Coil interface device, coil device and magnetic resonance imaging apparatus

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a coil interface device, a coil device and a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus. The coil interface device comprises a plug for connecting to a coil device for receiving magnetic resonance signals via a subject under examination in a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and comprising a first power coupler and at least one first signal coupler; and a socket for connecting to a main body of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and comprising a second power coupler and at least one second signal coupler; wherein the at least one first signal coupler is configured to transmit magnetic resonance signals received from the coil device to the at least one second signal coupler by induction, the at least one second signal coupler being configured to receive the transmitted magnetic resonance signals by induction; wherein the second power coupler is configured to transmit a power signal to the first power coupler by induction, the first power coupler being configured to receive the transmitted power signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a coil interface device for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device, a coil device, and an MRI device. Background Technology

[0002] Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices are commonly used for medical imaging. They can induce nuclear magnetic resonance of hydrogen protons in the human body by applying radio frequency pulses of a specific frequency to the human body in a static magnetic field, and obtain magnetic resonance images of the human body by receiving the magnetic resonance signals.

[0003] Typically, magnetic resonance signals generated by the human body are acquired using a coil device. This coil device is positioned close to the human body and connected via cables and plugs to a socket on the main body of the MRI scanner to draw power from the scanner and transmit the acquired magnetic resonance signals back to it.

[0004] The methods described in this section are not necessarily methods that had been previously conceived or adopted. Unless otherwise specified, no method described in this section should be assumed to be prior art simply because it is included in this section. Similarly, unless otherwise specified, the issues mentioned in this section should not be considered to be accepted in any prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One aspect of this disclosure provides a coil interface device for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, comprising: a plug for connecting to a coil device for receiving magnetic resonance signals from an object under test in the MRI apparatus, and including a first power coupler and at least one first signal coupler; and a socket for connecting to the body of the MRI apparatus, and including a second power coupler and at least one second signal coupler; wherein the at least one first signal coupler is configured to transmit magnetic resonance signals received from the coil device to the at least one second signal coupler via induction, and the at least one second signal coupler is configured to receive the transmitted magnetic resonance signals via induction; wherein the second power coupler is configured to transmit a power signal to the first power coupler via induction, and the first power coupler is configured to receive the transmitted power signal.

[0006] Another aspect of this disclosure provides a magnetic resonance imaging device, comprising: at least one coil device for being placed at or adjacent to a measured portion of a test object and for receiving magnetic resonance signals via the test object; a main body; and at least one coil interface device according to an embodiment of this disclosure, wherein a plug of the coil interface device is connected to the coil device, and a socket of the coil interface device is disposed on the main body.

[0007] Another aspect of this disclosure provides a coil device having a plug that is non-electrically connected to the body of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device. The plug includes a first power coupler and at least one first signal coupler. The plug is configured to inductively couple with a socket on the body of the MRI device when it is close to the socket, so as to transmit magnetic resonance signals received by the coil device from the MRI device via the test object to the body of the MRI device in an inductive manner, and to receive power signals from the body in an inductive manner.

[0008] According to the coil interface device, coil device, and magnetic resonance imaging device of the present disclosure, the non-electrical connection transmission of power and magnetic resonance signals between the coil device and the main body of the magnetic resonance imaging device can be realized by induction. This makes the interface between the coil device and the main body of the device easy to clean and maintain, reduces problems such as poor contact and device damage caused by the accumulation of dust and liquid contaminants at the interface, and lowers maintenance costs.

[0009] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to identify key or important features of the embodiments of this application, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this application. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The accompanying drawings exemplify embodiments and form part of the specification, serving together with the textual description to explain exemplary implementations of the embodiments. The illustrated embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the claims. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to similar but not necessarily identical elements.

