IP Library Granted Patent US 9,989,617
Granted Patent B2
US 9,989,617 · App. 13/781,199 · Granted Jun 5, 2018

B1 field-based regulation within a sequence for NMR

Inventors: Jürgen Nistler (Erlangen, DE); David Andrew Porter (Poxdorf, DE); Thorsten Speckner (Erlangen, DE); Christian Wünsch (Röthenbach a.d.Pegnitz, DE)
Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
G01R33/586G01R33/5659G01R33/36
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,989,617
App. No.
13/781,199
Granted
Jun 5, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A B1 magnetic field may be regulated during a magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) imaging sequence.

Claims (23)

1. A system comprising:

a magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) system configured to regulate a B1 magnetic field during an imaging sequence;

a measuring device configured to:

measure a reference variable during a reference pulse transmitted before one or more calibration pulses transmitted before or during at least one sequence segment of the imaging sequence, the reference variable representing at least an amount of a B1 magnetic field caused by the reference pulse, and

measure a calibration pulse variable during the one or more calibration pulses, the calibration pulse variable representing at least an amount of a B1 magnetic field caused by the one or more calibration pulses; and

a controller configured to regulate a voltage, a flip angle, or the voltage and the flip angle of high-frequency (HF) pulses of the imaging sequence following the calibration pulse using a ratio of the reference variable to the calibration pulse variable measured during the one or more calibration pulses.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the MRT system comprises one or more magnetic field probes configured to measure the reference variable representing at least the amount of the B1 magnetic field caused by the reference pulse, the calibration pulse variable representing at least the amount of the B1 magnetic field caused by the one or more calibration pulses, or the reference variable representing at least the amount of the B1 magnetic field caused by the reference pulse and the calibration pulse variable representing at least the amount of the B1 magnetic field caused by the one or more calibration pulses.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the one or more magnetic field probes comprise a plurality of pickup probes.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the MRT system comprises one or more voltage, current, or voltage and current measurement devices connected between a high-frequency (HF) transmit device and an HF transmit antenna, the one or more voltage, current, or voltage and current measurement devices configured to measure the reference variable representing at least the amount of the B1 magnetic field caused by the reference pulse, the calibration pulse variable representing at least the amount of the B1 magnetic field caused by the one or more calibration pulses, or the reference variable representing at least the amount of the B1 magnetic field caused by the reference pulse and the calibration pulse variable representing at least the amount of the B1 magnetic field caused by the one or more calibration pulses.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the measuring device comprises at least one direction coupler.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the MRT system is configured to measure at least one voltage value as the calibration pulse variable and is configured to measure at least one voltage value as the reference variable.

7. A method for magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) imaging, the method comprising:

regulating a B1 magnetic field within an imaging sequence;

measuring a reference variable during a reference pulse transmitted before one or more calibration pulses transmitted before or during at least one sequence segment of the imaging sequence, the reference variable representing at least an amount of a B1 magnetic field caused by the reference pulse;

measuring a calibration pulse variable during the transmission of the one or more calibration pulses, the calibration pulse variable representing at least an amount of a B1 magnetic field caused by the one or more calibration pulses; and

determining a ratio of the reference variable to the calibration pulse variable measured during the one or more calibration pulses,

wherein regulating the B1 magnetic field comprises generating high-frequency (HF) pulses of the imaging sequence, based on the determined ratio, following the transmission of the one or more calibration pulses.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein regulating the B1 magnetic field further comprises measuring, via one or more magnetic field probes, the reference variable representing at least the amount of the B1 magnetic field caused by the reference pulse or the calibration pulse variable representing at least the amount of the B1 magnetic field caused by the one or more calibration pulses.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein measuring the reference variable representing at least the amount of the B1 magnetic field caused by the reference pulse or the calibration pulse variable representing at least the amount of the B1 magnetic field caused by the one or more calibration pulses comprises measuring via a plurality of pickup probes.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein regulating the B1 magnetic field further comprises measuring, via one or more voltage, current, or voltage and current measurement devices, the reference variable representing at least the amount of the B1 magnetic field caused by the reference pulse, the calibration pulse variable representing at least the amount of the B1 magnetic field caused by the one or more calibration pulses, or the reference variable representing at least the amount of the B1 magnetic field caused by the reference pulse and the calibration variable variable representing at least the amount of the B1 magnetic field caused by the one or more calibration pulses, the one or more voltage, current, or voltage and current measurement devices being connected between a high-frequency (HF) transmit device and a HF transmit antenna.

11. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein regulating the B1 magnetic field comprises:

measuring at least one voltage value as the calibration pulse variable; and

measuring at least one voltage value as the reference variable.

Assignments (4)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 066088 FRAME: 0256. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jan 17, 2024
From: SIEMENS HEALTHCARE GMBH
To: SIEMENS HEALTHINEERS AG
Reel/Frame 071178/0246 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2023
From: SIEMENS HEALTHCARE GMBH
To: SIEMENS HEALTHINEERS AG
Reel/Frame 066088/0256 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 13, 2018
From: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
To: SIEMENS HEALTHCARE GMBH
Reel/Frame 047483/0739 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 23, 2014
From: NISTLER, JÜRGEN; PORTER, DAVID ANDREW; SPECKNER, THORSTEN; WÜNSCH, CHRISTIAN
To: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Reel/Frame 032025/0219 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2012 203 111 · Feb 29, 2012 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130221965A1 · Aug 29, 2013