Method for detecting abnormality of magnetic resonance signal receiving circuit and magnetic resonance signal receiving device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method for detecting abnormalities in a magnetic resonance signal receiving path and a magnetic resonance signal receiving device, which detect abnormal channels in the magnetic resonance signal receiving path and determine the location of the faulty part. The method includes: generating a plurality of magnetic resonance signals in batches through a plurality of coil antennas and receiving them at the input port of the RCCS; recording the position information of the first channel in the RCCS that is in the gated state based on a routing configuration template, routing the magnetic resonance signal through the first channel to the output port, and receiving it at the second channel of a receiver connected to the output port; respectively detecting the output signals output through each gated channel to determine whether the gated channel is an abnormal channel, and determining the location of the abnormal channel based on the routing configuration template. This method can real-time determine the abnormalities of the channels for receiving a plurality of magnetic resonance signals and the location of the faulty part based on a limited number of pre-scans, and only detect the gated channels, enabling the fault detection of the magnetic resonance signal receiving path to be online and efficient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of magnetic resonance imaging, and particularly to a magnetic resonance signal receiving device for a medical magnetic resonance imaging system and a method for detecting abnormalities in a magnetic resonance signal receiving path. Background Art

[0002] Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique that irradiates an object with radio frequency pulse signals using an antenna under certain magnetic field conditions and forms an image based on the received modulated radio frequency signals from the object. The internal structure, material composition, physiological processes, etc. of the object can be studied using magnetic resonance imaging technology. A radio frequency pulse with a Larmor frequency causes the spin nucleons, such as hydrogen nuclei (i.e., H+), in the irradiated object to precess with a deflection angle, generating a magnetic resonance radio frequency signal after excitation, which is received by a receiving coil / antenna and imaged after computer processing. The image of the internal part of the object drawn by this method can reflect information such as the spatial distribution and types of spin nucleons constituting the object.

[0003] Position encoding is performed on these radio frequency pulse signals applied to the object with the help of a gradient magnetic field. The position encoding allows the received signals to be associated with volume elements. Then, the received signals are analyzed and a three-dimensional image of the object under examination is provided.

[0004] When collecting magnetic resonance signals from a region of interest and obtaining a high signal-to-noise ratio, multiple coils with antenna units are usually used as a coil array to cover the region of interest. In one scan, the magnetic resonance signal receiving system is connected to the above coils for synchronous use, and a specific antenna combination is selected to obtain the magnetic resonance signals of the region of interest during magnetic resonance examination, and there is no need to change the coil settings or reposition the patient during the scan. Therefore, a specific device needs to be connected between the coil array and the radio frequency receiver to select a specific antenna combination in the coil array for receiving the magnetic resonance signals of the region of interest.

[0005] To this end, the magnetic resonance signals received from the antenna elements of the coil array are routed to a radio frequency receiver through a reception coil channel selector (RCCS - Reception Coil Channel Selector, or simply referred to as the reception coil channel selector). The reception coil channel selector can be understood as a switch array having L*M input interfaces, channels, and N output ports. In particular, theoretically, the magnetic resonance signals received by at most L*M antenna elements can be routed through the channels provided by the RCCS to N output channels. Thus, theoretically, the N output channels of the RCCS can be connected to the N reception channels of the RF receiver. In addition, the RF receiver includes an amplifier, at least one analog - to - digital converter (ADC), and a digital processor.

[0006] However, due to the redundant input and output ports provided by the RCCS, existing technical means cannot quickly detect channel anomalies or faults that occur in it. In the case where it is not known which specific channel in the RCCS is gated, it is only possible to traverse and detect the signal quality of the outputs of each channel to determine the problem channel and its specific location, which is inefficient and unable to quickly troubleshoot faults, thus potentially reducing the image quality and user experience of magnetic resonance imaging. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of this, on the one hand, the present disclosure proposes a method for detecting anomalies in a magnetic resonance signal reception path, which efficiently determines the conduction status of multiple channels and the location of abnormal channels in the magnetic resonance signal reception path at the receiver or the reception coil channel selector, so as to timely discover the faulty channel and its location, or to use the redundant channels provided by the reception selector to replace the discovered faulty channel, thereby enabling real - time online reporting of the above - mentioned information to technicians at remote devices to timely replace faulty equipment. The method for detecting anomalies in the magnetic resonance signal reception path includes: receiving multiple magnetic resonance signals through multiple coil antennas, and correspondingly receiving the magnetic resonance signals through the input ports of the reception coil channel selector; recording the position information of multiple first channels in the reception coil channel selector that are in the gated state, and routing the magnetic resonance signals to a receiver based on the recorded first channels in the gated state, where the reception coil channel selector routes the magnetic resonance signals from the input ports to the output ports through the first channels in the gated state, and the second channels of the receiver connected to the output ports receive them; respectively detecting first output signals output through each gated channel, where the gated channels include the first channels and the correspondingly gated second channels; corresponding to the magnetic resonance signals received from the same coil antenna being input into different gated channels in sequence, comparing at least two output signals output through different gated channels and detected to determine whether the gated channels are abnormal channels, and recording the locations of the determined abnormal channels.

[0008] Optionally, recording position information of a plurality of the first channels in a gated state in the receiving coil channel selector, and routing the magnetic resonance signal to a receiver based on the recorded first channels in the gated state includes: routing the magnetic resonance signal received by a coil antenna in one instance through one of the first channels in a gated state in the receiving coil channel selector; and routing the magnetic resonance signal received by the same coil antenna in another instance through another of the first channels in a gated state in the receiving coil channel selector.

[0009] Optionally, recording the position information of the gated first channels in the receiving coil channel selector includes: setting the first channels in a gated state to a plurality of corresponding sub-channel groups, where each sub-channel group includes a plurality of the first channels in a gated state; inputting the magnetic resonance signal from at least two different coil antennas into the gated channels in different sub-channel groups at least twice, where in each input of the magnetic resonance signal, the sub-channel groups used to receive the magnetic resonance signal are different.

[0010] Optionally, after the magnetic resonance signals received from the same coil antenna in multiple instances are sequentially input into different gated channels, comparing at least two first output signals output and detected through different gated channels to determine whether the gated channels are abnormal channels includes: detecting the first output signals output through the gated channels respectively based on each sub-channel group; after the magnetic resonance signals are generated from the same coil antenna in multiple instances and sequentially input into different gated channels corresponding to the input ports in at least two groups of sub-channel groups, comparing at least two first output signals output and detected through different gated channels to determine whether each gated channel in the sub-channel group is an abnormal channel.

[0011] Optionally, after comparing at least two first output signals output and detected through different gated channels to determine whether the gated channels are abnormal channels, corresponding to the magnetic resonance signals received from the same coil antenna in multiple instances being sequentially input into different gated channels, it includes: in response to determining that the gated channel is an abnormal channel, inputting preset test signals into the input ends of the first channel where the gated channel is located and the corresponding connected second channel respectively based on the recorded positions determined to be abnormal channels, detecting the second output signals in multiple instances at least at the output end of the second channel of the receiver, comparing the second output signals detected in multiple instances to determine the faulty part of the gated channel, and recording the position of the faulty part of the gated channel to determine the position information of the faulty part.

[0012] Optionally, the determining of the faulty part of the selected communication channel includes: in response to determining the faulty part of the selected communication channel, gating other first channels and / or second channels to replace the faulty part, and updating the recorded position information of the first channels in the gated state.

[0013] Optionally, the determining of the faulty part of the selected communication channel includes: in response to determining the faulty part of the selected communication channel, recording the position information of the faulty part, and transmitting the position information of the faulty part to a remote device via a network, or enabling the remote device to query the position information of the faulty part via the network.

[0014] Optionally, corresponding to the magnetic resonance signals received in multiple times from the same coil antenna and input into different selected communication channels, comparing at least two first output signals that are output after passing through different selected communication channels and then detected includes: comparing the channel gain, amplitude, or level between at least two of the first output signals.

[0015] Optionally, the multiple coil antennas receive multiple magnetic resonance signals at least in two times based on preset scanning parameters.

[0016] Optionally, the position information of multiple first channels in the gated state in the receiving coil channel selector is recorded through a routing configuration template.

[0017] Optionally, the routing configuration template is configured to set the first channels not in the gated state as 0, and set the first channels in the gated state as 1, to obtain a routing configuration template in matrix representation for the gated state.