[0011] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can more clearly understand the above and other features and advantages of this disclosure, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a coil interface device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 2 This is a schematic block diagram of a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 3 This is a schematic block diagram of a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a control method for a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] The accompanying figure is labeled as follows:

[0017] 100: Coil interface device

[0018] 110: Plug

[0019] 111: First power coupler

[0020] 112: First signal coupler

[0021] 118: Cover

[0022] 120: Socket

[0023] 121: Second power coupler

[0024] 122: Second signal coupler

[0025] 113: Power Conversion Module

[0026] 1131: AC-DC converter

[0027] 1132: DC-DC converter

[0028] 114: Coil Control Module

[0029] 1141: Receiving Department

[0030] 1142: Control Department

[0031] 200: Coil assembly

[0032] 211: First coil unit

[0033] 212: Second coil unit

[0034] 213: Third coil unit

[0035] 220: Tuning Detuning Circuit

[0036] 300: Main Body

[0037] 310: Control Unit

[0038] 320: AC power source

[0039] 330: Power Amplifier

[0040] 340: Power Divider

[0041] 115: First duplexer

[0042] 116: Second duplexer

[0043] 117: Local Oscillator Signal Power Divider

[0044] 350: Signal Combination Unit Detailed Implementation

[0045] To provide a clearer understanding of the technical features, objectives, and effects of this disclosure, specific embodiments of this disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals denote the same or similar parts.

[0046] In this document, “illustrative” means “serving as an example, illustration or description”, and any illustration or implementation described herein as “illustrative” should not be construed as a more preferred or advantageous technical solution.

[0047] To keep the drawings concise, each drawing only schematically shows the parts relevant to this disclosure, and they do not represent the actual structure of the product. Furthermore, to facilitate understanding, in some drawings, components with the same structure or function are shown only schematically, or only one is labeled.

[0048] In this article, "one" can mean not only "only one" but also "more than one". In this article, "first", "second", etc., are used only to distinguish one from another, not to indicate their importance, order, or mutual dependence.

[0049] Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a technique that uses the magnetic resonance phenomenon to create images. MRI equipment uses radio frequency coils to emit radio frequency pulses of a specific frequency into the object being tested, which is placed in a static magnetic field, to induce nuclear magnetic resonance in, for example, hydrogen protons within the object. The coil device then receives the magnetic resonance signals from the object, and the received signals are processed by a computer to create an image.

[0050] A magnetic resonance imaging system typically includes a cavity magnet (e.g., a superconducting magnet) for providing a static magnetic field, a cavity gradient coil inside the magnet, a cavity body coil inside the gradient coil, a bed for placing the object under test, and a coil device for receiving magnetic resonance signals from the object under test.

[0051] Gradient coils are used for position encoding during imaging. Gradient coils can be arranged inside a magnet that provides a static magnetic field, and typically consist of three sets of mutually orthogonal coils corresponding to the X, Y, and Z axes, respectively. The three sets of gradient coils generate gradient fields with varying magnetic field strength along the X, Y, and Z axes, respectively.

[0052] The body coil is typically an RF coil placed inside the gradient coil and is used to generate a high-frequency magnetic field. The body coil applies the high-frequency magnetic field to the object under test, which is in a static magnetic field.

[0053] The coil device may include a radio frequency receiving coil disposed inside the gradient coil, and may be further configured as a local coil disposed close to the object under test to receive at least the magnetic resonance signal returned from the object under test. The coil device may consist of multiple coil units, and one or more coil units in the coil device may be tuned or detuned under the control of a tuning / detuning control signal. In the tuned state, the coil units are excited to receive the magnetic resonance signal generated by the object under test under the excitation of a high-frequency electromagnetic wave signal at the Larmor frequency, or other high-frequency / radio frequency electromagnetic wave signals returned by the object under test.

[0054] The coil device can be positioned proximally to the subject as a local coil, such as a spinal coil mounted on the bed of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device, an abdominal or chest coil covering the abdomen or chest of the subject, and various other local coils covering a specific area of ​​the subject, such as knee coils, shoulder coils, wrist coils, body array coils, and head and neck coils. These local coils are used to receive magnetic resonance signals from the corresponding area of ​​the subject. Furthermore, due to their proximity to the corresponding area, such as abdominal, spinal, and chest coils, they can also be used to monitor important organs with periodic physiological motion signals, such as the heart and lungs.

