Radio frequency power output apparatus and method for a magnetic resonance system

Abstract

This invention relates to a radio frequency (RF) power output device and method for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. The device includes a cooling plate, a temperature detection module, and a control module. A first circuit board and a second circuit board are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the cooling plate. The first and second circuit boards are respectively equipped with a first RF power amplifier circuit and a second RF power amplifier circuit. The temperature detection module is used to acquire the temperatures of the first and second circuit boards. The control module controls the first RF power amplifier circuit to output an RF power signal at a target temperature based on the temperature of the first circuit board, and controls the second RF power amplifier circuit to output an RF power signal at the target temperature based on the temperature of the second circuit board.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical imaging, and in particular to a radio frequency power output device for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system and a method for radio frequency power output for an MRI system. Background Technology

[0002] Magnetic Resonance (MR) technology is one of the main imaging methods in modern medicine. It includes a radio frequency (RF) transmission system that generates a high-power RF excitation signal to stimulate resonance in the nuclei of the patient's tissues. The RF transmission system typically uses an RF amplifier to amplify the generated low-power signal into a higher-power RF signal for RF excitation. Currently, the rated / peak power of a single RF amplifier device is far less than the power required for RF excitation; therefore, signal synthesis is necessary to combine the RF output power of multiple RF amplifiers to achieve a high-power RF output.

[0003] A major factor affecting combining efficiency is the signal balance or consistency among multiple RF amplifiers; signal imbalance or inconsistency reduces combining efficiency. However, the signal characteristics of different RF amplifiers may vary due to different environments, and therefore may have different gains, thus affecting combining efficiency. An ideal solution involves placing all RF amplifiers on the same circuit board and improving the board's manufacturing process to ensure the consistency of the device's environment, thereby guaranteeing signal balance. This approach requires significant cost and imposes limitations on system design and layout. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One aspect of the present invention provides a radio frequency power output device for a magnetic resonance system, the device comprising:

[0005] A cooling plate, on opposite sides of which are respectively provided a first circuit board and a second circuit board, wherein the first circuit board and the second circuit board are respectively provided with a first radio frequency power amplifier circuit and a second radio frequency power amplifier circuit;

[0006] A temperature detection module is used to acquire the temperature of the first circuit board and the temperature of the second circuit board; and,

[0007] The control module controls the first RF power amplifier circuit to output an RF power signal at a target temperature based on the temperature of the first circuit board, and controls the second RF power amplifier circuit to output an RF power signal at the target temperature based on the temperature of the second circuit board.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention provides a radio frequency power output device for a magnetic resonance system, the device comprising:

[0009] A cooling plate, comprising a main body plate having opposing first and second sides and a cooling groove formed on the main body plate, the cooling groove comprising an opening formed on the first side of the main body plate and a bottom opposite the opening and located between the first and second sides;

[0010] Two radio frequency power amplifier circuits are symmetrically arranged on the first and second sides of the main board, respectively.

[0011] A first temperature detector is used to acquire the temperature of a first side of the main body plate;

[0012] A second temperature detector is used to acquire the temperature of the second side of the main body plate; and

[0013] A first control circuit and a second control circuit are respectively connected to the two RF power amplifier circuits. The first control circuit and the second control circuit are respectively used to control the corresponding RF power amplifier circuit to output the RF power signal at the target temperature in response to the received signal feature adjustment signal. The signal feature adjustment signal received by the first control circuit is generated based on the temperature of the first side of the cooling plate, and the signal feature adjustment signal received by the second control circuit is generated based on the temperature of the second side of the cooling plate.

[0014] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for radio frequency power output in a magnetic resonance system, comprising:

[0015] The actual temperatures of two circuit boards located on opposite sides of a water-cooled plate are obtained, wherein each circuit board includes an RF power amplifier circuit, and each RF power amplifier circuit includes multiple RF power amplifiers.

[0016] Receive the RF power input signal allocated to the RF power amplifier circuit for each circuit board; and,

[0017] Based on the actual temperatures of the two circuit boards, the corresponding RF power amplifier circuits are controlled to output RF power signals at the target temperature.