[0018] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a magnetic resonance signal receiving device, comprising: a receiving coil channel selector configured to receive magnetic resonance signals returned from a subject to be examined at least twice from at least one coil antenna when in an abnormal channel detection state, including: an input port set to receive the magnetic resonance signals corresponding from a plurality of coil antennas; an output port set to route the magnetic resonance signals to a receiver; and providing a plurality of first channels and configured to route the magnetic resonance signals from the input port to the output port in a gated state, wherein the receiver receives the magnetic resonance signals through a second channel communicating with the output port and converts the magnetic resonance signals into digital signals; a storage unit recording position information of the first channels in the receiving coil channel selector that are in a gated state; and a fault detection device for detecting whether a plurality of gated channels in the magnetic resonance signal receiving path of a magnetic resonance imaging system are abnormal channels and determining the faulty part, wherein the gated channels include the first channels in a gated state and the corresponding communicating second channels, and the fault detection device includes: a signal detector configured to respectively detect first output signals output through each of the gated channels; and a controller configured to compare at least two of the first output signals output and detected through different gated channels after magnetic resonance signals received from the same coil antenna in different times are successively input into different gated channels, to determine whether each of the gated channels is an abnormal channel, and determine the position of the abnormal channel based on the storage unit.

[0019] Optionally, for the magnetic resonance signals received from the same coil antenna in one of the receptions, the controller is configured to route them through one of the first channels in a gated state in the receiving coil channel selector, and when the magnetic resonance signals received from the same coil antenna in another reception, the controller selects to route them through another first channel in a gated state in the receiving coil channel selector.

[0020] Optionally, the magnetic resonance signal receiving device sets a plurality of sub-channel groups of the receiving coil channel selector based on the controller, and inputs magnetic resonance signals from at least one of the plurality of coil antennas to the gated channels in different sub-channel groups at least twice, wherein each of the sub-channel groups includes a plurality of first channels in a gated state, and in each input of the magnetic resonance signals, the sub-channel groups used to receive the magnetic resonance signals are different; the signal detector is configured to respectively detect the first output signals output through the gated channels in each of the sub-channel groups in different times; the controller is configured to compare at least two first output signals output and detected through different gated channels after magnetic resonance signals received from the same coil antenna in different times are input into different gated channels corresponding to the input ports, to determine whether each of the gated channels in each of the sub-channel groups is an abnormal channel.

[0021] Optionally, the controller of the magnetic resonance signal receiving device is further configured to input a preset test signal to the input ends of the first channel where the selected communication channel is located and the corresponding second channel respectively after determining that the selected communication channel is an abnormal channel; the signal detector is at least configured to detect the second output signal in batches at the output end of the second channel of the receiver, and the controller determines the faulty part of the selected communication channel based on comparing the second output signals detected in batches, and the storage unit records the position of the faulty part of the selected communication channel.

[0022] Optionally, the controller of the magnetic resonance signal receiving device is configured to, after determining the faulty part of the channel, replace the faulty part by gating other first channels and / or second channels, and update the position information of the first channels in the gating state recorded in the routing configuration template.

[0023] Optionally, the magnetic resonance signal receiving device further includes: a network communication unit, configured to transmit the position information of the faulty part to a remote device through network communication or enable the remote device to query the position information of the faulty part by intervening in the fault detection device through network communication.

[0024] Optionally, the controller of the magnetic resonance signal receiving device is configured to compare the channel gain, amplitude or level between at least two of the first output signals.

[0025] Optionally, the storage unit of the magnetic resonance signal receiving device includes a routing configuration template to record the position information of the first channels in the gating state in the receiving coil channel selector.

[0026] Optionally, the routing configuration template of the magnetic resonance signal receiving device is configured to set the first channels not in the gating state as 0 and the first channels in the gating state as 1, so as to obtain a routing configuration template representing the positions of the first channels in the gating state in matrix form.

[0027] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a magnetic resonance imaging system, characterized by including: a plurality of coil antennas capable of receiving magnetic resonance signals returned by an object to be examined during magnetic resonance examination; and the magnetic resonance signal receiving device as described above, wherein the receiving coil channel selector receives a plurality of the magnetic resonance signals from the plurality of coil antennas and routes the magnetic resonance signals to the receiver based on the first channels in the gating state set in the receiving coil channel selector.

[0028] One advantage of the magnetic resonance signal reception path signal detection method and the magnetic resonance signal reception device provided by the present disclosure is that a preset magnetic resonance signal is used as a test signal, such as a known channel gain, or based on preset scanning parameters, which include, for example, radio frequency transmission voltage, gradient sequences provided by gradient coils, etc. That is, the magnetic resonance signals generated by several magnetic resonance pre-scans in batches and the magnetic resonance signals collected by the same coil antenna are invariant. The magnetic resonance signals are input into different channels selected by the receiving coil channel selector and output. By comparing the channel gains, amplitudes or levels of the output signals, it is possible to detect in real time and in a closed loop whether there are abnormal channels among the channels selected by the receiving coil channel selector. The above advantage is that the user can be informed of the existence of abnormal channels before the magnetic resonance signal reception path has serious failures, avoiding system downtime caused by the accumulation of failures.

[0029] Another advantage is that by accessing the routing configuration template, the position information of the channels in the receiving coil channel selector that are in the selected state for routing magnetic resonance signals to the receiver can be obtained, and the exact position of the abnormal channel can be quickly determined.

[0030] Another advantage is that when only two or more first channels are in the selected state corresponding to one magnetic resonance signal input end, the routing configuration template can be represented in the form of a sparse matrix, and the number of channels to be tested is sparse, with higher efficiency in detecting abnormal channels.

[0031] Another advantage is that only a closed-loop fault test is performed on the selected channels where the abnormal channels are located, without having to traverse all the channels provided by the receiving coil channel selector and the position information of the channels in the selected state provided by the routing configuration template, and it is possible to efficiently determine the faulty part and the exact position of the selected channels online.

[0032] Another advantage is that after detecting an abnormal channel in the receiving coil channel selector, other channels are selected to route the received magnetic resonance signals to the backend receiver, and at the same time, the position information of the channels currently in the selected state recorded in the routing configuration template can be updated to avoid continuing to use the discovered abnormal channels and using other channels as the routing channels for magnetic resonance signals without affecting the normal use of the magnetic resonance imaging system.

[0033] Another advantage is that, by using the routing configuration template of the receiving coil channel selector for the gated channel information, by dividing a plurality of gated channels into several sub-channel groups, a preset group of magnetic resonance signals are respectively input into each sub-channel group in batches, and the channel gains of the output signals output from the channels at the corresponding positions in each sub-channel group are compared with each other to determine the abnormal channel, that is, an efficient and feasible method for determining the abnormal channel and its position is provided. For example, the magnetic resonance signals collected by a small number of magnetic resonance pre-scans are used as test signals for detecting abnormal channels in each sub-channel group, so as to complete the inspection work of abnormal channels in a shorter time and avoid affecting normal magnetic resonance scans.

[0034] Another advantage is that since the magnetic resonance signal receiving device also provides a network communication unit for transmitting the location information about the abnormal channel or the faulty part to a remote device through network communication, and for receiving the alarm information generated based on the above abnormal or fault information, or the fault log can be timely known by remote technicians. In addition, technicians can remotely access the background of the magnetic resonance signal receiving path to query the exact location information of the abnormal channel or the faulty part and the relevant fault log, and then notify the on-site engineer to prepare the replacement parts and indicate the location of the replacement parts, improving the efficiency of maintenance and repair.

[0035] Another advantage is that the magnetic resonance signal receiving path detection method can further perform at least two groups of pre-scans before the formal scan of the object to be examined, that is, the magnetic resonance signals collected from the coil unit in advance are routed to the receiver by using the gated channels set by the routing configuration template of the receiving coil channel selector. This pre-scan mechanism effectively utilizes the conventional magnetic resonance signal acquisition and scanning protocols to test and determine potential abnormal channels on the magnetic resonance signal receiving path, enhancing the efficiency and operability of real-time detecting abnormal channels and determining their positions. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0036] The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, making the above and other features and advantages of the present invention clearer to those of ordinary skill in the art. In the drawings:

[0037] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a magnetic resonance imaging system including a magnetic resonance signal receiving path according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0038] Figure 2 It is to show the magnetic resonance signal RF receiving part provided by the examination couch according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0039] Figure 3 It is a schematic flowchart of a method for detecting an abnormality in a magnetic resonance signal receiving path according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0040] Figure 4 Schematic flowchart showing a method for detecting an abnormality in a magnetic resonance signal reception path according to another exemplary embodiment;

[0041] Figure 5 Schematic diagram showing a routing configuration template in sparse matrix representation according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0042] Figure 6 Schematic diagram showing determining whether an alternative communication channel is an abnormal channel by comparing channel gains of output signals between sub-channel groups according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0043] Figure 7 Schematic diagram showing the device structure of a magnetic resonance signal receiving device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0044] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of a test signal flow regarding the structure of a magnetic resonance signal receiving device for a magnetic resonance signal reception path and determining whether an alternative communication channel is an abnormal channel according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0045] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of a test signal flow regarding the structure of a magnetic resonance signal receiving device for a magnetic resonance signal reception path and determining a faulty part of an alternative communication channel according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0046] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of a computer device structure applicable to an exemplary embodiment.

