Lung coil for imaging hyper-polarized gas in an MRI scanner
US6211677A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 8, 1998 |
| Grant date | Apr 3, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 8, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R33/36
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
In a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, a whole-body RF coil (42) disposed circumferentially around an examination region (14) is tuned to a first Larmor frequency, e.g., that of hydrogen. A first transmitter (44) transmits RF signals at the first Larmor frequency. A first T/R switch (40) electronically switches the whole-body RF coil (42) between a transmit mode in which it is electronically connected to the first transmitter (44) for exciting resonance in hydrogen nuclei, and a receive mode in which it is electronically connected to a first receiver channel for demodulating magnetic resonance signals received from resonating hydrogen nuclei. An insertable lung coil (70) is positioned inside the whole-body RF coil (42) around the examination region. The lung coil (70) is tuned, while the whole-body RF coil (42) is enabled, to a second Larmor frequency corresponding to a non-hydrogen nuclei such that the tuning compensates for reactance from the whole-body RF coil that is inductively coupled to the lung coil. A second T/R switch (80) electronically switches the lung coil (70) between a second transmitter (82) for exciting resonance in non-hydrogen nuclei, and a second receiver c…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.