[0055] When in operation, the coil device needs to be connected to the main body of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device via an interface device, such as the bed or other components of the device (e.g., RF receiver, power supply, tuning / detuning control components, and receiver channel switching components) to obtain power from the MRI device and transmit the acquired magnetic resonance signals to the MRI device. The interface device may include a pair of plugs and sockets, with the coil device connecting to the socket connected to the MRI device via a cable and plug.

[0056] In related technologies, the aforementioned plugs and sockets are plug-in type, for example, each comprising multiple pairs of male or female pins encapsulated in a plastic module. Such plug-in type plugs and sockets are not easy to clean and maintain, and dust, liquids, and other contaminants easily accumulate at the interface, causing poor contact, and even short circuits and damage to the devices, resulting in high maintenance costs. Furthermore, repeated plugging and unplugging operations can easily cause aging and damage to the interface, affecting the reliability of the connection.

[0057] Therefore, embodiments of this disclosure provide a coil interface device for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, a coil device with a plug, and an MRI apparatus.

[0058] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a coil interface device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1As shown, one aspect of this disclosure provides a coil interface device 100 for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, comprising: a plug 110 for connecting to a coil device for receiving magnetic resonance signals from a test object in the MRI apparatus, the plug 110 including a first power coupler 111 and at least one first signal coupler 112; and a socket 120 for connecting to the main body of the MRI apparatus, the socket 120 including a second power coupler 121 and at least one second signal coupler 122; wherein at least one first signal coupler 112 is configured to transmit magnetic resonance signals received from the coil device to at least one second signal coupler 122 via induction, and at least one second signal coupler 122 is configured to receive the transmitted magnetic resonance signals via induction; wherein the second power coupler 121 is configured to transmit a power signal to the first power coupler 111 via induction, and the first power coupler 111 is configured to receive the transmitted power signal.

[0059] In some embodiments, the first power coupler 111 and the first signal coupler 112 can be connected to the coil assembly via cables. The second power coupler 121 and the second signal coupler 122 can be connected to the main body of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device via cables. The first signal coupler 112, the second signal coupler 122, the first power coupler 111, and the second power coupler 121 can be coil assemblies, and the power signal can be an alternating current signal. When the power signal from the main body of the MRI device flows through the second power coupler 121, an induced current can be generated in the first power coupler 111 near the second power coupler 121 through magnetic field resonance, thereby transferring power from the main body of the device to the first power coupler 111 to power the coil assembly. Similarly, when the MRI signal received by the coil assembly flows through the first signal coupler 112, an induced current can be generated in the second signal coupler 122 near the first signal coupler 112 through magnetic field resonance, thereby sending the received MRI signal to the main body of the device for MRI imaging.

[0060] It should be understood that inductive coupling can be achieved by bringing the plug 110, which includes the first power coupler 111 and the first signal coupler 112, and the socket 120, which includes the second power coupler 121 and the second signal coupler 122, close to each other. In use, the plug 110 and the socket 120 can be roughly aligned with each other to improve signal transmission efficiency.

[0061] For illustrative purposes, in Figure 1 The diagram shows 12 signal couplers and 1 power coupler, but it should be understood that this is merely an example, and the number, shape, arrangement, etc., of the signal couplers and power couplers are not limited to this. Figure 1 The form shown.

[0062] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, plug 110 may include a planar first printed circuit board, in which a first power coupler 111 and at least one first signal coupler 112 are integrated; and socket 120 may include a planar second printed circuit board, in which a second power coupler 121 and at least one second signal coupler 122 are integrated. Exemplarily, plug 110 may include a housing 118 encapsulating the first printed circuit board. The second printed circuit board can be mounted on the bed of the magnetic resonance imaging device because it is planar and does not affect the appearance of the bed.