[0047] Among them, the reference numerals are as follows:

[0048] 100 Magnetic resonance imaging system

[0049] 102 Superconducting magnet

[0050] 104 Gradient coil

[0051] 106 Radio frequency coil

[0052] 108 Examination area

[0053] 110 Examination table

[0054] 1101 Interface

[0055] 112 Local coil

[0056] 1121 Coil antenna

[0057] 1122 Low noise amplifier (LNA)

[0058] 118 Control unit

[0059] 120 Image reconstruction unit

[0060] 122 Power supply

[0061] 200 Magnetic resonance signal receiving device

[0062] 202, 302, 402 Receiver coil channel selector

[0063] 203 Fault detection device

[0064] 204 Routing configuration template

[0065] 206, 406 Signal detector

[0066] 207 Network communication unit

[0067] 208, 408 Controller

[0068] 210, 310, 410 RF receiver

[0069] 212 Amplifier

[0070] 214 Analog-to-digital converter

[0071] 216 Signal line

[0072] 300 Test tool

[0073] P Object to be inspected Detailed implementation manners

[0074] For a clearer understanding of the technical features, objectives, and effects of the present disclosure, the detailed implementation manners of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same parts.

[0075] In this document, "schematic" means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration", and any illustration or implementation manner described as "schematic" in this document should not be construed as a more preferred or more advantageous technical solution.

[0076] For the sake of simplicity of the drawings, only the parts related to the present invention are schematically shown in each drawing, and they do not represent the actual structure of the product. Additionally, for the sake of simplicity and easy understanding of the drawings, in some drawings, for components having the same structure or function, only one of them is schematically illustrated, or only one of them is labeled.

[0077] In this document, "a" not only means "only one", but also can mean "more than one". In this document, "first", "second", etc. are only used for distinction from each other, rather than indicating their importance, order, and the premise of each other's existence, etc. In addition, the term "and / or" used in this disclosure covers any one of the listed items and all possible combinations. For example, A and / or B can represent three cases: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. Additionally, in this document, the character " / " generally indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0078] The magnetic resonance imaging system is a complex system in the RF (radio frequency) part. Referring to Figure 2 , a RF receiving part of a magnetic resonance imaging system is shown, including: a receive coil channel selector (RCCS) 302, a RF receiver 310, a power supply 122, an interface 1101 provided on the examination couch 110, and a cable connecting from the receive coil channel selector 302 to the interface 1101. Two kinds of signals are included at the front end of the interface 1101. For example, in the local coil 112, there are a coil antenna 1121 and a low noise amplifier 1122. The radio frequency signals (such as magnetic resonance signals, local oscillation signals, etc.) received or transmitted via the low noise amplifier 1122, the DC power supply signal provided by the power supply 122 to the low noise amplifier 1122, and the tuning / detuning signal for controlling the response of the coil antenna. Due to the above complexity, it is difficult to troubleshoot faults in the RF receiving part.

[0079] To discover the fault problems in the radio frequency part of the magnetic resonance imaging system, some techniques or methods have been developed to test whether there are faults in the RF receiver, receive coil channel selector, etc. of the magnetic resonance imaging system. For example, internal closed-loop testing, as Figure 9 shown, test signals are respectively sent to each radio frequency component, such as a RF receiver 410 and a receive coil channel selector 402, by a controller 408. And the test signals return to the controller via the receive coil channel selector 402 and the RF receiver 410, and are detected in batches by a signal detector 406 to determine whether the fault occurs in the receive coil channel selector 402 and / or the RF receiver 410. Another example is external testing, that is, the test signal is sent from the control system via the receive coil channel selector 402 and the RF receiver 404 to, for example, the examination couch 110, and is read at the interface 1101 of the examination couch by a test tool 300 (such as: service plug), or the test signal is returned to the controller 408 via the test tool for analysis or comparison, and in this way, it is verified whether there are faults or technical problems in each component of the RF receiving part.

[0080] However, the above method has the following disadvantages. For example, fault problems cannot be detected in time, so that when the problems or faults become more serious, the (magnetic resonance imaging) system will be partially or completely down; for another example, subsequent replacement can only be carried out when the fault point is detected, which will prolong the problem-solving cycle; for another example, the RCCS provides redundant channels and it is necessary to traverse and detect each channel to troubleshoot faults, etc. And in the past, the solution to this technical problem could only rely on engineers arriving at the user site to complete the fault troubleshooting.

[0081] The present disclosure provides a method for detecting abnormalities in a magnetic resonance signal receiving path. Considering that the receiving coil channel selector provides a sufficient number of redundant channels and the number of selected channels is usually sparse, a method is provided that can, based on the information of the selected channels in a specific receiving coil channel selector, input a test signal with a specific gain into the selected channels by means of, for example, a pre-scan during a magnetic resonance imaging process, and detect the gain of the output signal of, for example, the selected channels to determine whether the above channels are abnormal channels and their positions.

[0082] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a magnetic resonance imaging system including a magnetic resonance signal receiving path according to an exemplary embodiment is shown.

[0083] The magnetic resonance imaging system 100 includes: a superconducting magnet 102 that provides a uniform static magnetic field B0 in the examination area 108 for aligning the nuclear spins of the measurement object or patient. The uniformity of the static magnetic field B0 particularly relates to the magnetic field strength or magnitude. The superconducting magnet 102 has a central bore that provides a space around the examination area 108 for the examination object P to be positioned therein. Additionally, the examination object P can be moved by the examination table 110 arranged in the channels of the examination area 108 to adjust the position. The superconducting magnet 11 typically provides a magnetic field with a magnetic flux density of 0.55T, 1.5T, 3.0T, etc. Additionally, for lower field strengths, a permanent magnet or an electromagnet with a normally conductive coil can also be used.

[0084] The magnetic resonance imaging system 100 also has gradient coils 104 that are arranged to generate a gradient magnetic field superimposed on the magnetic field B0. The gradient magnetic field can be variable in three spatial directions to spatially distinguish the imaging area in the acquired examination volume. The gradient coils 104 are usually coils made of normally conductive metal wires, which can generate fields orthogonal to each other in the examination volume. The gradient emission unit 110 can be arranged to receive a set of pulse sequences regarding the gradient field from the control unit 118 for supplying a variable current to the gradient coils 104 via a feeder line. The variable current provides the desired gradient field in the examination volume in a time-coordinated manner.

[0085] The magnetic resonance imaging system 100 also has a radiofrequency coil 106, also known as a body coil, which can be designed to have an integral coil in a tubular or columnar shape. The radiofrequency transmitting coil 106 is arranged to radiate, during RF (Radiofrequency) transmission, a radiofrequency signal fed via a signal wire into the examination area 108 to excite the nuclei of the object P to be examined. The radiofrequency coil 106 also receives, during RF reception, magnetic resonance signals from the excited nuclei and transmits them via the signal wire. Under the operation of the control unit 118, the RF transmission phase and the RF reception phase can occur successively. The radiofrequency coil 104 is coaxially arranged within the bore of the magnet 102.

[0086] The magnetic resonance imaging system 100 includes: an image reconstruction unit 120, which is used to reconstruct a magnetic resonance image based on the acquired MR signals (magnetic resonance signals), such as k-space data. And a control unit 118, which has a display unit provided with the function of controlling magnetic resonance scanning.

[0087] In addition, a local coil 112 can be arranged at the proximal end of the examination object P, particularly in the region of interest such as the chest. The local coil 112 can be connected by a connection wire to a radiofrequency unit (not shown) and is configured to transmit, during RF transmission, an RF magnetic field to the region of interest through the radiofrequency signal provided by the radiofrequency unit to excite the nuclei of the region of interest, and to receive, during RF reception, the magnetic resonance signals of the excited nuclei of the region of interest by the local coil 112. After pre-amplification, the magnetic resonance signals are transmitted from the local coil 112 to the image reconstruction unit 120. As Figure 2 shown, generally the local coil 112 includes an antenna array formed by a plurality of coil antennas 1121 (or equivalent to coil units) and a low-noise amplifier 1122.

[0088] In addition, the magnetic resonance signal receiving path of the magnetic resonance imaging system 100 further includes: a reception coil channel selector 202. The magnetic resonance signals received from the coil antennas 1121 of the coil array are routed to the RF receiver 210 through the reception coil channel selector 202 (RCCS - Reception Coil Channel Selector, or simply referred to as the reception coil channel selector). The reception coil channel selector 202 can be understood as a switch array having L*M input ports, channels, and N output ports. In particular, theoretically, the magnetic resonance signals received by at most L*M coil antennas 1121 can be routed to N output channels through the channels provided by the reception coil channel selector 202. Therefore, theoretically, the N output channels of the reception coil channel selector 202 can be connected to the N reception channels of the RF receiver 210. In addition, multiple coil antennas 1121 can be connected to the corresponding input ports through the corresponding signal lines 216, and each input port of the reception coil channel selector 202 also correspondingly has multiple redundant first channels to route the received magnetic resonance signals to the RF receiver 210.

