coil device works in combination with a prone patient support structure ( 20 ), an adaptive torso sling ( 55 ), and also features an open architecture design for improved patient access. The device also works for supine or side imaging procedures.

First claim

Having thus described the preferred embodiments, the invention is now claimed to be:

1. An integrated magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and interventional system comprising:
a support structure configured to be disposed in an MR examination space;
at least one coil device disposed on the support structure and defining an anatomical imaging region therebetween, the at least one coil device being mounted to translate relative to the support structure to adjust a size of the anatomical imaging region, the at least one coil device including:
at least one radiofrequency (RF) coil element which induces MR and/or receives MR signals from the anatomical imaging region;
a housing having conformal surface facing the anatomical imaging region, which conforms with a patient anatomical portion to be received in the anatomical imaging region, the housing encasing the at least one RF coil element; and
wherein the at least one coil device defines at least one aperture in the conformal surface for accommodating a target block which defines a trajectory for an interventional device into the anatomical portion; and
wherein the at least one coil device includes a lateral coil device and a medial coil device and an axilla coil and wherein the anatomical portion includes at least one of a patient breast and axilla region and the housing conformal surface is configured to conform at least one of the breast and the axilla region.

2. The integrated system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one coil device is translatable and removable from the support structure and configured to be mounted on the support structure and includes:
one medial coil device and two lateral coil devices to define two anatomical imaging regions, each anatomical imaging region being between the medial coil device and one of the lateral coil devices, at least one of the lateral coil devices is integral with the axilla coil, the axilla coil being configured to induce MR and/or receive MR signals from the axilla region, the housing of the at least one lateral coil adjacent the at least one axilla coil being configured to conform to the axilla region an defining at least one aperture configured to accommodate a target block.

3. The integrated system according to claim 1 , wherein the support structure further includes:
a coil base supporting tracks on which the lateral and medical coil devices are slidably mounted to translate and immobilize the patient anatomy disposed in the anatomical imaging region.

4. The integrated system according to claim 1 , wherein the RF coil element of the at least one coil device includes capacitive decoupled loop elements oriented parallel to an approach direction of an interventional device.

5. The integrated system according to claim 3 , wherein the coil base further includes:
a non-ferromagnetic lighting system configured to operate within a MR imaging magnetic field and to illuminate the anatomical imaging region.

6. The integrated system according to claim 1 , wherein the housing of the lateral and medial coil devices further include:
MR imageable fiducials which are imaged along with the patient anatomical structure in the anatomical imaging region during MR imaging; and
an integrated connector which provides at least one of a digital, optical, inductive, and wireless communication between the coil devices and an RF transmitter and an RF receiver of an MR imaging system.

7. The integrated system according to claim 1 , wherein the lateral and medial coil devices each further include:
a data interface which carries at least MR signals, the data interface including at least one of a sliding interconnection, a fiber optic connection, a wireless interconnection, and an inductive interconnection.

8. The integrated system according to claim 1 , wherein the patient support further includes:
an adjustable head rest configured to adjustably support the patient's head and accommodates various neck lengths;
an adjustable clavicle support configured to adjustably support the patient's clavicle and chest;
an adjustable torso support configured to adjustably support the patient's torso and accommodate various torso sizes and contours;
an adjustable sternum support configured to adjustably support the patient's sternum.

9. The integrated system according to claim 1 , further including:
a scanner controller which controls an RF transmitter to generate an excitation signal in the examination region and controls an RF receiver to receive induced magnetic resonance signals from the lateral and medial coil devices;
a reconstruction processor which generates an image representation of the patient anatomical region received in the anatomical examination region from the received magnetic resonance signals; and
a planning processor which localizes a detected tissue mass in the imaged patient anatomical region for biopsy in relation to at least one fiducial marker disposed in the lateral and medial coil devices.

10. The integrated system according to claim 1 , wherein the lateral and medial coil device housings define a plurality of apertures configured to receive any one of a plurality of target blocks, the received target block defining a trajectory for an interventional device.

11. The integrated system according to claim 1 , wherein the conformal surface is curved and contoured and conforms to the patient's breast to improve patient comfort.

12. The integrated system according to claim 2 , wherein the axilla housing defines an opening configured to receive a removable axilla grid plate, the target block accommodated in the at least one aperture of the axilla coil being configured to define a trajectory through the opening, when the axilla grip block is removed, into the anatomical imaging region and when the axilla grid block is received in the axilla housing, the axilla grid plate is configured to accommodate the target block to define a trajectory generally perpendicular to the axilla.

13. The integrated system according to claim 2 , wherein a lateral RF coil element is encased in a lateral coil device housing and the axilla coil is encased in an extension of the lateral coil device housing and extending above and angled relative to a portion of the lateral coil device housing that encases the lateral RF coil.

14. The integrated system according to claim 8 , wherein the torso support includes an air bladder configured to inflate and deflate to accommodate various torso sizes.

15. An integrated magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and interventional system comprising:
a support structure configured to be disposed in an MR examination space;
a lateral coil device and a medial coil device disposed on the support structure and defining a breast imaging region therebetween, the lateral and medial coil devices being mounted to translate relative to the support structure to adjust a size of the breast imaging region, the lateral and medial coil devices each including:
at least one radiofrequency (RF) coil element which induces MR and/or receives MR signals from the breast imaging region;
a housing having a curved conformal surface facing the breast imaging region, which conformal surface conforms with a patient's breast to be received in the breast imaging region, the housing encasing the at least one RF coil element, wherein at least one of the lateral and medical coil devices defines at least one aperture in the conformal surface configured to accommodate a target block which defines a trajectory for an interventional device into the patient's breast; and

an axilla RF coil element for receiving MR signals from an axilla region of th

Assignees

• Menon Ashok
• Liu Liang
• Walters Dean Kenneth
• Kurlinski Richard John
• Ikramulla Faiz Abul
• Reisker Theodore John
• Morris Adam Chandler
• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Menon Ashok
• Liu Liang
• Walters Dean Kenneth
• Kurlinski Richard John
• Ikramulla Faiz Abul
• Reisker Theodore John
• Morris Adam Chandler

Classifications

• A61B5/708

  Breast positioning means · CPC title

• A61B5/055

  involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging · CPC title

• G01R33/285

  Invasive instruments, e.g. catheters or biopsy needles, specially adapted for tracking, guiding or visualization by NMR · CPC title

• A61B10/0275 Primary

  with sample notch, e.g. on the side of inner stylet · 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