[0018] It should be understood that the brief description provided above is intended to introduce some concepts further described in the detailed embodiments in a simplified form. This is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is uniquely defined by the claims following the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to the implementation of any shortcomings mentioned above or in any paragraph of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings and by reading the following description of non-limiting embodiments, in which:

[0020] Figure 1A radio frequency transmission system 10 for a magnetic resonance system is shown in some embodiments;

[0021] Figure 2 Example waveforms of multiple input signals for an RF power combiner are shown;

[0022] Figure 3 The relationship between the combining efficiency of an RF power combiner and its input imbalance is shown.

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an exemplary MR system 40 according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0024] Figure 5 A block diagram of a radio frequency power output device 50 according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0025] Figure 6 A schematic cross-sectional view of a radio frequency power output device 50 according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0026] Figure 7 A schematic cross-sectional view of a radio frequency power output device 50 according to other embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0027] Figure 8 This illustration shows an example of controlling the output signal characteristics of an RF power amplifier circuit based on the actual temperature and the temperature characteristics of the RF power amplifier.

[0028] Figure 9 A schematic block diagram of a radio frequency power output device 90 according to other embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0029] Figure 10 A schematic exploded view of a radio frequency power output device 100 according to other embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0030] Figure 11 A schematic exploded view of a radio frequency power output device 110 according to other embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0031] Figure 12 A schematic block diagram of a radio frequency power output device 120 according to other embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0032] Figure 13 A flowchart of a radio frequency power output method 130 according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0033] The accompanying drawings illustrate the components, systems, and methods described in the magnetic resonance imaging methods and systems. Together with the following description, the drawings illustrate and explain the structural principles, methods, and concepts described herein. In the drawings, the thickness and dimensions of components may be enlarged or otherwise modified for clarity. Well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring the described components, systems, and methods. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The following describes specific embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that, in order to provide a concise description, this specification cannot exhaustively describe all features of the actual embodiments. It should be understood that, in the actual implementation of any embodiment, just as in any engineering or design project, various specific decisions are often made to achieve the developer's specific goals and to meet system-related or business-related constraints, and this can change from one embodiment to another. Furthermore, it is understood that although the efforts made in this development process may be complex and lengthy, for those skilled in the art related to the content disclosed in this invention, some design, manufacturing, or production modifications based on the technical content disclosed herein are merely conventional technical means and should not be construed as insufficient content of this disclosure.

[0035] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in the claims and description shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this specification and claims do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. The terms “an” or “a” and similar terms do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. The terms “comprising” or “including” and similar terms mean that the elements or objects preceding “comprising” or “including” encompass the elements or objects listed following “comprising” or “including” and their equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or objects. The terms “connected” or “linked” and similar terms are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, nor are they limited to direct or indirect connections. Furthermore, it should be understood that references to “an embodiment” or “an embodiment” in this disclosure are not intended to exclude the existence of additional embodiments that also include the referenced features.

[0036] refer to Figure 1The image illustrates an embodiment of a radio frequency (RF) transmission system 10 for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. The RF transmission system 10 includes an RF signal generation module 14, an RF power amplification module 16, and an RF power transmission module 18. The RF signal generation module 14 generates an RF signal based on a predetermined scan sequence. In some embodiments, the RF signal can be used for RF excitation; for example, the RF signal can have a predetermined frequency based on the precession frequency of protons (e.g., hydrogen protons) in the detected tissue. The RF signal typically has low power. In some embodiments, the RF signal generation module 14 may include one or more components such as an RF oscillator, a frequency synthesizer, a digital-to-analog converter, a filter, and a modulator. The RF power amplification module 16 amplifies the RF signal generated by the RF signal generation module 14 to output an amplified RF power signal. This amplified RF power signal is processed via the RF power transmission module 18 and transmitted to the RF transmission coil of the MRI system to resonate with protons in the tissue located within the RF transmission coil.