[0089] In addition, the magnetic resonance signal receiving path of the magnetic resonance imaging system 100 further includes: an RF receiver 210. The RF receiver 210 outputs the magnetic resonance signals to the corresponding channels respectively through the reception coil channel selector 202, forming multiple channels. The RF receiver 210 can convert the above analog signals into digital signals and then output them to the control unit 118 for processing. The image reconstruction unit 120 can reconstruct an image of the spatial distribution of substances in the anatomical tissues of the examination object P from the magnetic resonance signals by at least using an inverse Fourier transform operation.

[0090] The following describes the method for detecting anomalies in the magnetic resonance signal receiving path provided by the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings. Now refer to Figure 2 , which shows a flowchart of a method for detecting anomalies in a magnetic resonance signal receiving path.

[0091] In step S110, the magnetic resonance signals are received at least twice by at least one coil antenna, and the magnetic resonance signals are received by the input ports of the reception coil channel selector (RCCS).

[0092] According to an illustrated embodiment, in an initial installation phase, the channel gain of the magnetic resonance signal receiving path is calibrated according to the input port settings of the receive coil channel selector. For example, the magnetic resonance signal can be a set of magnetic resonance signals acquired based on preset scan parameters by performing a prescan in a magnetic resonance imaging scan protocol. The magnetic resonance signal can be returned from the examination object P and acquired by the coil antenna, and routed to the RF receiver through the first channel in the gated state with a preset channel gain. The prescan can be generated in multiple times such that the same coil antenna acquires the magnetic resonance signal at least twice as test signals, and the magnetic resonance signals are received respectively through the input ports of the RCCS.

[0093] In addition, each coil antenna 1121 receives the magnetic resonance signal in multiple times based on the same preset scan parameters, and the scan parameters of the prescan include, for example, the radio frequency transmit voltage, the gradient sequence provided by the gradient coil 104, etc., so that the parameters of the magnetic resonance signals received by the coil antenna 1121 in multiple times or in multiple times are unchanged.

[0094] In step S120, the position information of the first channel in the gated state in the receive coil channel selector is recorded, and the magnetic resonance signal is routed to the RF receiver based on the recorded first channel in the gated state.

[0095] According to an illustrated embodiment, a routing configuration template can be used to record the corresponding second channel gating between multiple first channels in the gated state in the receive coil channel selector and an RF receiver to route the magnetic resonance signal to the RF receiver. Here, the first channel in the gated state can connect the input port and the output port of the receive coil channel selector. The input port is used to receive the magnetic resonance signal, for example, the magnetic resonance signal received from the local coil or the coil antenna. The magnetic resonance signal is routed to the output port through the first channel in the gated state, and received by the second channel of the RF receiver connected to the output port. Here, it includes multiple input ports corresponding to the coil antennas one by one, and the received magnetic resonance signal can be fed through the signal line 216.

[0096] According to an illustrated embodiment, the input port and the output port of the receive coil channel selector 202 are connected through the first channel in the gated state. As Figure 5As shown, a routing configuration template 204 representing the position information of the first channel in the gated state of a receive coil channel selector 202 is shown. The routing configuration template 204 can be implemented at the software layer and stored in a storage unit. The routing configuration template 204 represents the position of the first channel in the gated state in a receive coil channel selector 202 in matrix form, providing 32×24 first channels as the channels for the receive coil channel selector 202 to route the received magnetic resonance signals to the RF receiver. And each input port corresponds to 24 first channels. The receive coil channel selector 202 also provides an output port to route the magnetic resonance signals received by the coil antenna to the RF receiver through the corresponding gated channels. For example, two first channels in the 24 first channels in the gated state at an input port sIN.[0] are routed to the output port, and are gated with the second channel corresponding to the RF receiver 210 at the output port, so as to obtain a gated channel composed of the first channel and the corresponding gated second channel. In addition, the position information of at least one first channel selected from a plurality of corresponding first channels by the remaining input ports sIN.[1] to sIN.

[31] to the output port of the receive coil channel selector can be stored in the storage unit, such as querying the routing configuration template. And when at least two first channels in the gated state are provided at the input end, the advantages for determining whether the gated channel is abnormal will be clarified in the subsequent steps.

[0097] According to an illustrated embodiment, the routing configuration template configuration 204 sets the first channels not in the gated state to be represented as 0, that is, the magnetic resonance signals cannot be routed between the output port of the receive coil channel selector 202 and the second channel corresponding to the RF receiver 210 through the first channel. The first channels in the gated state are set to be represented as 1, that is, through the first channel, the output port of the receive coil channel selector 202 and the second channel corresponding to the RF receiver can route the magnetic resonance signals to the RF receiver 210 through the first channel, so as to obtain the routing configuration template 204 representing the position of the first channels in the gated state in matrix form. If in the matrix of the routing configuration template 204 recording the gating of the first channels from the input port to the output port of the receive coil channel selector 202, there are two or more first channels corresponding to an input signal represented as 1 in a row, it means that two first channels are provided in the receive coil channel selector 202 as the receiving paths for routing the input signal to the corresponding output port or the second channel of the RF receiver 210. Therefore, by querying a storage unit, such as querying the routing configuration template 204, an effective receive routing line can be obtained in the connectivity matrix of the receive coil channel selector 202.

[0098] Reference Figure 5, for the magnetic resonance signal received by a coil antenna 1121 during one (the first) time, it is routed through a first channel in a gated state among those in the receiving coil channel selector 202. Taking the coil antenna 1121 corresponding to sIN.[0] as an example, the magnetic resonance signal received for the first time is routed to the RF receiver 210 through the first channel at the first position of sIN.[0] (the rightmost of the routing configuration template 204) in the receiving coil channel selector 202. For the same coil antenna 1121 (for example, the coil antenna at the input end of sIN.[0]), the magnetic resonance signal received another time is routed to the RF receiver 210 through another first channel in a gated state in the receiving coil channel selector 202. For example, the 17th column of the routing configuration template 204 shows the gated first channel. It is easy to understand that at least two gated channels are provided for the same receiving coil 1121, that is, corresponding to two first channels in a gated state, the transmission characteristics of the magnetic resonance signals received by the same receiving coil 1121 at least twice before and after can be compared, so as to determine whether one of the gated channels is abnormal, which will be elaborated in the subsequent steps.

[0099] In step S130, the output signals output through each gated channel are respectively detected.

[0100] Here, the gated channel is composed of the gating of the first channel and the corresponding gated second channel. Detecting the output signal includes its signal gain, signal level or amplitude, and considering the invariance of the setting of the initial channel gain of the magnetic resonance signal received by the same coil antenna, it can be determined whether the gated channel is an abnormal channel by detecting and comparing the output signals output through each gated channel in batches. It is easy to understand that the detection of the output signals output through each gated channel in batches can have a sequential relationship.

[0101] In step S140, corresponding to the magnetic resonance signals received by the same coil antenna in batches and input through different gated channels, at least two output signals output through different gated channels and detected are compared to determine whether the gated channel is an abnormal channel, and the position of the determined abnormal channel is recorded.

[0102] Here, when initializing and setting the magnetic resonance signal receiving path, the channel gain of the receiving path has been calibrated according to the input of the receiving coil channel selector. Therefore, the gain difference of each selected communication channel (for example, the channel where the receiving coil channel selector is connected to the RF receiver) is recognizable, and the gain of the magnetic resonance signal returned from the detection object P received through each selected communication channel is constant. Therefore, the magnetic resonance signal can be used as a test signal, and as described above, the magnetic resonance signals received in batches are preset and unchanged based on the scanning parameters. That is, if the signal level input to the receiving coil channel selector is determined, and it is known which selected communication channels are used in the receiving coil channel selector and the RF receiver according to the setting of the receiving coil channel selector 202, then the level of the received signal output from the receiving coil channel selector 202 to the RF receiver 210 is also predictable, so that the specific location of the abnormality or fault in the receiving coil channel selector 202 and / or the RF receiver 210 can be detected online. It should be noted that with reference to Figure 5 , taking the input ports of sIN.[0] to sIN.[7] shown in the routing configuration template 204 as an example, each input port corresponds to a coil antenna one by one, and the listed input ports all provide at least two first channels in the gated state to route the magnetic resonance signal. That is, the magnetic resonance signals received in batches by the same coil antenna are respectively input into at least two (different) first channels of the same input port successively, and the output signals output successively through different selected communication channels are compared.

