Practical Tunable Planar and Cylindrical Multi-element Magnetic Resonance Detector Arrays

The invention is a detector for MRI signals, and is used in conjunction with an MRI scanner. More specifically, the invention is a tunable strip array for providing multi-channel detection of MRI signals from an object. The detector is comprised of one or preferably more conducting strips insulated from a ground plane or an electrical conductor at virtual ground wherein the strip length is pre-selected based on sample geometry to obtain optimum performance over a desirable region in the sample. Each of the strips forms one channel of the multi-channel detector, and is tuned to or integral multiples thereof, via one or more discrete reactive components distributed along the length of the strip. One end of each of the strips is connected to an input channel of an MRI system. For example, one end is connected to the input of a low noise MRI pre-amplifier, and the other end terminated by means described in several embodiments. Embodiments of the invention include planar and flexible strip arrays for applications in which the detector is placed against the surface of an object or human body, and cylindrical arrays in which a sample, body or head is placed, with different orientations of the MRI field. Description (Set) Proposed Use (Set) The invention is used in conjunction with an MRI system to detect MRI signals and transfer them to the scanner where they are processed to form images that are used for medical diagnosis. MRI detectors are an essential part of an MRI system, and a number of different types of MRI detectors and coils are generally available for use with a scanner depending on the nature of the study being done (head, body, limb, heart, etc). Commonly, MRI detectors are out-sourced by the MRI system-makers, and a number of companies that manufacturer MRI detectors exist. New developments in MRI necessitate new multi-channel detector designs for which the strip array has significant advantages. There are over 10,000 MRI scanners in the world, and each would have about 4 detector sets on average. The strip array is particularly suited to multi-channel systems, which are a large majority of those sold today, while older systems are being upgraded with multi-channel capabilities

Patent (Set) WO 03/058283; 7,088,104

Patents:
US 7,088,104

Inventor(s): Bottomley, Paul

Type of Offer: Licensing



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