[0063] Compared to related technologies, the coil interface device according to the embodiments of this disclosure, by providing couplers in the socket and plug respectively, enables the interaction of electrical and magnetic resonance signals between the coil device and the main body of the magnetic resonance equipment when the socket and plug are close to each other. This reduces problems such as poor contact and device damage caused by the accumulation of contaminants such as dust and liquid at the interface, and lowers maintenance costs.

[0064] In addition, plugs and sockets can be configured in flat shapes, such as printed circuit boards, which are easier to clean and disinfect, making them flatter, thinner, and taking up less space.

[0065] Figure 2 This is a schematic block diagram of a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a coil interface device 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Please refer to... Figure 2 The coil interface device includes a plug 110 and a socket 120. The plug 110 is connected to a coil device 200 for receiving magnetic resonance signals from the test object in a magnetic resonance imaging device, and the socket 120 is connected to the main body 300 of the magnetic resonance imaging device. The plug 110 and the socket 120 are inductively coupled to transmit power signals and magnetic resonance signals.

[0066] In some embodiments, the power signal may be an AC power signal, provided, for example, by an AC power source within the body 300 of the magnetic resonance imaging device, and transmitted to the plug 110 via inductive coupling through the socket 120 of the coil interface device.

[0067] In some embodiments, plug 110 may include a power conversion module 113 connected to a first power coupler 111 and configured to convert an AC power signal received by the first power coupler 111 from a second power coupler 121 into a DC power signal, and modulate the DC power signal to the DC level required by the coil device. In some examples, power conversion module 113 may include an AC-DC converter 1131 and a DC-DC converter 1132. AC-DC converter 1131 may be a rectifier. Alternatively or additionally, DC-DC converter 1132 may include a low-dropout linear regulator (LDO). The oscillator frequency of the DC-DC converter may be selected in a range that does not affect the coil device's reception of the magnetic resonance signal. The DC power rectified and modulated by power conversion module 113 can be provided to the various modules within the plug of the coil interface device that require power, or to the coil device 200, thereby enabling wireless power supply to the plug and coil device of the coil interface device without requiring them to be connected via cable to a power source within the main body of the magnetic resonance imaging equipment.

[0068] In some embodiments, the frequency of the AC power signal provided by the AC power source can be 5MHz to reduce the size of the AC power source and avoid interference with the magnetic resonance signal. The DC power level required by the coil device can be 3V, that is, the voltage output to the coil device after rectification and modulation by the power conversion module 113 is 3V.

[0069] In some embodiments, plug 110 may further include: coil control module 114, which is configured to receive control signals wirelessly from the body of the magnetic resonance imaging device and generate tuning / distuning signals to control the coil device to tune or detun.

[0070] The magnetic resonance imaging process includes a radio frequency pulse emission stage, in which radio frequency pulses are emitted into the test object in a static magnetic field through a radio frequency coil to induce nuclear magnetic resonance, and a signal acquisition stage, in which the magnetic resonance signal of the test object is received by a coil device. During the signal acquisition stage, the coil device needs to be in a tuned state to receive high-frequency / radio frequency magnetic resonance signals from the test object, while during the radio frequency pulse emission stage, the coil device needs to be in a detuned state to suppress the radio frequency pulse signal from entering the coil device, thereby generating noise in the magnetic resonance image.

[0071] In some embodiments, the coil control module 114 may include a receiving unit 1141 and a control unit 1142. The receiving unit 1141 is used to receive control signals wirelessly from the main body of the magnetic resonance device, and the control unit 1142 is connected to the coil device and is used to demodulate the control signals to control the coil device to tune or detune.

[0072] For example, wireless methods may include Bluetooth, wireless LAN, mobile communication (LTE, 4G and / or 5G mobile radio standards), infrared transmission, etc.

[0073] In some embodiments, the coil control module 114 is further configured to wirelessly transmit coil identification information characterizing the coil device to the main body of the magnetic resonance imaging device. Exemplarily, the coil identification information may be stored in the memory of the coil control module 114. In some examples, the coil control module 114 sends the coil identification information to the main body of the magnetic resonance imaging device in response to the inductive coupling between the plug 110 and the socket 120. The coil identification information may include information characterizing the number and type of coil units in the coil device. Thus, the main body of the device can know the configuration of the coil units in the coil device being used.