[0103] In addition, after the magnetic resonance signal is received for the first time from the same coil antenna and passes through one of the selected communication channels corresponding to the input port, the level, channel gain, or amplitude value of the output signal output through the selected communication channel can be detected and stored in a storage unit, and then compared with the level, channel gain, or amplitude of the output signal output through another selected communication channel corresponding to the same input port when the magnetic resonance signal is received from the same coil antenna later.

[0104] According to an illustrated embodiment, when comparing the gain or signal amplitude of the output signals output from each selected communication channel, considering that magnetic resonance examination can maintain the invariance of the examination object P and the selected coil antenna (combination) under different RCCS settings, the output signals of the magnetic resonance signals received in batches from the same coil antenna and input into different selected communication channels are compared. For example, if the comparison result shows that there are different channel gains or signal amplitudes between the output signals, it is determined whether the selected communication channel is an abnormal channel. It is easy to understand that under normal circumstances, the detected channel gain, amplitude, or level of the output signals output from each selected communication channel after receiving the corresponding magnetic resonance signals are the same or similar. Based on performing the above steps, the above detection results can be used for trend analysis of the system to take early preventive measures.

[0105] In step S150, in response to the current selected communication channel not being determined as an abnormal channel, continue to detect other selected communication channels.

[0106] In step S160, in response to determining that the current selected communication channel is an abnormal channel, based on the recorded position of the abnormal channel, sequentially input a preset test signal into the input ends of the first channel where the selected communication channel is located and the second channel connected thereto respectively, and sequentially detect the output signal at least at the output end of the second channel of the RF receiver, and compare the sequentially detected output signals to determine the faulty part of the channel.

[0107] Reference Figure 9 , refer to the aforementioned internal closed-loop test. For example, input a preset test signal into the input end of the second channel of the current selected communication channel, that is, the input port of the RF receiver 410, and detect the output signal at the output port of the RF receiver 410. Then input a preset test signal into the input port of the first channel of the current selected communication channel, that is, the receiving coil channel selector 402, and sequentially detect the output signal at the output port of the RF receiver 210. For example, considering that the level of the output signal of the faulty channel is lower than that of the output signal of the normal channel, thus by respectively inputting the test signal into the input ports of the RF receiver 410 and the first channel, and sequentially detecting and comparing the levels of the output signals at the output port of the RF receiver 410, the exact position of the faulty part of the selected communication channel can be determined. If the fault occurs in the first channel and / or the second channel of the selected communication channel, that is, it is determined that there is a fault in the second channel on the RF receiver 410 side or the first channel on the receiving coil channel selector 402 side. In addition, the faulty part can also be determined by comparing the levels, amplitudes or channel gains of the sequentially output output signals.

[0108] In step S160, it is easy to understand that with the help of the storage unit, such as the position information of the abnormal channel provided by the routing configuration template 204, the test signal can be sequentially input only into the input ends of the first channel where the current abnormal channel is located and the second channel connected thereto. Here, the test signal can be generated by a signal generator to generate a signal with preset signal parameters, and the signal parameters include, for example, channel gain, level or amplitude, etc.

[0109] In step S170, in response to determining the faulty part of the selected communication channel, record the position of the faulty part.

[0110] In this step, a non-volatile memory can also be used to record the faulty part as a queryable fault log or generate an alarm message, and through a network interface, the fault log can be queried by a remote device or sent to the remote device for warning, so as to optimize the maintenance, repair and replacement work of the magnetic resonance signal receiving path. In addition, the routing configuration template can provide the position of the faulty part.

[0111] In step S180, in response to determining the faulty part of the selected communication channel, update the configuration of the receiving coil channel selector by gating other first channels to replace the first channels in the faulty part. For example, if the RF receiver provides redundant second channels, and / or the configuration of the RF receiver can be updated by gating other second channels to replace the second channels in the faulty part, and accordingly update the position information of the first channels in the gating state recorded in the routing configuration template.

[0112] Specifically, as Figure 5 shown, for example, the current first channel C ij in the routing configuration template indicates gating, where i represents a row corresponding to the first channel of an input port sIN.[n], and j represents a column corresponding to the input port sIN.[n] of the coil antenna. That is, in the current routing configuration template, C ij is set to '1'. After confirming that the first channel C ij is in the faulty part and updating the configuration of the receiving coil channel selector, the routing configuration template responds to its update and accordingly updates the configuration. That is, after the current first channel C ij is set to '0', the first channel C ik in this row is gated from '0' to '1'. Based on the above example, by updating the configuration of the receiving coil channel selector and correspondingly updating the routing configuration template, even when there are abnormalities or faults in the magnetic resonance signal receiving path, other channels can be gated to bypass the channels with abnormalities or faults, enabling the receiving coil channel selector and / or the RF receiver to continue normal magnetic resonance examinations or magnetic resonance signal acquisitions before being replaced or repaired.

[0113] It should be noted that the order between step S170 and step S180 can be exchanged, which does not affect the execution of this magnetic resonance signal receiving path abnormality detection method and the difference in implementation functions.

[0114] In step S190, based on the position information of the first channels in the gating state recorded in the receiving coil channel selector, determine whether the abnormalities in the gated channels of the receiving coil channel selector have been traversed and detected.

[0115] For example, if it is determined that the abnormalities or faults of the first channels indicating gating and the corresponding connected second channels in the routing configuration template have been traversed and detected, then end the above-mentioned detection steps for the abnormal channels of the magnetic resonance signal receiving path and report the information about the faulty part. If it is determined that the abnormalities or faults of the first channels indicating gating and the corresponding connected second channels in the routing configuration template have not been traversed and detected, then return to the above step S110, that is, acquire magnetic resonance signals as test signals through another pre-scan.

[0116] Reference Figure 4 shows an embodiment of another method for detecting an abnormality in a magnetic resonance signal receiving path, aiming to provide a smaller number of pre-scans of magnetic resonance for detecting abnormalities in the magnetic resonance signal receiving path and to provide online query of fault log information or transmission of fault log information to a remote device. Among them, steps S210 to S220 respectively correspond to Figure 3 the steps S110 to S120 described, and steps S250 to S292 respectively correspond to Figure 3 the steps S140 to S190 described, which will not be elaborated here.

[0117] Steps S232 to S240 aim to provide a smaller number of pre-magnetic resonance scans for detecting abnormalities in the magnetic resonance signal receiving path.

[0118] In step S232, based on the position information of the first channel in the selected state in the recording receiving coil channel selector, the first channel in the selected state is set to a plurality of corresponding sub-channel groups, so as to input a pre-set magnetic resonance signal to the selected channels in each different sub-channel group from at least two coil antennas. Among them, in each input of the magnetic resonance signal, the sub-channel groups used to receive the relevant magnetic resonance signals are different.

[0119] Here, each sub-channel group includes a plurality of first channels in the selected state, and usually the number of sub-channel groups corresponds to the number of first channels in the selected state in one input port.

[0120] Reference Figure 6, specifically showing that in a magnetic resonance signal receiving system, for example, based on a routing configuration template, multiple first channels are respectively set to corresponding multiple sub-channel groups, including a receive coil channel selector equipped with 16-channel output ports and 8-channel output ports. In an illustrated embodiment, taking a local coil 112 including 4 channels as an example, in order to perform only two pre-scans before officially performing a magnetic resonance scan on the examination object P. Specifically, for example, the magnetic resonance signals collected from the examination object P by four coil antennas A1 to A4 are denoted as A1 to A4. For the first pre-scan, according to the setting of the receive coil channel selector 202 or the record of the routing configuration template 204, the first channels in the left column are respectively selected through four rows of the first channels in the input ports sIN.[0] to sIN.[3], that is, this sub-channel group includes the first channels in the input ports sIN.[0] to sIN.[3] with the port numbers marked as 13 to 24 in the selected state, denoted as Rx1 to Rx4. After the signals generated by the pre-scan are routed to the output ports of the receive coil channel selector 202 through the input ports, they are correspondingly routed to the RF receiver 210. For example, coil antenna A1 corresponds to Rx1, A2 corresponds to Rx2,..., A4 corresponds to Rx4. Then, the output signals of the second channels of the RF receiver from the signals generated by the first pre-scan are sequentially denoted as S1, S2,..., S4. Similarly, in the second pre-scan, the magnetic resonance signals collected by the above four coil antennas are respectively routed to the output ports of the receive coil channel selector 202 through the selected first channels Rx5, Rx6,..., Rx8 in the right column, that is, another sub-channel group includes the first channels in the input ports sIN.[0] to sIN.[3] with the port numbers marked as 1 to 12 in the selected state, and the output signals of the second channels of the RF receiver from the above signals are sequentially denoted as S5, S6,..., S8.

[0121] In step S234, based on the respective detections of the output signals output successively through the selected channels of each sub-channel group.