[0037] The RF power amplification module 16 includes multiple RF power dividers 161, multiple RF power amplifiers 163, and multiple RF power combiners 165. Each of the one or more RF power dividers 161 may include a primary divider for connecting to the RF signal generation module 14 and separating the RF signal output from the RF signal generation module 14 into multiple first RF component signals with reduced amplitude. The primary divider has multiple output terminals, each of which is connected in series with a secondary divider and outputs a first RF component signal to that secondary divider. Each secondary divider further separates the received first RF component signal into multiple second RF component signals with further reduced amplitude. Each secondary divider has multiple output terminals, each of which is connected to the input terminal of one of the multiple RF power amplifiers 163 to output a second RF component signal to the corresponding RF power amplifier.

[0038] In some embodiments, a secondary distributor may not be required, that is, the multiple outputs of the primary distributor may be directly connected to the multiple RF power amplifiers 163 respectively, so as to directly output the first RF component signal to the corresponding RF power amplifier 163.

[0039] Each RF power amplifier 163 is used to amplify the received RF component signal. Ideally, the multiple RF power amplifiers 163 have the same amplification gain; however, this amplification gain may change with environmental variations (e.g., temperature).

[0040] The plurality of radio frequency power combiners 165 may include primary combiners and secondary combiners. The plurality of radio frequency power amplifiers 163 may be divided into one or more groups. The output of each group of power amplifiers 163 is connected to a primary combiner, such that the multiple radio frequency component signals output by each group of radio frequency power amplifiers 163 are combined by the corresponding primary combiner into a first radio frequency synthesized signal with increased amplitude. Each secondary combiner has multiple inputs, which are used to receive the first radio frequency synthesized signal from the outputs of the plurality of primary combiners, respectively, to further synthesize the received first radio frequency synthesized signal into a second radio frequency synthesized signal with further increased amplitude. The second radio frequency synthesized signal is processed by the radio frequency power transmission module 18 and transmitted to the radio frequency transmitting coil of the magnetic resonance system.

[0041] In some embodiments, a primary synthesizer may be omitted as needed. That is, the radio frequency signals output by multiple radio frequency power amplifiers 163 can be synthesized by a radio frequency power synthesizer and then transmitted to the radio frequency transmitting coil via the radio frequency power transmission module 18.

[0042] The devices in the aforementioned RF power amplification module 16, such as the RF power amplifier 163, RF power combiner 165, and RF power divider 161, can all be lumped Wilkinson devices, thus achieving a compact size that can be applied in space-constrained systems, such as magnetic resonance systems.

[0043] The combining efficiency of each RF power combiner 165 in the RF power amplifier module 16 is affected by the balance / consistency of signal characteristics between its input signals, specifically including the phase and amplitude of the RF signals.

[0044] For example, Figure 2 Example waveforms of several input signals to an RF power combiner are shown, including waveforms 21, 22, and 23, which can be generated by, for example... Figure 1 The three RF power amplifiers 163 shown output to the corresponding RF power combiner 165. Ideally, the amplitude and phase of these three waveforms should be consistent (coinciding), thus potentially achieving 100% combining efficiency. However... Figure 2 In the process, the amplitude and phase of the three waveforms 21, 22 and 23 are different. Such differences lead to input imbalance in the RF power synthesizer. The greater the difference, the higher the degree of input imbalance, which reduces the final synthesis efficiency.

[0045] Figure 3 The relationship between the combining efficiency of an RF power combiner and its input imbalance is shown, where the horizontal axis represents the degree of input imbalance and the vertical axis represents the power combining efficiency. Figure 3It can be seen that when the input imbalance reaches a certain value, the synthesis efficiency of the RF power synthesizer may drop to a sufficiently low level, at which point the RF power amplifier module 16 is considered to be unable to work properly.

[0046] Currently, magnetic resonance systems require the application of radio frequency amplification and radio frequency synthesis technologies to achieve the required radio frequency transmission power, especially for magnetic resonance systems with high field strength, which require the radio frequency transmission system to have a large peak power.

