IP Library Granted Patent US 12693355
Granted Patent B2
US 12693355 · App. 18/658,982 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Computer-implemented method for operating a magnetic resonance facility, magnetic resonance facility, computer program, and electronically readable data carrier

Inventors: Klaus Huber (Effeltrich, DE); Volker Schnetter (Nuremberg, DE); Bernd Erbe (Lauf a.d. Pegnitz, DE)
Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG
G01R33/288A61B5/055G01K13/00G01R33/543G01R33/3403
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12693355
App. No.
18/658,982
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A computer-implemented method for operating a magnetic resonance facility is provided. For thermal monitoring of an imaging component that is arranged close to a patient during an examination procedure, a monitoring value of a parameter that influences a temperature of the imaging component is ascertained in a monitoring monitor over a predefined period and is compared with a threshold value. At least one course of action is triggered when the threshold value is overshot. A plurality of monitoring monitors with different threshold values, respectively, is used for different periods.

Claims (49)

1 . A method for operating a magnetic resonance facility, the method being computer-implemented and comprising:

for thermal monitoring of at least one imaging component that is arranged adjacent to a patient during an examination procedure, ascertaining a monitoring value of at least one parameter that influences a temperature of the at least one imaging component in at least one monitoring monitor of a plurality of monitoring monitors over a predefined period, wherein the predefined period is different for all monitoring monitors of the plurality of monitoring monitors, respectively;

comparing the monitoring value with a threshold value, wherein the threshold value is different for all monitoring monitors of the plurality of monitoring monitors, respectively; and

triggering at least one course of action when, based on the comparing, the monitoring value is greater than the threshold value,

wherein, during the thermal monitoring of the at least one imaging component, it is ensured that a surface of the at least one imaging component touching or touchable by the patient does not overshoot a maximum temperature.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

for all monitoring monitors of the plurality of monitoring monitors together, respectively, the predefined period, the threshold value, or the predefined period and the threshold value are chosen based on a thermal simulation of the at least one imaging component, a statistical evaluation of measurement data that relates to the at least one imaging component, or a combination thereof, such that a requirement for admissible heating is adhered to;

for the at least one monitoring monitor of the plurality of monitoring monitors, the predefined period is chosen as at least twice a thermal time constant of the at least one imaging component; or

a combination thereof.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the predefined period is at least three times the thermal time constant of the at least one imaging component.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein for the at least one monitoring monitor of the plurality of monitoring monitors, the predefined period is:

a period in a region of three to eight minutes;

a period in a region of ten to fifteen minutes;

a period in a region of eighteen to twenty-five minutes; or

a period in a region of forty to sixty minutes.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a mean over the predefined period as a sliding timeframe is ascertained as the monitoring value.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one parameter describes a power, input into the at least one imaging component, of at least one radio-frequency pulse of the examination procedure.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein for each pending examination procedure, over a duration, immediately before a beginning of the respective pending examination procedure, the at least one parameter, and thus the monitoring value, is calculated in advance for all monitoring monitors of the plurality of monitoring monitors, and the monitoring values calculated in advance are compared with the different threshold values, respectively, and

wherein the at least one course of action takes place instead of the beginning of the examination procedure when at least one of the different threshold values is overshot.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the course of action comprises outputting a warning message to a user, querying a user input, according to which the examination procedure should still be started, or a combination thereof.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the course of action comprises ascertaining a waiting time, at least one adjusted recording parameter, or the waiting time and the at least one adjusted recording parameter for the examination procedure, and outputting the waiting time, the at least one adjusted recording parameter, or the waiting time and the at least one adjusted recording parameter to a user as a recommendation.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein with continuous monitoring using current operating data, when the threshold value is overshot during an examination procedure, a termination of the examination procedure, querying of a user as to whether the examination procedure should be terminated, or a combination thereof takes place as a course of action of the at least one course of action.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one course of action comprises actuating a cooling means, acting on the at least one imaging component, of the magnetic resonance facility, such that cooling power is increased.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the cooling means has cooling levels associated with different cooling powers,

wherein for the at least one monitoring monitor of the plurality of monitoring monitors, a plurality of threshold values is used, with which different cooling levels that are to be activated are associated.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein for one or more imaging components of the at least one imaging component that are to be thermally monitored and for which use in an examination procedure is automatically establishable, it is only when the one or more imaging components are used in the examination procedure that contributions of the at least one parameter from the examination procedure are included in the plurality of monitoring monitors.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein use of the one or more imaging components in the examination procedure is automatically establishable via a connection means.

15 . A magnetic resonance facility comprising:

an imaging component that is arranged adjacent to a patient during an examination procedure; and

a controller configured for operating the magnetic resonance facility, the controller being configured for operating the magnetic resonance facility comprising the controller being configured to:

for thermal monitoring of the imaging component, ascertain a monitoring value of at least one parameter that influences a temperature of the imaging component in at least one monitoring monitor of a plurality of monitoring monitors over a predefined period, wherein the predefined period is different for all monitoring monitors of the plurality of monitoring monitors, respectively;

compare the monitoring value with a threshold value, wherein the threshold value is different for all monitoring monitors of the plurality of monitoring monitors, respectively; and

trigger at least one course of action when, based on the comparison, the monitoring value is greater than the threshold value,

wherein, during the thermal monitoring of the at least one imaging component, it is ensured that a surface of the at least one imaging component touching or touchable by the patient does not overshoot a maximum temperature.

16 . In a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions executable by one or more processors to operate a magnetic resonance facility, the instructions comprising:

for thermal monitoring of at least one imaging component that is arranged adjacent to a patient during an examination procedure, ascertaining a monitoring value of at least one parameter that influences a temperature of the at least one imaging component in at least one monitoring monitor of a plurality of monitoring monitors over a predefined period, wherein the predefined period is different for all monitoring monitors of the plurality of monitoring monitors, respectively;

comparing the monitoring value with a threshold value, wherein the threshold value is different for all monitoring monitors of the plurality of monitoring monitors, respectively; and

triggering at least one course of action when, based on the comparing, the monitoring value is greater than the threshold value,

wherein, during the thermal monitoring of the at least one imaging component, it is ensured that a surface of the at least one imaging component touching or touchable by the patient does not overshoot a maximum temperature.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein:

for all monitoring monitors of the plurality of monitoring monitors together, respectively, the predefined period, the threshold value, or the predefined period and the threshold value are chosen based on a thermal simulation of the at least one imaging component, a statistical evaluation of measurement data that relates to the at least one imaging component, or a combination thereof, such that a requirement for admissible heating is adhered to;

for the at least one monitoring monitor of the plurality of monitoring monitors, the predefined period is chosen as at least twice a thermal time constant of the at least one imaging component; or

a combination thereof.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein for the at least one monitoring monitor of the plurality of monitoring monitors, the predefined period is:

a period in a region of three to eight minutes;

a period in a region of ten to fifteen minutes;

a period in a region of eighteen to twenty-five minutes; or

a period in a region of forty to sixty minutes.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein a mean over the predefined period as a sliding timeframe is ascertained as the monitoring value.