[0122] Here, such as detecting the gain, signal level or amplitude of the above output signals to determine whether each corresponding selected channel in the sub-channel group is an abnormal channel by mutual comparison.

[0123] In step S240, after the magnetic resonance signals received in batches from the same coil antenna are successively input through different selected channels corresponding to at least two sub-channel groups and then the at least two output signals output through the different selected channels and detected are compared to determine whether each selected channel in the sub-channel group is an abnormal channel.

[0124] Here, the output signals routed from the magnetic resonance signals collected by the same coil antenna to the output terminal of the RF receiver are compared in sequence between each sub-channel group. That is, only after two pre-scans, corresponding to the magnetic resonance signals collected from coil antennas A1 to A4 in sequence, the output signals S1 and S5 output successively by the input selected communication channel Rx1 based on the magnetic resonance signal collected by coil antenna A1 are compared correspondingly, and so on for comparing output signals S2 and S6, S3 and S7, and S4 and S8. By comparing the signal levels, channel gain differences, or amplitudes of the two to determine the abnormal selected communication channel. For example, the signal level output from a self-fault or abnormal channel is less than the output signal of a normal selected communication channel. It should be noted that in other application scenarios, more than two sets of receiving channels (or selected communication channels) of sub-channel groups can be provided. For example, one input port corresponds to more than two first channels in the selected state. Setting more sub-channel groups can provide the accuracy of detection, but this will bring more pre-scans, so a balance and optimization need to be sought between accuracy and efficiency.

[0125] In addition, it aims to provide online query of fault log information or transmission of fault log information to a remote device.

[0126] In step S294, in response to determining whether there is an abnormality in the selected communication channels traversed and detected in the receiving coil channel selector, a fault report is generated.

[0127] Here, the fault report can be queried. For example, through a network interface, the fault report can be queried by a remote device or sent to a remote device, further optimizing the maintenance, upkeep, and replacement work of the magnetic resonance signal receiving path.

[0128] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a magnetic resonance signal receiving device. The magnetic resonance signal receiving device involved in the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0129] As Figure 7As shown, a magnetic resonance signal receiving device 200 according to an illustrated embodiment includes: a receiving coil channel selector 202 configured to receive magnetic resonance signals returned from a subject P at least twice from at least one coil 1121 when in an abnormal channel detection state, including: an input port corresponding to receiving magnetic resonance signals returned from the subject P from a plurality of coil antennas 1121, and an output port for routing the magnetic resonance signals to an RF receiver 210. The RF receiver 210 receives the magnetic resonance signals through corresponding second channels and converts the magnetic resonance signals into digital signals. The receiving coil channel selector provides a plurality of first channels, and the first channels are configured to route the magnetic resonance signals from the input port to the output port in a gated state; a storage unit configured to record the position information of the gated first channels in the receiving coil channel selector 202, and a fault detection device 203 for determining whether a plurality of gated channels in the magnetic resonance signal receiving path are abnormal channels and determining the faulty part, wherein the gated channels include the first channels in the gated state and the corresponding connected second channels. The fault detection device 203 includes: a signal detector 206 configured to respectively detect the output signals output through each gated channel, and a controller 208 configured to determine whether each gated channel is an abnormal channel based on the detected output signals. In particular, after magnetic resonance signals received in multiple times from the same coil antenna are input into different gated channels, at least two output signals output and detected through different gated channels are compared to determine whether each gated channel is an abnormal channel, and the position of the abnormal channel is determined based on the storage unit. Here, the magnetic resonance signals can be preset to include channel gains, as well as presets related to gradient coils and RF coils. An interface 1101 provided by the examination table 110 can be used as an interface between the local coil 112 or the coil antenna 1121 and the receiving coil channel selector 202.

[0130] According to an illustrated embodiment of the magnetic resonance signal receiving device 200, the storage unit further includes a routing configuration template 204. The routing configuration template 204 is configured to represent the first channels not in the gated state as 0, and set the first channels in the selected conducting state as 1, to obtain a routing configuration template 204 representing the positions of the first channels in the gated state in matrix form, and the routing configuration template 204 can be updated synchronously with the gated state of the receiving coil channel selector 202. Usually, the routing configuration template 204 is represented in the form of a sparse matrix.

[0131] According to an illustrated embodiment of the magnetic resonance signal receiving device 200, the controller 208 is further configured to compare at least two output signals output and detected after magnetic resonance signals received in multiple times from the same coil antenna 1121 are input into different gated channels, to determine whether the gated channels are abnormal channels. Refer to Figure 5, for example, input the magnetic resonance signal received by a coil antenna A during the first pre-scan into the selected communication channel C ij , detect its output signal, and input the received magnetic resonance signal into the selected communication channel C during the second pre-scan ik , compare through the selected communication channel C ij and C ik The output signals output. For example, the controller 208 is configured to compare the channel gain, signal level, or amplitude of the output signals. That is, considering the invariance of the same coil antenna 1121, the abnormal channel can be detected through comparison. For example, it is manifested that the level of the output signal output through the selected communication channel C ij is greater than the level of the output signal output by C ik . Usually, the faulty channel is manifested as the level of the output signal being less than that of the normal selected communication channel, so that it can be determined that the selected communication channel C ik is an abnormal channel.

[0132] According to the magnetic resonance signal receiving device 200 shown in an embodiment, the storage unit can store the level, channel gain, or amplitude value of the output signal detected by the signal detector 206 after the magnetic resonance signal received from the same coil antenna 1211 is input into one of the selected communication channels corresponding to an input port during the first reception, so that the controller 208 can compare the level, channel gain, or amplitude of the output signal detected by the signal detector 206 after the magnetic resonance signal received from the same coil antenna 1211 is input into another selected communication channel corresponding to the same input port thereafter.

[0133] According to the magnetic resonance signal receiving device 200 shown in an embodiment, further, in order to use the magnetic resonance signal received by the same coil antenna 1121 during the pre-scan to control at least two first channels corresponding to the same input port before and after input to determine whether different selected communication channels corresponding to the same coil antenna 1121 are abnormal channels. For this purpose, for the magnetic resonance signal received by the same coil antenna 1121 in one of the receptions, the controller 208 is configured to route through one of the first channels in the receiving coil channel selector 202 that is in the gated state, and when the same coil antenna 1121 receives the magnetic resonance signal at another time, the controller 208 selects to route through another first channel in the receiving coil channel selector 202 that is in the gated state, and routes to the second channel in the RF receiver 210 that is conducted with the previous first channel for reception.

[0134] According to another magnetic resonance signal receiving device 200 shown in an embodiment, it aims to provide an optimized number of magnetic resonance pre-scans for detecting abnormal conditions in the magnetic resonance signal receiving path, such as Figure 6As shown, based on the routing configuration template 204, the controller 208 sets multiple first channels in the receiving coil channel selector 202 that are in the gated state to multiple corresponding sub-channel groups, and based on the sub-channel groups, inputs a preset magnetic resonance signal to the gated channels in each different sub-channel group at least twice from among the multiple coil antennas 1121. Among them, the sub-channel group includes multiple first channels in the gated state, and in each input of the magnetic resonance signal, the sub-channel groups used to receive the magnetic resonance signal are different; the signal detector 206 is configured to detect the output signals sequentially output through the gated channels respectively based on each sub-channel group; the controller 208 is configured to compare at least two output signals that are output through different gated channels and detected after the magnetic resonance signals received in sequence from the same coil antenna 1121 are input to the different gated channels of the corresponding input ports in at least two groups of sub-channel groups, so as to determine whether each gated channel in each of the sub-channel groups is an abnormal channel. Here, each corresponding gated channel refers to the gated channels that route the magnetic resonance signals received in sequence from the same coil antenna 1121 in two groups of sub-channel groups. It should be noted that the number of times of input corresponds to the number of times of magnetic resonance pre-scanning, and can correspond to the number of first channels in the gated state in one input port. In addition, the controller 208 is configured to compare the channel gain, amplitude increase or level between at least two output signals.