[0047] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an exemplary MR (Magnetic Resonance) system 40 according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 4 As shown, the operator workstation 41 is used to control the operation of the MR system 40. The operator workstation 41 includes an input device 414, a control panel 416, and a display 418. The input device 414 may include a joystick, keyboard, mouse, trackball, touchscreen, voice control, or any similar or equivalent input device. The control panel 416 may include a keyboard, touchscreen, voice control, buttons, sliders, or any similar or equivalent control device. The operator workstation 41 is coupled to and communicates with a computer system 42, which enables the operator (e.g., via the input device) to control the generation and viewing of images or other monitoring information on the display 418, and to perform human-machine interaction through the user interface displayed on the display 418. This human-machine interaction can be used for: inputting information required for scanning, determining scanning parameters (e.g., determining the scanning sequence or other parameters during the scanning process), performing image processing operations, selecting images, and viewing the quality assessment results of the selected images, etc. The computer system 42 includes multiple components that communicate with each other via an electrical and / or data connection module 422. The connection module 422 may be a direct wired connection, a fiber optic connection, a wireless communication link, etc. Computer system 42 may include a central processing unit (CPU) 424, memory 426, and image processor 428. In some embodiments, image processor 428 may be replaced by image processing functions implemented in CPU 424. Computer system 42 may be connected to an archive media device, permanent or backup storage, or a network. Computer system 42 may be coupled to and communicate with a separate MR system controller 43.

[0048] The MR system controller 43 includes a set of components that communicate with each other via an electrical and / or data connection module 432. The connection module 432 may be a direct wired connection, a fiber optic connection, a wireless communication link, etc. The MR system controller 43 may include a CPU 431, a sequence pulse generator 433 that communicates with the operator workstation 41, a transceiver (or RF transceiver) 435, a memory 437, and an array processor 439.

[0049] The magnetic resonance system 40 includes a resonant assembly 44 and a housing (not shown) for accommodating the resonant assembly 44. An MR scan object 447 can be positioned within a cylindrical imaging volume 446 of the resonant assembly 44. The resonant assembly 44 includes a superconducting magnet 441, and may also include a gradient coil 442 and an RF body coil 448. The superconducting coil 441 provides a static, uniform longitudinal magnetic field B0 throughout the cylindrical imaging volume 446 during operation.

[0050] The MR system controller 43 can receive commands from the operator workstation 41 to indicate the scan sequence to be performed during the MR scan.

[0051] The aforementioned "scan sequence" refers to a combination of pulses with specific amplitude, width, direction, and timing applied during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. These pulses typically include, for example, radio frequency (RF) pulses and gradient pulses. The RF pulses can include, for example, RF excitation pulses, RF refocusing pulses, inversion recovery pulses, etc. These RF pulses can have different amplitudes, phases, flip angles, etc., depending on their different functions. Gradient pulses can include, for example, slice selection gradient pulses, gradient pulses for phase encoding, gradient pulses for frequency encoding, gradient pulses for phase shifting (phase shifting), gradient pulses for discrete phase (dephasing), etc., and these gradient pulses can also have different amplitudes and / or durations.

[0052] Typically, multiple scanning sequences can be pre-set in a magnetic resonance imaging system to allow selection of sequences that meet clinical testing needs, such as imaging sites, imaging functions, and imaging effects.

[0053] The radio frequency (RF) pulses in the scan sequence indicated by the MR system controller 43 can be generated via a sequence pulse generator 433. Specifically, the pulse generator 433 may include the RF signal generation module 14. The RF signal generation module 14 may be integrated into the resonant assembly 44, for example, disposed in the magnet housing between scans. The RF signal generation module 14 can generate corresponding RF pulses (RF signals) based on a predetermined (e.g., user-selected) description of the RF pulses in the scan sequence (e.g., including amplitude, frequency, etc.). These RF pulses are amplified by the RF power amplification module 16 to generate an RF power amplification signal, which is then provided to the RF body coil 448 or other types of RF transmitting coils via the RF power transmission module 18. In some embodiments, the RF power transmission module 18 may include a transmit / receive switch (T / R switch) 181, which is used to control the RF body coil 448 to receive the RF power amplification signal or to transmit the detected magnetic resonance signal to the RF receiving system in response to a control signal from the MR system controller 43. When the RF body coil 448 receives the RF power amplification signal as RF excitation, it generates a transverse magnetic field B1, which is approximately perpendicular to B0 throughout the cylindrical imaging volume 446.