[0074] Continue to refer to Figure 2 A magnetic resonance imaging device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure includes: at least one coil device 200 for being placed at or adjacent to the measured part of a test object and for receiving magnetic resonance signals via the test object; a main body 300; and at least one coil interface device according to any of the above embodiments of the present disclosure, wherein a plug 110 of the coil interface device is connected to the coil device 200, and a socket 120 of the coil interface device is disposed on the main body 300.

[0075] In some embodiments, the plug 110 is connected to the coil device 200 via a cable, and the socket 120 is connected to the main body 300 of the magnetic resonance imaging device via a cable. The socket 120 may be integrated into, for example, the bed of the main body 300 for receiving the object under test, at a location on the bed that facilitates the proximity of the plug 110.

[0076] In some embodiments, the main body 300 may include a control unit 310 configured to generate control signals and wirelessly transmit the control signals to the coil control module 114 of the coil interface device to control the tuning or detuning of the coil device 200. Exemplarily, the wireless method may include Bluetooth, wireless local area network, mobile communication (LTE, 4G and / or 5G mobile radio standards), infrared transmission, etc.

[0077] In some embodiments, the control unit 310 is further configured to receive coil identification information characterizing the coil device 200 to know the number, model, etc. of the coil units in the coil device 200 in use.

[0078] In some embodiments, the body 300 may further include an AC power source 320, which is connected to a socket 120 of a coil interface device to provide an AC power signal.

[0079] In some embodiments, the AC power source 320 includes a phase-locked loop to clock-synchronize the AC power signal output from the AC power source 320, thereby providing a reference clock for, for example, the coil device 200.

[0080] In some embodiments, the body 300 may further include a power amplifier 330 to amplify the AC power signal.

[0081] In some embodiments, the coil device 200 can be used to receive magnetic resonance signals generated from local parts of the subject (e.g., head, chest, legs, etc.) or to receive magnetic resonance signals generated from the whole body of the subject. In some embodiments, there can be multiple coil devices 200, that is, signals can be acquired simultaneously from, for example, the head, chest, and legs of the subject. Accordingly, the magnetic resonance imaging device may include multiple coil interface devices 100, and the main body 300 includes a power divider 340 for distributing the AC power signal provided by the AC power source 320 to the multiple coil interface devices 100. Here, the power amplifier 330 may be disposed between the AC power source 320 and the power divider 340 to amplify the power signal provided by the AC power source 320 and provide it to the power divider 340. Figure 2 The diagram shows a coil device 200 and a coil interface device including a plug 110 and a socket 120, which can be used to provide multiple coils and multiple coil interface devices.

[0082] Figure 3 This is a schematic block diagram of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The MRI apparatus includes a coil interface device 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3 In, with Figure 2 The same or similar elements in the figure use the same reference numerals. Figure 2 Similarly, the coil interface device includes a plug 110 and a socket 120. The plug 110 is connected to a coil device 200 for receiving magnetic resonance signals from the object under test in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device, and the socket 120 is connected to the main body 300 of the MRI device. The plug 110 and socket 120 are inductively coupled to transmit power signals and magnetic resonance signals. Figure 2 In different places in China, Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the magnetic resonance signal is fed back via intermediate frequency (IF). In this case, a local oscillator (LO) signal is required to be provided to mix with the radio frequency signal transmitted via the object under test to generate the intermediate frequency signal.

[0083] Please refer to Figure 3In some embodiments, the second power coupler 121 in the socket of the coil interface device for connection with the magnetic resonance imaging body is configured to receive a combined signal (which will be described in detail below) of the combination of an AC power signal and a local oscillator signal provided by the body, and to send the combined signal to the first power coupler 111.

[0084] In some embodiments, the plug 110 of the coil interface device further includes a first duplexer 115, which is connected between the first power coupler 111 and the power conversion module 113, for restoring the combined signal into separate AC power signals and local oscillator signals, and transmitting the restored AC power signals to the power conversion module 113.