[0135] According to a magnetic resonance signal receiving device 200 shown in an exemplary embodiment, as Figure 8As shown, the controller 208 is further configured to, when determining that the selected communication channel is an abnormal channel, determine the positions of the abnormal channels based on the routing configuration template 204 and input preset test signals to the input ends of the first channel where the abnormal channel is located and the corresponding connected second channel respectively as internal closed-loop test signals, and at least detect the output signals at the output end of the second channel of the RF receiver 210 by the signal detector 206 respectively. The controller 208 determines the faulty part of the selected communication channel based on comparing the output signals detected in batches. For example, considering that the level of the output signal of the test signal passing through the faulty channel will be lower than the level, channel gain or amplitude of the output signal of the normal channel, thus by inputting the test signal to the input ports of the RF receiver 210 and the first channel respectively, and detecting and comparing the level, channel gain or amplitude of the output signal in batches at the output port of the RF receiver 210, the exact position of the faulty part of the selected communication channel can be determined. If the fault occurs in the first channel and / or the second channel of the selected communication channel, that is, there is a fault in the second channel on the RF receiver 210 side or the first channel on the receiving coil channel selector 202 side. Further, after determining the faulty part of the selected communication channel based on the current routing configuration template 204, the position information of the faulty part is also provided. In addition, the test signal can be generated by the controller 208, or a test signal with preset signal parameters can be generated through a signal generator, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0136] According to a magnetic resonance signal receiving device 200 shown in an embodiment, the controller 208 is configured to, when determining the faulty part in the selected communication channel, the storage unit records the position information of the faulty part. For example, the storage unit may include a non-volatile memory for recording including: the position of the faulty part, the position of the abnormal channel, or the position of the selected communication channel where the fault occurs, etc. In addition, the controller 208 can generate a fault log or report based on the position information of the faulty part and store it in the storage unit for query.

[0137] According to a magnetic resonance signal receiving device 200 shown in an embodiment, the controller 208 is configured to, when determining the faulty part of the selected communication channel, the controller 208 replaces the faulty part by selecting other first channels and / or second channels, and synchronously updates the storage unit, such as the position information of the first channel in the selected state recorded in the routing configuration template 204, so that in the case of detecting a faulty channel in the magnetic resonance signal receiving path, the faulty channel can be avoided by selecting redundant channels, thus not affecting the normal operation of the magnetic resonance signal receiving device 200.

[0138] The magnetic resonance signal receiving device 200 according to an illustrated embodiment further includes: a network communication unit 207 configured to communicate with a network to transmit the location information of a faulty part to a remote device or enable the remote device to query the location information of the faulty part by communicating with the network to intervene in the fault detection device 200. Additionally, through the network communication between the network communication unit 207 and an external remote device, the remote device can access the fault logs or reports stored in the memory, facilitating the replacement and repair of faulty components at a later stage.

[0139] The network communication unit 207 can be any type of device or system that enables communication with external devices and / or with a network, and can include, but is not limited to, a modem, a network card, an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device, and / or a chipset, such as Bluetooth TM devices, 1302.11 devices, WiFi devices, WiMax devices, cellular communication devices, and / or the like.

[0140] The controller 208 can be any type of processor, and can include, but is not limited to, one or more general-purpose processors and / or one or more dedicated processors (such as special processing chips). Through the controller 208, a program related to the above-mentioned magnetic resonance signal receiving path anomaly detection method can be executed by reading and executing a program (including instructions), that is, the controller 208 is implemented by executing a program and instructions having steps S110 to step S190 or steps S210 to step S294.

[0141] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a magnetic resonance imaging system 100, including: a plurality of coil antennas 1121 capable of receiving magnetic resonance signals returned by an examination object P during a magnetic resonance examination; and the magnetic resonance signal receiving device 200 as described above, wherein the receiving coil channel selector 202 receives a plurality of preset magnetic resonance signals from the plurality of coil antennas 1121, and routes the magnetic resonance signals to the RF receiver 210 based on the first signal path set in the receiving coil channel selector 202 that is in a gated state.

[0142] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is also provided an electronic device, including: a processor; and a memory storing a program, the program including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to execute the signal processing method according to the above.

[0143] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is also provided a computer-readable storage medium storing a program, the program including instructions that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform according to the signal processing method described above.

[0144] See Figure 10As shown, a computing device 2000 will now be described, which is an example of an electronic device to which various aspects of the present disclosure can be applied. The computing device 2000 can be any machine configured to perform processing and / or computing, and can be, but is not limited to, a workstation, a server, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a robot, a smart phone, an in-vehicle computer, or any combination thereof. The above-mentioned method for detecting abnormalities in the magnetic resonance signal receiving circuit can be implemented in whole or at least in part by the computing device 2000 or a similar device or system.

[0145] The computing device 2000 can include (possibly via one or more interfaces) elements connected to or communicating with a bus 2002. For example, the computing device 2000 can include a bus 2002, one or more processors 2004, one or more input devices 2006, and one or more output devices 2008. The one or more processors 2004 can be any type of processor, and can include, but is not limited to, one or more general-purpose processors and / or one or more dedicated processors (such as special processing chips). The input device 2006 can be any type of device capable of inputting information into the computing device 2000, and can include, but is not limited to, a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen, a microphone, and / or a remote control. The output device 2008 can be any type of device capable of presenting information, and can include, but is not limited to, a display, a speaker, a video / audio output terminal, a vibrator, and / or a printer. The computing device 2000 can also include a non-transitory storage device 2010 or be connected to the non-transitory storage device 2010. The non-transitory storage device can be any storage device that is non-transitory and can implement data storage, and can include, but is not limited to, a disk drive, an optical storage device, a solid-state memory, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, an optical disc or any other optical medium, a ROM (read-only memory), a RAM (random access memory), a cache memory, and / or any other memory chip or cartridge, and / or any other medium from which a computer can read data, instructions, and / or code. The non-transitory storage device 2010 can be removable from the interface. The non-transitory storage device 2010 can have data / programs (including instructions) / codes for implementing the above-mentioned methods and steps. The computing device 2000 can also include a communication device 2012. The communication device 2012 can be any type of device or system that enables communication with external devices and / or with a network, and can include, but is not limited to, a modem, a network card, an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device, and / or a chipset, such as Bluetooth TM devices, 1302.11 devices, WiFi devices, WiMax devices, cellular communication devices, and / or the like.

[0146] The computing device 2000 may also include a working memory 2014, which can be any type of working memory that can store programs (including instructions) and / or data useful for the operation of the processor 2004, and may include, but is not limited to, random access memory and / or read-only memory devices.

[0147] Software elements (programs) may be located in the working memory 2014, including but not limited to an operating system 2016, one or more application programs 2018, drivers, and / or other data and code. Instructions for performing the above methods and steps may be included in one or more application programs 2018, and the above magnetic resonance signal reception path anomaly detection method may be implemented by the processor 2004 reading and executing the instructions of one or more application programs 2018. More specifically, in the above magnetic resonance signal reception path anomaly detection method, steps S110 to S190, steps S210 to S294 may be implemented, for example, by the processor 2004 executing an application program 2018 having instructions of steps S110 to S190, steps S210 to S294. In addition, other steps in the above magnetic resonance signal reception path anomaly detection method may be implemented, for example, by the processor 2004 executing an application program 2018 having instructions for performing the corresponding steps. The executable code or source code of the instructions of the software elements (programs) may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (such as the above storage device 2010), and may be loaded into the working memory 2014 (possibly compiled and / or installed) when executed. The executable code or source code of the instructions of the software elements (programs) may also be downloaded from a remote location.

[0148] It should also be understood that various variations may be made in accordance with specific requirements. For example, custom hardware may also be used, and / or specific elements may be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, a hardware description language, or any combination thereof. For example, some or all of the disclosed methods and devices may be implemented by programming hardware (such as programmable logic circuits including field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and / or programmable logic arrays (PLAs)) using logic and algorithms according to the present disclosure, in assembly language or a hardware programming language such as VERILOG, VHDL, C++.

[0149] It should also be understood that the foregoing method can be implemented in a server-client mode. For example, the client can receive data input by the user and send the data to the server. The client can also receive data input by the user, perform a part of the processing in the foregoing method, and send the processed data to the server. The server can receive data from the client, execute the foregoing method or another part of the foregoing method, and return the execution result to the client. The client can receive the execution result of the method from the server and, for example, present it to the user through an output device.

[0150] It should also be understood that the components of the computing device 2000 can be distributed over a network. For example, one processor can be used to perform some processing, while another processor located far from the one processor can perform other processing. Other components of the computing system 2000 can be distributed similarly. In this way, the computing device 2000 can be interpreted as a distributed computing system that performs processing at multiple locations.

