Low field magnetic resonance imaging methods and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9541616-B2
Application number	US-201615049309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2016
Priority date	Sep 5, 2014
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

According to some aspects, a laminate panel is provided. The laminate panel comprises at least one laminate layer including at least one non-conductive layer and at least one conductive layer patterned to form at least a portion of a B 0 coil configured to contribute to a B 0 field suitable for use in low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, comprising:
a B 0 magnet configured to produce a B 0 magnetic field at a field strength of less than 0.2 T for low-field MRI, the B 0 magnet comprising an electromagnet having at least one wound B 0 coil formed by a wound conductor and configured to contribute to the B 0 magnetic field; and
at least one laminate panel having a plurality of components formed thereon, the plurality of components comprising:
at least one gradient coil configured to, when operated, generate or contribute to a magnetic field to provide spatial encoding of emitted magnetic resonance (MR) signals to facilitate low-field MRI; and
at least one patterned B 0 coil configured to contribute to the B 0 magnetic field.

2. The low-field MRI system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one laminate panel comprises a first laminate panel and a second laminate panel, and wherein the first laminate panel and the second laminate panel are arranged in a bi-planar configuration.

3. The low-field MRI system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one wound B 0 coil comprises at least one first wound B 0 coil and at least one second wound B 0 coil arranged in a bi-planar configuration.

4. The low-field MRI system of claim 3 , wherein the first laminate panel is arranged proximate the at least one first wound B 0 on a first side of a field of view of the B 0 magnet and the second laminate panel is arranged proximate the at least one second wound B 0 coil on a second side of the field of view of the B 0 magnet.

5. The low-field MRI system of claim 4 , wherein the first laminate panel comprises a first plurality of patterned B 0 coils formed on at least four separate laminate layers of the first laminate panel, and wherein the second laminate panel comprises a second plurality of patterned B 0 coils formed on at least four separate laminate layers of the second laminate panel.

6. The low-field MRI system of claim 4 , wherein the first laminate panel comprises a first plurality of patterned B 0 coils formed on at least ten separate laminate layers of the first laminate panel, and wherein the second laminate panel comprises a second plurality of patterned B 0 coils formed on at least ten separate laminate layers of the second laminate panel.

7. The low-field MRI system of claim 4 , further comprising a transportable structure configured to house and/or support the B 0 magnet, the first laminate panel and the second laminate panel, the transportable housing allowing the low-field MRI system to be transported to desired locations.

8. The low-field MRI system of claim 7 , further comprising wheels coupled to the structure to allow the low-field MRI system to be wheeled to the desired locations.

9. The low-field MRI system of claim 8 , further comprising:
at least one radio frequency coil to transmit radio frequency signals in accordance with a predetermined pulse sequence, and wherein the portable structure houses:
one or more power components configured to power the B 0 magnet, the first laminate panel, the second laminate panel and the at least one radio frequency coil; and
a console configured to control components of the low-field MRI system in accordance with the predetermine pulse sequence.

10. The low-field MRI system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one radio frequency coil comprises at least one receive coil configured to respond to magnetic resonance signals emitted from the field of view.

11. The low-field MRI system of claim 10 comprising at least one auxiliary sensor positioned proximate to, but outside of, the field of view to acquire one or more noise signals used to suppress noise in the magnetic resonance signals received by the at least one receive coil.

12. The low-field MRI system of claim 9 , wherein the console comprises a user interface device to allow a user to operate the low-field MRI system at the portable structure.

13. The low-field MRI system of claim 8 , wherein the first laminate panel and the second laminate panel each have dimensions of approximately 8″×8″ or more.

14. The low-field MRI system of claim 13 , wherein the first laminate panel and the second laminate panel each have dimensions of approximately 16″×16″ or more.

15. The low-field MRI system of claim 14 , wherein the first laminate panel and the second laminate panel each have dimensions of approximately 22″×22″ or more.

16. The low-field MRI system of claim 8 , wherein at least one first wound B 0 coil and at least one second wound B 0 coil each have an inner diameter of greater than or equal to approximately 10 inches and less than or equal to approximately 50 inches and an outer diameter of greater than or equal to approximately 15 inches and less than or equal to approximately 80 inches.

17. The low-field MRI system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one first wound B 0 coil and the at least one second wound B 0 coil are wound with a copper conductor having at least 100 turns.

18. The low-field MRI system of claim 7 , further comprising at least one transformable component to facilitate transforming the low-field MRI system from a first configuration suitable for transporting the low-field MRI system, to a second configuration suitable for operating the low-field MRI system.

19. The low-field MRI system of claim 4 , wherein the first laminate panel, the second laminate panel, the at least one first wound B 0 coil and the at least one second B 0 coil are produced of a size and arranged relative to one another so as to facilitate low-field MRI of specific anatomy.

20. The low-field MRI system of claim 19 , wherein the first laminate panel, the second laminate panel, the at least one first wound B 0 coil and the at least one second B 0 coil are produced of a size and arranged relative to one another so as to facilitate low-field MRI of a patient's head, and wherein the B 0 field produced by the low-field MRI system has a field of view sufficient for imaging the patient's brain.

21. The low-field MRI system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one patterned B 0 coil comprises at least one correction coil configured to contribute to the B 0 magnetic field to affect the homogeneity of the B 0 magnetic field.

22. The low-field MRI system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one gradient coil formed on the at least one laminate panel comprises at least one x-gradient coil, at least one y-gradient coil, and at least one z-gradient coil to provide spatial encoding in x, y, and z directions, respectively.

23. The low-field MRI system of claim 22 , wherein:
the x-gradient coil is formed, via chemical etching, on a plurality of layers of the at least one laminate panel;
the y-gradient coil is formed, via chemical etching, on a plurality of layers of the at least one laminate panel; and
the z-gradient coil is formed, via chemical etching, on a plurality of layers of the at least one laminate panel.

24. The low-field MRI system of claim 1 , further comprising a cart supporting and/or housing the B 0 magnet, the first laminate panel and the second laminate panel, the cart providing for a cartable low-field MRI system capable of being pushed to desired locations.

25. The low-field MRI system of claim 24 , further comprising at least one sliding component configured to support a patient, the at least one sliding component allowing the patient to be positioned between the first laminate panel a

Assignees

• Hyperfine Res Inc

Inventors

• Rothberg Jonathan M
• Rosen Matthew Scot
• Charvat Gregory L
• Mileski William J
• Rearick Todd
• Poole Michael Stephen

Classifications

• G01R33/3806

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

• G01R33/56518

  due to eddy currents, e.g. caused by switching of the gradient magnetic field · CPC title

• G01R33/3858

  Manufacture and installation of gradient coils, means for providing mechanical support to parts of the gradient-coil assembly (manufacture of inductances or coils in general H01F41/00) · CPC title

• G01R33/38

  Systems for generation, homogenisation or stabilisation of the main or gradient magnetic field · CPC title

• G01R33/422

  of the radio frequency field · CPC title