High temperature superconductor receiver coil magnetic resonance imaging systems and methods compatible with an infant incubator

Abstract

Systems and methods which employ a high temperature superconductor (HTS) receiver coil configuration for MRI analysis of small volume subjects, such as infants, are shown. Embodiments provide a HTS tape RF phase array receiver coil implementation. The foregoing HTS tape receiver coil implementation may be provided in a Helmholtz coil configuration. With such a Helmholtz coil configuration, circuitry is preferably provided to provide tuning, matching, and / or decoupling with respect to the HTS receiver coils. Embodiments implement a cryostat configuration to maintain one or more HTS receiver coils at a desired operating temperature (e.g., ≦77° K.) while providing a safe environment for a subject (e.g., infant) being imaged.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates generally to magnetic resonance imaging and, more particularly, to the use of high temperature superconductor receive coils for magnetic resonance imaging.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides an excellent, non-invasive diagnosis tool for many, often life threatening, diseases. MRI is particularly useful in the study and diagnosis of brain diseases. Accordingly, MRI systems have received wide acceptance by radiologists and other medical professionals for diagnostic use despite the high cost of acquiring and operating such systems.[0003]Tragically, infants, particularly premature infants, may be afflicted with diseases that may affect their future development. For example, infants may suffer from various diseases of the brain, such as hemorrhage, infarction, hypoxia-ischemia, which if improperly diagnosed may cause severe developmental issues and even be life threatening. Accordingly, the use of M...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]Embodiments of the invention are configured for accommodating infants or other subjects requiring special handling. For example, an embodiment of the present invention may dispose HTS receiver coils of a Helmholtz coil configuration on or in an incubator, thereby facilitating MRI analysis of an infant without removal of the infant from the incubator's controlled environment. Additionally or alternatively, embodiments of the invention may adapt HTS receiver coils of a Helmholtz coil configuration to receive an infant, or portion thereof (e.g., head), to facilitate high quality image generation. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention provide MRI systems and methods uniquely suitable for use with respect to infants and which are cheaper and safer to operate by enabling infant MRI with very low-field MRI system (e.g., ≦0.5 T) while providing superior image quality.

Problems solved by technology

Tragically, infants, particularly premature infants, may be afflicted with diseases that may affect their future development.

For example, infants may suffer from various diseases of the brain, such as hemorrhage, infarction, hypoxia-ischemia, which if improperly diagnosed may cause severe developmental issues and even be life threatening.

Despite the desirability of use of MRI systems in studying and diagnosing disease in infants, such use is not without challenge.

For example, there are presently no readily available MRI systems specifically adapted for infant use.

The MRI systems that are available for use present issues with respect to limited choice of radio frequency (RF) receiver coils (i.e., available RF receiver coils typically do not include a configuration fully matching the needs of infant use).

The use of high field MRI systems on infants results in many undesired consequences, such as relatively high scanning costs, increased noise levels experienced by the infant, increased exposure to RF energy by the infant, etc.

However, merely reducing the field strength for imaging infants is not possible as the configurations thereof would produce images of unacceptable poor image quality.

In addition to the foregoing, present MRI systems present logistical issues with respect to their use with infants.

For example, with present MRI system configurations transportation of a premature infant between the scanning room and the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is risky as the premature infant should not be subjected to too excessive movement and various environments.

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