[0151] Although the embodiments or examples of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the foregoing methods, systems, and devices are merely exemplary embodiments or examples, and the scope of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments or examples, but is only defined by the authorized claims and their equivalent scope. Various elements in the embodiments or examples can be omitted or replaced by their equivalent elements. In addition, the steps can be executed in an order different from that described in the present disclosure. Further, the various elements in the embodiments or examples can be combined in various ways. Importantly, with the evolution of technology, many of the elements described herein can be replaced by equivalent elements that emerge after the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for detecting abnormalities in a magnetic resonance signal receiving path, which detects the conduction conditions of multiple channels of the magnetic resonance signal receiving path at a receiver or a receiving coil channel selector and determines the positions of abnormal channels, characterized in that, Comprising: Receiving magnetic resonance signals at least twice through at least one coil antenna, and correspondingly receiving the magnetic resonance signals through the input ports of the receiving coil channel selector; Recording the position information of a plurality of first channels in a gated state in the receiving coil channel selector, and routing the magnetic resonance signals to a receiver based on the recorded first channels in the gated state, wherein the receiving coil channel selector routes the magnetic resonance signals from the input ports to the output ports through the first channels in the gated state, and the second channels of the receiver communicated with the output ports receive the signals; Detecting first output signals output through each selected channel respectively, wherein the selected channels include the first channels and correspondingly gated second channels; After the magnetic resonance signals received in sequence from the same coil antenna are input into different selected channels, comparing at least two first output signals output and detected through different selected channels to determine whether the selected channels are abnormal channels, and recording the positions of the determined abnormal channels.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The step of recording the position information of a plurality of first channels in a gated state in the receiving coil channel selector and routing the magnetic resonance signals to a receiver based on the recorded first channels in the gated state includes: Routing the magnetic resonance signals received by a coil antenna in one time through one of the first channels in a gated state in the receiving coil channel selector; Routing the magnetic resonance signals received by the same coil antenna in another time through another of the first channels in a gated state in the receiving coil channel selector.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The step of recording the position information of a plurality of gated first channels in the receiving coil channel selector includes: Setting the first channels in a gated state as a plurality of corresponding sub-channel groups, wherein each sub-channel group includes a plurality of first channels in a gated state; Inputting the magnetic resonance signals from at least two coil antennas into the selected channels in different sub-channel groups at least twice, wherein in each input of the magnetic resonance signals, the sub-channel groups for receiving the magnetic resonance signals are different.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The step of, after the magnetic resonance signals received in sequence from the same coil antenna are input into different selected channels, comparing at least two first output signals output and detected through different selected channels to determine whether the selected channels are abnormal channels includes: Detecting the first output signals output through the selected channels respectively based on each sub-channel group; After the magnetic resonance signals received in sequence from the same coil antenna are input into different selected channels corresponding to the input ports in at least two groups of sub-channel groups, comparing at least two first output signals output and detected through different selected channels to determine whether the selected channels in each sub-channel group are abnormal channels.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, After the step of, after the magnetic resonance signals received in sequence from the same coil antenna are input into different selected channels, comparing at least two first output signals output and detected through different selected channels to determine whether the selected channels are abnormal channels, includes: In response to determining that the selected communication channel is an abnormal channel, record the position determined to be the abnormal channel, input a preset test signal into the input ends of the first channel where the selected communication channel is located and the corresponding connected second channel in batches, and detect the second output signal in batches at least at the output end of the second channel of the receiver. Compare the second output signals detected in batches to determine the faulty part of the selected communication channel, and determine the position information of the faulty part based on the position of the faulty part of the selected communication channel recorded.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The determination of the faulty part of the selected communication channel includes: In response to determining the faulty part of the selected communication channel, select other first channels and / or second channels to replace the faulty part, and update the position information of the first channels in the selected state recorded.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The determination of the faulty part of the selected communication channel includes: In response to determining the faulty part of the selected communication channel, record the position information of the faulty part, and transmit the position information of the faulty part to a remote device through a network, or enable the remote device to query the position information of the faulty part through the network.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Corresponding to the magnetic resonance signals received in batches from the same coil antenna being input into different selected communication channels, the comparison of at least two first output signals detected after being output through different selected communication channels includes: Compare the channel gain, amplitude or level between at least two of the first output signals.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Multiple coil antennas receive multiple magnetic resonance signals in batches based on preset scanning parameters.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Record the position information of multiple first channels in the selected state in the receiving coil channel selector through a routing configuration template.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The routing configuration template is configured to set the first channels not in the selected state as 0 and the first channels in the selected state as 1, and obtain a routing configuration template representing the positions of the first channels in the selected state in matrix form.

12. A magnetic resonance signal receiving device (200), characterized in that, Includes: A receiving coil channel selector (202), configured to receive magnetic resonance signals returned from at least one coil antenna (1121) at least twice when in the abnormal channel detection state, including: an input port, set to receive the magnetic resonance signals from at least one coil antenna (1121); an output port, set to route the magnetic resonance signals to a receiver (210); and providing multiple first channels and configured to route the magnetic resonance signals from the input port to the output port in the selected state, wherein the receiver (210) receives the magnetic resonance signals through a second channel connected to the output port and converts the magnetic resonance signals into digital signals; A storage unit, recording the position information of the first channels in the selected state in the receiving coil channel selector (202); And a fault detection device (203), detecting whether multiple selected communication channels in the magnetic resonance signal receiving path of the magnetic resonance imaging system are abnormal channels and determining the faulty part, wherein the selected communication channels include the first channels in the selected state and the corresponding connected second channels, and the fault detection device (203) includes: A signal detector (206), configured to detect the first output signals output through each of the selected communication channels respectively; and The controller (208) is configured to compare at least two of the first output signals that are output and detected after passing through different selected communication channels, after the magnetic resonance signals received in portions by the same coil antenna are successively input into different selected communication channels, so as to determine whether each of the selected communication channels is an abnormal channel, and determine the position of the abnormal channel based on the storage unit.

13. The magnetic resonance signal receiving device (200) according to claim 12, wherein, For the magnetic resonance signals received by the same coil antenna (1121) in one reception, the controller (208) is configured to route the signals through one of the first channels in a gated state in the receive coil channel selector (202), and when the magnetic resonance signals are received by the same coil antenna (1121) in another reception, the controller (208) selects to route the signals through another first channel in a gated state in the receive coil channel selector (202).

14. The magnetic resonance signal receiving device (200) according to claim 12, wherein, Based on the controller (208), a plurality of sub-channel groups of the receive coil channel selector (202) are set, and magnetic resonance signals are input into the selected communication channels in different sub-channel groups from at least a plurality of the coil antennas (1121) in at least two portions. Each of the sub-channel groups includes a plurality of first channels in a gated state, and in each input of the magnetic resonance signals, the sub-channel groups used to receive the magnetic resonance signals are different; The signal detector (206) is configured to detect the first output signals output successively through the selected communication channels in portions based on each of the sub-channel groups; The controller (208) is configured to compare at least two first output signals that are output and detected after passing through different selected communication channels, after the magnetic resonance signals received in at least two portions from the same coil antenna (1121) in at least two groups of sub-channel groups are input into different selected communication channels corresponding to the input ports, so as to determine whether each of the selected communication channels in each of the sub-channel groups is an abnormal channel.

15. The magnetic resonance signal receiving device (200) according to claim 12, wherein, The controller (208) is further configured to, after determining that the selected communication channel is an abnormal channel, input preset test signals into the input ends of the first channel where the abnormal channel is located and the corresponding second channel respectively; The signal detector (206) is at least configured to detect the second output signals in portions at the output end of the second channel of the receiver (210), and the controller (208) determines the faulty part of the selected communication channel based on the comparison of the second output signals detected in portions, and the storage unit records the position of the faulty part of the selected communication channel to determine the position information of the faulty part.

16. The magnetic resonance signal receiving device (200) according to claim 15, wherein, The controller (208) is configured to record the position information of the faulty part when determining the faulty part of the channel.

17. The magnetic resonance signal receiving device (200) according to claim 15, wherein, The controller (208) is configured to, when determining the faulty part of the channel, replace the faulty part by gating other first channels and / or second channels, and update the position information of the first channels in a gated state recorded in the storage unit.

18. The magnetic resonance signal receiving device (200) according to claim 15, characterized in that, Further included: The network communication unit (207) is configured to transmit the location information of the faulty part to a remote device by communicating with the network or enable the remote device to query the location information of the faulty part by communicating with the network to intervene in the fault detection device (203).

19. The magnetic resonance signal receiving device (200) according to claim 12, wherein, The controller (208) is configured to compare the channel gains, amplitudes or levels between at least two of the first output signals.

20. The magnetic resonance signal receiving device (200) according to claim 12, wherein, The storage unit further includes a routing configuration template (204) to record the location information of the first channel in the receive coil channel selector (202) that is in the gated state.

21. The magnetic resonance signal receiving device (200) according to claim 20, wherein, The routing configuration template (204) is configured to set the first channels that are not in the gated state to 0 and the first channels that are in the gated state to 1, to obtain a routing configuration template (204) representing the location of the first channels in the gated state in matrix form.

22. A magnetic resonance imaging system (100), characterized in that, Comprising: A plurality of coil antennas (1121) capable of receiving magnetic resonance signals returned by an object under examination (P) during magnetic resonance examination; And a magnetic resonance signal receiving device (200) according to any one of claims 12 to 21, wherein the receive coil channel selector (202) receives a plurality of magnetic resonance signals from the plurality of coil antennas (1121) and routes the magnetic resonance signals to the receiver (210) based on the first channels in the gated state set in the receive coil channel selector (202).

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