Magnetic resonance imaging system including radio frequency coil

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9702948-B2
Application number	US-201414279662-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2014
Priority date	Sep 5, 2013
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system comprises, a main magnet, a gradient coil and an RF coil. The main magnet generates a static magnetic field, the gradient coil which is formed inside the main magnet and generates a gradient magnetic field and the RF coil. The RF coil is formed inside the gradient coil and comprises a plurality of different components including: a former supporting the plurality of different components including windings and having a first area and a second area and a groove formed in the second area and in which a component of the RF coil is installed and inset, reducing thickness of the RF coil.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system including a radio frequency (RF) coil, comprising:
a main magnet which generates a static magnetic field;
a gradient coil which is formed inside the main magnet and generates a gradient magnetic field; and
the RF coil, which is formed inside the gradient coil,
wherein the RF coil comprises:
a former having a first area and a second area; and
a groove which is formed in the second area and in which a component of the RF coil is installed,
wherein a thickness of the first area is greater than a thickness of the second area, and
wherein the thickness of the second area is formed to be greater than a depth of the groove formed in the second area of the former.

2. The MRI system of claim 1 , further comprising an RF coil element which is formed on the second area, wherein the component of the RF coil includes at least one of, a capacitor and a cable.

3. The MRI system of claim 2 , wherein a sum of the thickness of the second area and a thickness of the RF coil element is substantially equal to the thickness of the first area.

4. The MRI system of claim 3 , wherein the sum of the thickness of the second area and the thickness of the RF coil element deviates by about 10% or less from the thickness of the first area.

5. The MRI system of claim 2 , wherein a difference between the thickness of the second area and the depth of a deepest groove is greater than zero and equal to or less than five millimeters.

6. The MRI system of claim 2 , wherein the RF coil element is formed of copper foil, stainless steel, a printed circuit board (PCB), or a flexible PCB (FPCB).

7. The MRI system of claim 2 , wherein the RF coil element comprises:
a first RF coil element which forms a loop shape; and
a second RF coil element formed in a linear shape.

8. The MRI system of claim 7 , wherein the first RF coil elements are formed in a plurality of patterns, and the capacitor is formed between the plurality of patterns of the first RF coil elements.

9. The MRI system of claim 2 , wherein signals are transmitted to and received from the RF coil through the cable, and the cable has a structure in which a conductive substance is coated with an insulating substance.

10. The MRI system of claim 9 , wherein the cable is a coaxial cable.

11. The MRI system of claim 1 , wherein the groove is formed with a depth selected in response to a thickness of the component installed in the groove.

12. The MRI system of claim 11 , wherein the depth of the groove deviates by about 10% or less from the thickness of the installed component.

13. The MRI system of claim 1 , wherein the groove has a shape corresponding to a shape of the component of the RF coil.

14. The MRI system of claim 1 , wherein the former is formed of fiber reinforced plastics (FRP).

15. A method for providing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system including a radio frequency (RF) coil, comprising:
incorporating within an MRI device assembly,
a main magnet for generating a static magnetic field;
a gradient coil within the main magnet, the gradient coil generating a gradient magnetic field; and

incorporating within the gradient coil the RF coil, the RF coil including:
a former having a first area and a second area; and
a groove which is formed in the second area and in which a component of the RF coil is installed,
wherein a thickness of the first area is greater than a thickness of the second area, and
wherein the thickness of the second area is formed to be greater than a depth of the groove formed in the second area of the former.

16. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising
forming an RF coil element on the second area wherein the component of the RF coil includes at least one of, a capacitor and a cable.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein a sum of the thickness of the second area and a thickness of the RF coil element is substantially equal to the thickness of the first area.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kwon Oh-Soo
• Lee Ju-Hyung
• Jeong Man-Ho

Classifications

• Y10T29/49018

  with other electrical component · 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

• G01R33/3453

  Transverse electromagnetic [TEM] coils · CPC title

• G01R33/34076

  Birdcage coils · CPC title

• G01R33/341

  comprising surface coils · CPC title