Patent · US Expired

Precision electrical adjustment of quadrature coil isolation

US4879516A · kind A · utility

29Cited by
16References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 26, 1988
Grant dateNov 7, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 26, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R33/3628
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A magnetic resonance imager includes a quadrature coil assembly (20) for transmitting radio frequency signals into and receiving magnetic resonance signal from an examination region. The quadrature coils assembly includes a first coil (22) and a second coil (24). A shunt path (32, 64, 74, 84, 94, 98, 100, 112, 114, 122) provides a current path by shunting at least a portion of one of the coils. A variable impedance (34, 66, 76, 86, 96, 110, 120) adjusts the amount of current flow through the shunt path and the current flow through the bypassed coil portion. More specifically, adjusting the impedance changes the magnetization vector generated by the coil assembly in a transmit mode and adjusts their relative isolation in a receive mode. The quadrature coils are mounted such that they are offset by about, but not quite, 90.degree.. The variable impedance is adjusted until the offset is brought precisely to 90.degree.. In this manner, the quadrature coils are adjusted electronically after assembly to insure the precision of their isolation.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.