Apparatus and method for tuning the permittivity of ultrahigh dielectric constant materials in an RF coil for MR imaging

US11275132B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Regents of the University of Minnesota · US
• The Penn State Research Foundation · US

Inventors

• Wei Chen · Stony Brook, US
• Byeong-Yeul Lee · Minneapolis, US
• Xiao-Hong Zhu · Plymouth, US
• Hannes M. Wiesner · Minneapolis, US
• Michael T. Lanagan · Woodridge, US
• Qing Yang · Pittsford, US
• Sebastian Rupprecht · College Station, US
• Navid P. Gandji · State College, US
• Maryam Sarkarat · State College, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 8, 2020
• Grant date: Mar 15, 2022
• Expiry date: Apr 8, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R33/3635
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An apparatus for transmitting and receiving radiofrequency (RF) signals in a magnetic resonance imaging system for proton and X-nuclear imaging includes at least one radiofrequency (RF) coil and an ultrahigh dielectric constant material incorporated within the at least one RF coil. The permittivity of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material depends on a temperature of the material and is tunable. The apparatus also includes a temperature controller that is thermally coupled to the ultrahigh dielectric constant material. The temperature controller is configured to control a temperature of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material to tune and optimize the permittivity of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material. A chemical structure and composition of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material is selected to control and optimize the permittivity and a dielectric loss of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material and a temperature dependence of the ultrahigh dielectric constant material. The apparatus provides denoising effect, high RF coil transmission and reception efficiencies, and improved signal-to-noise ratio for magnetic resonance or spectroscopic imaging applications and…