[0085] In some embodiments, the combined signal may include a clock signal, and the AC power signal recovered by the first duplexer 115 and the local oscillator signal may also include a clock signal. The power conversion module 113 may include a DC-DC converter 1132, which can obtain a clock signal from the recovered AC power signal or the local oscillator signal to synchronize its reference clock with the reference clock of the main body of the magnetic resonance device.

[0086] In some embodiments, the plug 110 may further include a second duplexer 116. The second duplexer 116 is connected between the first duplexer 115 and the coil device. The second duplexer 116 receives the local oscillator signal recovered by the first duplexer 115 and transmits the local oscillator signal to the coil device 200. At the coil device 200, the local oscillator signal is mixed with the magnetic resonance signal from the object under test to generate an intermediate frequency (IF) signal that will be fed back to the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device. The second duplexer 116 receives the IF signal generated by mixing the magnetic resonance signal and the local oscillator signal output from the coil device 200. Furthermore, the second duplexer 116 is also connected to at least one first signal coupler 112 for transmitting the received IF signal to at least one first signal coupler 112, thereby allowing transmission to the main body 300 of the MRI device via a second signal coupler 122 inductively coupled to the first signal coupler 112.

[0087] In some embodiments, by providing a first duplexer 115 and a second duplexer 116, the local oscillator signal is provided to the coil device for mixing the high-frequency / radio frequency magnetic resonance signal and the local oscillator signal to generate an intermediate frequency signal, which can reduce the attenuation of the magnetic resonance signal.

[0088] In some embodiments, the coil device may include a plurality of coil units, for example Figure 3The diagram shows three coil units: a first coil unit 211, a second coil unit 212, and a third coil unit 213. In the case of multiple coil units, the plug 110 may further include a local oscillator power divider 117 connected between a first duplexer 115 and a second duplexer 116 to divide the local oscillator signal recovered by the first duplexer 115 into multiple local oscillator signals. These multiple local oscillator signals are distributed via the second duplexer 116 to the respective coil units of the coil assembly to be mixed with the magnetic resonance signal received by each coil unit to generate an intermediate frequency signal.

[0089] Similar to Figure 2 The illustrated embodiment, in Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the main body 300 may include an AC power source 320, which provides, for example, a 10 MHz AC power signal. The AC power source 320 may include a phase-locked loop (PLL) to clock-synchronize the AC power signal output from the AC power source 320, thereby providing a reference clock for, for example, the coil device 200. The AC power signal provided by the AC power source 320, via the PLL, can be split into two paths: a local oscillator (LO) signal and an approximately 5 MHz AC signal for power supply. Further, the main body 300 may include a power amplifier 330 for amplifying the approximately 5 MHz AC signal. Additionally, the main body 300 may also include a power divider 340 to distribute the approximately 5 MHz AC signal to multiple coil interface devices 100.

[0090] Please refer to Figure 3 The main body 300 may further include a signal combining unit 350, which generates multiple combined signals based on the local oscillator signal and multiple power signals distributed by the power divider 340, and sends the multiple combined signals to corresponding coil interface devices in multiple coil interface devices respectively. For example, the signal combining unit 350 may be in the form of a duplexer. Figure 3 Only one coil interface device is shown in the figure; in some examples, multiple coil interface devices may be provided accordingly.

[0091] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 In some embodiments, the coil device 200 may include a plurality of coil units 211-213 to receive multiple magnetic resonance signals. It should be understood that... Figure 2 and Figure 3 Three coil units are shown as an example, but the number of coil units is not limited to this, and the number of coil units in each coil device 200 may be the same or different.

[0092] In some embodiments, the coil device 200 may include a tuning / detuning circuit 220, which receives a control signal from the coil control module 114 and controls one or more of the plurality of coil units 211-213 to be tuned or detuned according to the control signal.

