Mounting for a body coil of a magnetic resonance device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9684043-B2
Application number	US-201414316407-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2014
Priority date	Jun 27, 2013
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

A mounting device for a body coil of a magnetic resonance device is provided. The mounting device includes a suspension device that has at least one suspension element. The at least one suspension element is mechanically connectable to a counterpart piece of the body coil. The suspension device is configured for suspension and coarse adjustment of the body coil in the magnetic resonance device during an adjustment process of the body coil. The mounting device also includes an adjustment device that has an adjuster for changing a position of the body coil, and adjustment indicators for displaying the position of the body coil. The adjustment device is provided for fine adjustment of the body coil during the adjustment process. The mounting device includes an attachment device differing from the suspension device. The attachment device includes at least one attachment element for mechanical interaction with the body coil.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mounting device for a body coil of a magnetic resonance device, the mounting device comprising:
a suspension device comprising at least one suspension element, the at least one suspension element being mechanically connectable to a counterpart piece of the body coil, wherein the suspension device is configured for suspension and coarse adjustment of the body coil in the magnetic resonance device during an adjustment process of the body coil;
an adjustment device comprising:
an adjuster configured for changing a position of the body coil; and
adjustment indicators operable to display the position of the body coil, wherein the adjustment device is configured for fine adjustment of the body coil during the adjustment process; and

an attachment device differing from the suspension device, the attachment device comprising at least one attachment element configured for mechanical interaction with the body coil, wherein the attachment device is configured for mechanical accommodation of the body coil in the magnetic resonance device.

2. The mounting device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one suspension element is positionable along an axis defined by the gravitational effect of the body coil on a side opposite to the gravitational effect of the body coil.

3. The mounting device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one suspension element is configured as a ball joint, the ball joint being connectable at one end to a counterpart piece of the body coil and comprising a ball at the other end, the ball being mounted movably in a socket, and wherein a position of the ball is lockable within the socket.

4. The mounting device of claim 1 , wherein the adjuster comprises at least one adjustment system,
wherein the adjustment system is mechanically connectable to a component of the magnetic resonance device at a first location, and the adjustment system has a second location that interacts mechanically with the body coil, and
wherein a position of the second location is adjustable relative to a position of the first location.

5. The mounting device of claim 4 , wherein the adjustment system is connectable to the suspension device at the second location.

6. The mounting device of claim 4 , wherein the adjuster comprises micrometer screws configured to enable a readjustment of the position of the second location of the adjustment system relative to the position of the first location of the adjustment system.

7. The mounting device of claim 6 , wherein the micrometer screws include markings that enable a reproducible setting of the micrometer screws.

8. The mounting device of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment indicators comprise at least one distance sensor, and wherein the at least one distance sensor is configured to measure a distance between a reference component of the magnetic resonance device and the body coil.

9. The mounting device of claim 8 , wherein the distance sensor comprises a spring, and wherein a first end of the spring is fixed to the body coil, and a measuring pin is attached to a second end of the spring, an end of the measuring pin not pointing towards the spring being orientable in a direction of the reference component of the magnetic resonance device.

10. The mounting device of claim 9 , wherein the measuring pin comprises markings that are disposed in stages along the measuring pin, so that the markings enable the distance between the body coil and the reference component of the magnetic resonance device to be read off.

11. The mounting device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one attachment element is configured as a support element,
wherein the support element comprises a mounting on an end pointing towards an attachment location of the magnetic resonance device, the mounting enabling a mechanical connection of the support element to the attachment location, and
wherein the support element comprises a stamp on an end opposite to the end pointing towards the attachment location and adjustable in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the support element for a mechanical fixing of the body coil.

12. The mounting device of claim 11 , wherein the support element comprises an adjustable damping mechanism between the mounting and the stamp.

13. The mounting device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one attachment element is configured as a support device for the body coil, and
wherein the support device is configured for mechanical connection of an attachment location of the magnetic resonance device and has at least one resting point for the body coil.

14. A magnetic resonance device comprising:
a mounting device for a body coil of the magnetic resonance device, the mounting device comprising:
a suspension device comprising at least one suspension element, the at least one suspension element being mechanically connectable to a counterpart piece of the body coil, wherein the suspension device is configured for suspension and coarse adjustment of the body coil in the magnetic resonance device during an adjustment process of the body coil;
an adjustment device comprising:
an adjuster configured for changing a position of the body coil; and
adjustment indicators operable to display the position of the body coil, wherein the adjustment device is configured for fine adjustment of the body coil during the adjustment process; and

an attachment device differing from the suspension device, the attachment device comprising at least one attachment element configured for mechanical interaction with the body coil, wherein the attachment device is configured for mechanical accommodation of the body coil in the magnetic resonance device.

15. A method for mounting a body coil in a magnetic resonance device, the method comprising:
suspending and coarsely adjusting the body coil using a suspension device during an adjustment process of the body coil in the magnetic resonance device, wherein the body coil is connected mechanically to the suspension device by at least one suspension element;
finely adjusting the body coil using an adjustment device during the adjustment process, wherein a position of the body coil changes by an adjuster and is indicated by adjustment indicators; and
the body coil interacting mechanically with at least one attachment element of an attachment device differing from the suspension device such that the body coil is mounted mechanically in the magnetic resonance device.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising removing the suspension device from the magnetic resonance device after completion of the adjustment process.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising removing the adjustment device from the magnetic resonance device after completion of the adjustment process.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising changing, during the adjustment process, the position of the body coil using the adjuster such that a position of a second location of an adjustment system is shifted relative to a position of a first location of the adjustment system,
wherein the first location is connected mechanically to a component of the magnetic resonance device, and the second location interacts mechanically with the body coil.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising measuring, using at least one distance sensor, a distance between a reference component of the magnetic resonance device and the body coil.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein a mechanical accommodation of the body coil in the magnetic resonance device takes place using the attachment device

Assignees

• Lazar Razvan
• Schramm Martin
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Lazar Razvan
• Schramm Martin

Classifications

• Y10T29/4902

  Electromagnet, transformer or inductor · CPC title

• G01R33/34046

  Volume type coils, e.g. bird-cage coils; Quadrature bird-cage coils; Circularly polarised coils · CPC title

• G01R33/34007 Primary

  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