Tunable birdcage transmitter coil
US6396271B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 17, 1999 |
| Grant date | May 28, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 17, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R33/34046
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A tunable radio frequency birdcage coil (26, 34) has an improved tuning range for use with a magnetic resonance apparatus. The coil includes a pair of end ring conductors (60, 62) which are connected by a plurality of spaced leg conductors (L2, L4, . . ., L26) to form a generally cylindrical volume. Both the end rings and the leg conductors contain reactive elements, preferably capacitors (C2, C4, . . ., C124). The radio frequency coil also includes a pair of tuning rings (100, 120) for tuning the reactive elements (C2, C4, . . ., C124), which each include a non-conductive support cylinder (110, 130) and a plurality of tuning bands (120, 122, . . ., 142 and 150, 152, . . ., 172) which extend axially along the outer surface of the support cylinder (110, 130). The tuning rings (100, 120) are rotated or translated with respect to the leg conductors (L2, L4, . . ., L26) in order to vary capacitance and inductance of the coil (26, 34) to tune the (26, 34) coil to the desired resonant frequency.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.