[0054] Typically, higher field strength magnetic resonance systems require higher RF power output. However, when the amplification gain or output power of existing RF power amplifiers cannot be further increased, power combining techniques are needed to configure more RF power amplifiers for higher field strength (e.g., 3.0 T or above) magnetic resonance systems. An example of this power combining technique is... Figure 1 As shown. In some products, the RF power amplifier module 16 is located in the limited space between the resonant component 44 and its housing. Furthermore, temperature control of the power amplifier component is usually required to ensure the electronic characteristics of the device. During product upgrades, when more RF power amplifiers are needed, the area of ​​the original circuit board used to carry the RF power amplifier circuit needs to be increased. This may require expanding the space between the resonant component 44 and the housing or rearranging the entire space. Additional heat dissipation templates are also needed to prevent the device from overheating, thus increasing the design complexity.

[0055] This invention envisions separating the radio frequency power amplifier module onto at least two circuit boards and providing a "shared" heat dissipation / cooling module for the two circuit boards. Furthermore, it proposes temperature monitoring and control of the at least two circuit boards to ensure that their temperatures remain consistent.

[0056] In some embodiments, the system controller 43 may also receive data from the detector, such as physiological monitoring signals of the detected object such as breathing and heartbeat, and various status monitoring signals of system components. The system controller 43 performs scan-related operation control based on the received data from the detector.

[0057] In embodiments of the present invention, the magnetic resonance system further includes at least two temperature detection modules 455 and 456 and a radio frequency (RF) control module 453. The at least two temperature detection modules 455 and 456 are respectively used to acquire the temperature of the at least two circuit boards sharing the same heat dissipation module. The RF control module 453 can communicate with the system controller 43 via an electrical / data connection. The RF control module 453 is used to control the output RF power signal at a target temperature of the RF power amplifier circuit on the corresponding circuit board based on the temperature of each circuit board. The RF control module 453 can be integrated with the RF power amplifier module 16 in the resonant assembly 44. For example, the RF control module 453 can be disposed on the circuit board carrying the RF power amplifier module, or it can have a separate carrier. At least a portion of the RF control module 453 can also be integrated with, for example, the MR system controller 43.

[0058] The target temperature can be the temperature at which each device in the RF power amplifier module 16 operates in an optimal state. For example, some devices in the RF power amplifier module 16 (such as the RF power amplifier 163) have temperature characteristics. According to these temperature characteristics, when the target temperature is reached, these devices have ideal output signal characteristics or gain. If the current actual temperature differs significantly from the target temperature, the output signal characteristics or gain of the devices will deteriorate. At this time, the RF control module 453 can adjust the signal characteristics input to these devices so that the signal output by the devices has the expected signal characteristics and a high degree of signal balance, ensuring the efficiency of signal synthesis, and enabling the RF power amplifier module 16 to reach the required peak power.

[0059] In some embodiments of the present invention, temperature detection modules 455 and 456 may be disposed close to the two circuit boards, and further, may be disposed at positions corresponding to the heat-generating devices (e.g., RF power amplifiers, RF power combiners, RF power dividers, etc.) on the circuit boards. The at least two circuit boards carrying the RF power amplifier circuit and their heat dissipation modules (e.g., cold plates) may be disposed in the scanning chamber, for example, in the housing for mounting the resonant assembly 44.

[0060] The gradient waveform in the scan sequence indicated by the MR system controller 43 can be generated via the sequence pulse generator 433 and provided to the gradient driver system 46, which includes G x G yand G z Amplifiers, etc. Each G x G y and G z The gradient amplifiers all excite the corresponding gradient coils in the gradient coil assembly 442 to generate magnetic field gradients for spatial encoding of the MR signal during MR scanning.

[0061] A sequence pulse generator 433 is coupled to and communicates with a scanning chamber interface system 47, which receives signals from various sensors associated with the state of the resonant assembly 44 and from various processors located within the scanning chamber. The scanning chamber interface system 47 is also coupled to and communicates with a patient positioning system 48, which sends and receives signals to control the patient stage 443 to the desired position for MRI scanning. In some embodiments, the sequence pulse generator 433 may be integrated into the resonant assembly 44 of the MR system 40.