[0093] In some embodiments, the coil device 200 may include a mixer configured to acquire a local oscillator signal and generate an intermediate frequency signal based on the local oscillator signal and a magnetic resonance signal. The intermediate frequency signal is transmitted to the coil interface device and is sent inductively from at least one first signal coupler 112 of the plug of the coil interface device to at least one second signal coupler 122 of the socket of the coil interface device.

[0094] Another aspect of this disclosure provides a coil device having a plug that is non-electrically connected to the body of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device. The plug includes a first power coupler and at least one first signal coupler. The plug is configured to inductively couple with a socket on the body of the MRI device when it is close to the socket, so as to transmit magnetic resonance signals received by the coil device from the MRI device via the test object to the body of the MRI device in an inductive manner, and to receive power signals from the body in an inductive manner.

[0095] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a control method for a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Please refer to... Figure 4 Another aspect of this disclosure provides a control method for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device. The MRI device includes a coil interface device according to any embodiment of this disclosure. The coil interface device includes a plug and a socket. The plug is connected to a coil device for receiving magnetic resonance signals from the MRI device via a test object, and the socket is connected to a power source of the MRI device. The plug and socket are inductively coupled to transmit a power signal and a magnetic resonance signal. The control method includes:

[0096] S410 transmits the power signal provided by the power source to the coil interface device;

[0097] S420 wirelessly transmits tuning / distuning control signals to the coil interface device to control the tuning or distuning of the coil device; and

[0098] S430 receives magnetic resonance signals from the coil interface device.

[0099] In step S410, the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device processes the power signal provided by its power source (e.g., amplifies, distributes, and, if necessary, generates local oscillator and clock signals) and transmits it via cable to the socket of the coil interface device located on the main body of the MRI device. The socket of the coil interface device sends the processed power signal to the plug of the coil interface device through inductive coupling. Within the plug, the power signal is rectified and modulated before being delivered to the various components within the plug that require power, as well as to the coil device. Because the power transmission between the plug and socket is inductive, no cable is needed, and there is no need to connect the coil device to the main body of the MRI device via a cable for power supply.

[0100] In step 420, the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device wirelessly transmits a tuning / distuning control signal to the coil interface device to control the tuning or distuning of the coil device. As mentioned above, the wireless method can include Bluetooth, wireless local area network (WLAN), mobile communication (LTE, 4G, and / or 5G mobile radio standards), infrared transmission, etc. Therefore, it avoids the need for additional cables for transmitting control signals between the MRI device body and the coil interface device or the coil device.

[0101] After receiving the power signal and the tuning / distuning control signal from the coil interface device, the coil device tunes or distunes under the control of the tuning / distuning control signal, thereby receiving the magnetic resonance signal generated by the object under test and transmitting the magnetic resonance signal to the plug of the coil interface device connected to it. The plug of the coil interface device then transmits the magnetic resonance signal to the socket of the coil interface device through inductive coupling.

[0102] In step 430, the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device receives magnetic resonance signals from a socket of a coil interface device connected to its main body. The MRI device processes the magnetic resonance signals to generate an image corresponding to the object under test.

[0103] The coil interface device, magnetic resonance imaging equipment, and control method thereof according to embodiments of the present disclosure can realize non-electrical connection interaction between the coil device and the main body of the magnetic resonance equipment.

[0104] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used to rearrange, add, or delete steps. For example, the steps described in this application can be performed in parallel, sequentially, or in different orders, as long as the desired result of the technical solution disclosed in this application can be achieved, and this is not limited herein.

