System and method for energizing a superconducting magnet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9810755-B2
Application number	US-201314107216-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2013
Priority date	Dec 16, 2013
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A system for energizing a main coil of superconducting magnet in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system includes a cryostat comprising a housing. A first coil is positioned within the housing of the cryostat. Alternatively, the first coil may be positioned external to the housing of the cryostat. A second coil is coupled to the first coil and positioned external to the housing of the cryostat. The second coil is configured to inductively couple to the main coil. A controller is coupled to the first coil and the second coil and is configured to control the first coil and the second coil to induce current in the main coil.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for energizing a main coil of a superconducting magnet in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, the system comprising:
a cryostat comprising a housing surrounding the main coil of the superconducting magnet;
a first coil positioned within the housing of the cryostat;
a second coil coupled to the first coil through a first switch and positioned external to the housing of the cryostat, the second coil configured to inductively couple to the main coil;
a power supply positioned external to the housing of the cryostat and coupled to the second coil and the first coil through a second switch; and
a controller coupled to the power supply, the second coil and the first coil, and configured to control the second coil and the first coil to induce current in the main coil.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first coil is a superconducting coil.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first coil is a shielding coil.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second coil is a resistive coil.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the second coil comprises multiple turns of copper wire.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second coil is positioned within a resonance assembly of the MRI system.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the second coil is positioned between a warm bore and a gradient coil.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second coil is external to the MRI system.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the second coil is disposed within a portable housing.

10. A system for energizing a main coil of a superconducting magnet of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, the superconducting magnet located in a cryostat having a housing, the system comprising:
a first coil positioned external to the housing of the cryostat;
a second coil coupled to the first coil through a first switch and positioned external to the housing of the cryostat, the second coil configured to inductively couple to the main coil;
a power supply positioned external to the housing of the cryostat and coupled to the first coil and the second coil through a second switch; and
a controller coupled to the power supply, the first coil and the second coil, and configured to control the first coil and the second coil to induce current in the main coil.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the first coil is a resistive coil.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the first coil is positioned within a resonance assembly of the MRI system.

13. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the first coil is a gradient coil.

14. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the first coil is external to the MRI system.

15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the first coil is disposed within a portable housing.

16. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the second coil is a resistive coil.

17. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the second coil comprises multiple turns of copper wire.

18. The system according to claim 10 , the second coil is positioned within a resonance assembly of the MRI system.

19. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the second coil is external to the MRI system.

20. The system according to claim 19 , wherein the second coil is disposed within a portable housing.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Shen Weijun
• Havens Timothy John
• Jiang Longzhi
• Zhang Zhenyu
• Mogatadakala Venkata Kishore

Classifications

• G01R33/3815 Primary

  with superconducting coils, e.g. power supply therefor · CPC title

• G01R33/385

  using gradient magnetic field coils · CPC title

• G01R33/307

  specially adapted for moving the sample relative to the MR system, e.g. spinning mechanisms, flow cells or means for positioning the sample inside a spectrometer · CPC title

• H01F6/005

  Methods and means for increasing the stored energy in superconductive coils by increments (flux pumps) · CPC title

• G01R33/546

  Interface between the MR system and the user, e.g. for controlling the operation of the MR system or for the design of pulse sequences · CPC title