Systems and methods for coil arrangements in magentic resonance imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9599686-B2
Application number	US-201615013576-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2016
Priority date	May 21, 2012
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

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

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. 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 a receive coil movably coupled to the MRI magnet bore, the receive coil movable along an examination axis of the MRI magnet bore;
moving the receive coil and acquiring Positron Emission Tomography (PET) data from a PET detector within the MRI magnet bore, the movable receive coil moved out of a field of view of the PET detector;
moving the receive coil out of a field of view of the transmit coil; and
acquiring MR data from a specialty receive coil.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving a posterior coil array of the receive coil along an examination axis within the MRI magnet bore.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving an anterior coil array of the receive coil along an examination axis within the MRI magnet bore.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving an anterior coil array of the receive coil radially within the within the MRI magnet bore.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising individually moving a plurality of anterior coil array portions of an anterior coil array of the receive coil within the MRI magnet bore.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising using pneumatic actuators to individually move the plurality of anterior coil array portions.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
axially moving posterior and anterior coil arrays of the receive coil within the MRI magnet bore and the anterior coil array; and
radially moving the anterior coil array within the MRI magnet bore.

8. A method of medical imaging, the method comprising:
acquiring Positron Emission Tomography (PET) data from a PET detector within a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) magnet bore;
moving a receive coil out of a field of view of the PET detector;
moving the receive coil out of a field of view of a transmit coil coupled to the MRI magnet bore; and
acquiring MR data from a specialty receive coil.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising moving a posterior coil array of the receive coil along an examination axis within the MRI magnet bore.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising moving an anterior coil array of the receive coil along an examination axis within the MRI magnet bore.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising moving an anterior coil array of the receive coil radially within the within the MRI magnet bore.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising individually moving a plurality of anterior coil array portions of an anterior coil array of the receive coil within the MRI magnet bore.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising using pneumatic actuators to individually move the plurality of anterior coil array portions.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
axially moving posterior and anterior coil arrays of the receive coil within the MRI magnet bore and the anterior coil array; and
radially moving the anterior coil array within the MRI magnet bore.

15. 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 a receive coil movably coupled to the MRI magnet bore, the receive coil movable along an examination axis of the MRI magnet bore;
moving the receive coil out of a field of view of the transmit coil; and
acquiring MR data from a specialty receive.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Taracila Victor
• Robb Fraser
• Stormont Robert Steven

Classifications

• G01R33/481

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

• G01R33/341 Primary

  comprising surface coils · 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

• 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

• G01R33/32

  Excitation or detection systems, e.g. using radio frequency signals · CPC title