IP Library Granted Patent US 11,428,762
Granted Patent B2
US 11,428,762 · App. 16/763,719 · Granted Aug 30, 2022

Systems for a radio frequency coil for MR imaging

Inventors: Victor Taracila (Aurora, OH); Robert Steven Stormont (Waukesha, WI); Fraser John Laing Robb (Aurora, OH); Aleksey Zemskov (Aurora, OH)
Assignee: General Electric Company
G01R33/3415G01R33/34007G01R33/3614G01R33/3657G01R33/3685
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,428,762
App. No.
16/763,719
Granted
Aug 30, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various methods and systems are provided for a flexible, lightweight, and lowcost radio frequency (RF) coil of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. In one example, a RF coil assembly for an MRI system includes a distributed capacitance loop portion comprising at least three distributed capacitance conductor wires encapsulated and separated by a dielectric material, a coupling electronics portion including a preamplifier, and a coil-interfacing cable extending between the coupling electronics portion and an interfacing connector of the RF coil assembly.

Claims (38)

1. A radio frequency (RF) coil assembly for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, comprising:

a loop portion comprising at least three distributed capacitance conductor wires encapsulated and separated by a dielectric material;

a coupling electronics portion including a pre-amplifier; and

a coil-interfacing cable extending between the coupling electronics portion and an interfacing connector of the RF coil assembly,

wherein the loop portion comprises four parallel conductor wires encapsulated and separated by the dielectric material, the four parallel conductor wires arranged in a square configuration, and

wherein current flows through a first pair of the four parallel conductor wires in an ascending manner and current flows through a second pair of the four parallel conductor wires in a descending manner, the first pair comprising every other parallel conductor wire of the square configuration and the second pair comprising every intervening parallel conductor wire of the square configuration.

2. The RF coil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the loop portion further includes a core surrounded by the at least three distributed capacitance conductor wires.

3. The RF coil assembly of claim 2 , wherein the core is made of a second dielectric material.

4. The RF coil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the coupling electronics portion further includes a decoupling circuit configured to decouple the RF coil assembly during a transmit operation and an impedance inverter circuit.

5. A radio frequency (RF) coil assembly of claim 4 , for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, comprising:

a loop portion comprising at least three distributed capacitance conductor wires encapsulated and separated by a dielectric material;

a coupling electronics portion including a pre-amplifier; and

a coil-interfacing cable extending between the coupling electronics portion and an interfacing connector of the RF coil assembly,

wherein the loop portion comprises six parallel conductor wires encapsulated and separated by the dielectric material, the six parallel conductor wires arranged in a hexagonal configuration, and

wherein current flows through a first subset of the six parallel conductor wires in an ascending manner and current flows through a second subset of the six parallel conductor wires in a descending manner, the first subset comprising every other parallel conductor wire of the hexagonal configuration and the second subset comprising every intervening parallel conductor wire of the hexagonal configuration.

6. The RF coil assembly of claim 5 , wherein the loop portion further includes a core surrounded by the at least three distributed capacitance conductor wires.

7. The RF coil assembly of claim 6 , wherein the core is made of a second dielectric material.

8. The RF coil assembly of claim 5 , wherein the coupling electronics portion further includes a decoupling circuit configured to decouple the RF coil assembly during a transmit operation and an impedance inverter circuit.

9. A radio frequency (RF) coil assembly for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, comprising:

a loop portion comprising at least three distributed capacitance conductor wires encapsulated and separated by a dielectric material;

a coupling electronics portion including a pre-amplifier; and

a coil-interfacing cable extending between the coupling electronics portion and an interfacing connector of the RF coil assembly,

wherein the loop portion comprises at least three coaxial conductive wires encapsulated and separated by the dielectric material, and

wherein the at least three coaxial conductor wires include an inner shield surrounding a core, a first outer shield surrounding the inner shield, and a second outer shield surrounding the first outer shield.

10. The RF coil assembly of claim 9 , wherein the loop portion includes at least three parallel planar strips encapsulated and separated by the dielectric material.

11. The RF coil assembly of claim 9 , wherein the loop portion further includes a core surrounded by the at least three distributed capacitance conductor wires.

12. The RF coil assembly of claim 11 , wherein the core is made of a second dielectric material.

13. A radio frequency (RF) coil array assembly for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, comprising:

a plurality of RF coils, each RF coil comprising:

a loop portion comprising at least three distributed capacitance conductor wires encapsulated and separated by a dielectric material; and

a coupling electronics portion including a pre-amplifier; and

a coil-interfacing cable extending between the coupling electronics portion and an interfacing connector of the RF coil array assembly,

wherein the loop portion of each RF coil comprises at least three coaxial conductive wires encapsulated and separated by the dielectric material, and

wherein the at least three coaxial conductor wires include an inner shield surrounding a core, a first outer shield surrounding the inner shield, and a second outer shield surrounding the first outer shield.

14. The RF coil array assembly of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of RF coils are movable relative to each other.

15. The RF coil array assembly of claim 13 , wherein the loop portion of each RF coil comprises four parallel conductor wires encapsulated and separated by the dielectric material, the four parallel conductor wires arranged in a square configuration.

16. The RF coil array assembly of claim 13 , wherein the loop portion of each RF coil comprises six parallel conductor wires encapsulated and separated by the dielectric material, the six parallel conductor wires arranged in a hexagonal configuration.

17. The RF coil array assembly of claim 13 , wherein the loop portion of each RF coil comprises at least three parallel planar strips encapsulated and separated by the dielectric material.

Assignments (2)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded May 8, 2025
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
To: GE PRECISION HEALTHCARE LLC
Reel/Frame 071225/0218 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 13, 2020
From: TARACILA, VICTOR; STORMONT, ROBERT STEVEN; ROBB, FRASER JOHN LAING; ZEMSKOV, ALEKSEY
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 052649/0809 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62590241 · Nov 22, 2017
Related Publication 20200348380A1 · Nov 5, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,584,979