[0105] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A coil interface device for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, comprising: A plug for connecting to a coil assembly for receiving magnetic resonance signals from the magnetic resonance imaging device via a test object, the plug including a first power coupler and at least one first signal coupler; and A socket for connection to the main body of the magnetic resonance imaging device, the socket including a second power coupler and at least one second signal coupler; A power conversion module is connected to the first power coupler and configured to convert an AC power signal received by the first power coupler from the second power coupler into a DC power signal, and to modulate the DC power signal to the DC power level required by the coil device. Wherein, the at least one first signal coupler is configured to transmit the magnetic resonance signal received from the coil device to the at least one second signal coupler via induction, the at least one second signal coupler is configured to receive the transmitted magnetic resonance signal via induction, and the second power coupler is configured to receive a combined signal of an AC power signal and a local oscillator signal provided by the main body, and transmit the combined signal to the first power coupler; The second power coupler is configured to transmit a power signal to the first power coupler via induction, and the first power coupler is configured to receive the transmitted power signal. The plug also includes: A first duplexer, connected between the first power coupler and the power conversion module, is used to recover the combined signal into separate AC power signals and local oscillator signals, and to transmit the recovered AC power signals to the power conversion module. A second duplexer, connected between the first duplexer and the coil device, is used to receive the recovered local oscillator signal, send the local oscillator signal to the coil device, and receive an intermediate frequency signal generated by mixing the magnetic resonance signal and the local oscillator signal from the coil device. The second duplexer is also connected to the at least one first signal coupler for transmitting the received intermediate frequency signal to the at least one first signal coupler.

2. The coil interface device according to claim 1, wherein, The plug also includes: A coil control module is configured to receive control signals wirelessly from the main body of the magnetic resonance imaging device and generate tuning / distuning signals to control the coil device to tune or detune.

3. The coil interface device according to claim 2, wherein, The coil control module is also configured to wirelessly transmit coil identification information, which characterizes the coil device, to the main body of the magnetic resonance imaging device.

4. The coil interface device according to claim 1, wherein, The power conversion module includes a DC-DC converter for modulating the DC power signal to the DC power level required by the coil device, wherein the reference clock of the DC-DC converter is synchronized with the reference clock of the main body of the magnetic resonance imaging device.

5. The coil interface device according to claim 1, wherein, The coil device includes multiple coil units, and The plug also includes a local oscillator power divider connected between the first duplexer and the second duplexer to divide the recovered local oscillator signal into multiple local oscillator signals, which are distributed via the second duplexer to each coil unit of the coil device to be mixed with the magnetic resonance signal received by each coil unit to generate the intermediate frequency signal.

6. The coil interface device according to claim 1, wherein, The plug includes a planar first printed circuit board, and the first power coupler and at least one first signal coupler are integrated on the first printed circuit board; as well as The socket includes a planar second printed circuit board, in which the second power coupler and at least one second signal coupler are integrated.

7. A magnetic resonance imaging device, comprising: At least one coil device is used to be placed at or near the test site of the test object and to receive magnetic resonance signals via the test object; main body; as well as At least one coil interface device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plug of the coil interface device is connected to the coil device, and the socket of the coil interface device is disposed on the body.

8. The magnetic resonance imaging device according to claim 7, wherein, The subject includes, A control unit is configured to generate control signals and wirelessly transmit the control signals to the coil control module of the coil interface device to control the tuning or detuning of the coil device.

9. The magnetic resonance imaging device according to claim 8, wherein, The control unit is also configured to receive coil identification information characterizing the coil device.

10. The magnetic resonance imaging device according to claim 7, wherein, The subject includes: An AC power source is connected to a socket of the coil interface device to provide AC power signals and local oscillator signals.

11. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, The magnetic resonance imaging device includes a plurality of the coil interface devices, and the main body includes a power divider for distributing the AC power signal provided by the AC power source to the plurality of the coil interface devices.

12. The magnetic resonance imaging device according to claim 11, wherein, The subject also includes: The signal combination unit is used to generate multiple combined signals based on the local oscillator signal and multiple power signals allocated by the power divider, and to send the multiple combined signals to the corresponding coil interface devices in the multiple coil interface devices respectively.

13. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, The coil device includes a mixer configured to acquire a local oscillator signal and generate an intermediate frequency signal based on the local oscillator signal and the magnetic resonance signal. The intermediate frequency signal is transmitted to the coil interface device and is sent inductively from at least one first signal coupler of the plug of the coil interface device to at least one second signal coupler of the socket of the coil interface device.

Images