[0062] The resonant assembly 44 may also include an RF surface coil 449 for imaging different anatomical structures of a patient undergoing an MR scan. The RF body coil 448 and the RF surface coil 449 may be configured to operate in transmit and receive modes, transmit mode, or receive mode.

[0063] As described above, the RF body coil 448 and RF surface coil 449 can be used to transmit RF excitation pulses and / or receive the resulting MR signals from a patient undergoing an MR scan. MR signals emitted by excited nuclei within the patient undergoing an MR scan can be sensed and received by the RF body coil 448 or RF surface coil 449 and transmitted back to the preamplifier 46 via the T / R switch 181. The T / R switch 181 can be controlled by a signal from the MR system controller 43 to electrically connect the RF power amplifier module 16 to the RF body coil 448 during transmit mode and to the preamplifier 46 to the RF body coil 448 during receive mode.

[0064] In some implementations, the MR signal sensed and received by the RF body coil 448 or the RF surface coil 449 and amplified by the preamplifier 457 is stored as a raw k-space data array in memory 437 for post-processing. A reconstructed magnetic resonance image can be obtained by transforming / processing this stored raw k-space data.

[0065] In some implementations, the MR signal sensed and received by the RF body coil 448 or RF surface coil 449 and amplified by the preamplifier 457 is demodulated, filtered, and digitized in the receiving section of the transceiver 435 and transmitted to the memory 437 in the MR system controller 43. For each image to be reconstructed, the data is rearranged into separate k-space data arrays, and each of these separate k-space data arrays is input to the array processor 439, which is operated to perform a Fourier transform on the data into an array of image data.

[0066] The array processor 439 uses a transformation method, most commonly Fourier transform, to create an image from the received MR signal. These images are transmitted to the computer system 42 and stored in the memory 426. In response to a command received from the operator workstation 41, the image data may be stored in long-term memory, or it may be further processed by the image processor 428 and transmitted to the operator workstation 41 for display on the monitor 418.

[0067] In various implementations, components of computer system 42, MR system controller 43, and radio frequency control module 453 can be implemented on the same computer system or multiple computer systems. It should be understood that... Figure 4 The MR system 40 shown is for illustrative purposes. Suitable MRI systems may include more, fewer, and / or different components.

[0068] The MR system controller 43, computer system 42, and radio frequency control module 453 may each or jointly include a computer processor and a storage medium. The storage medium records a program for predetermined data processing to be executed by the computer processor. For example, the storage medium may store programs for performing scanning processes (e.g., scanning procedures, imaging sequences), image reconstruction, image processing, etc. For instance, it may store a program for implementing the radio frequency signal synthesis method of the embodiments of the present invention. The storage medium may include, for example, a ROM, floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, or non-volatile memory card.

[0069] Figure 5 A block diagram of a radio frequency power output device 50 according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 6 A schematic cross-sectional view of a radio frequency power output device 50 according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. For example... Figure 5 , Figure 6 As shown, the radio frequency power output device 50 includes a cooling plate 62, which has two opposing sides 621 and 622. The opposing sides 621 and 622 of the cooling plate 62 are respectively provided with a first circuit board 51 and a second circuit board 53. The first circuit board 51 and the second circuit board 53 are respectively provided with radio frequency power amplifier circuits 54.

[0070] The RF power output device 50 also includes a temperature detection module 55 and a control module 56. The temperature detection module 55 is used to acquire the temperature of the first circuit board 51 and the temperature of the second circuit board 53. The control module 56 is used to control the RF power amplifier circuit 54 of the first circuit board 51 to output an RF power signal at a target temperature based on the temperature of the first circuit board 51, and to control the RF power amplifier circuit 54 of the second circuit board 53 to output an RF power signal at a target temperature based on the temperature of the second circuit board 53.

[0071] In the above scheme, by using two circuit boards to separately house the RF power amplifier circuit 54, it is not necessary to increase the original size of the circuit boards to accommodate a large number of components or a large circuit area in the RF power amplifier circuit 54. Positioning these two circuit boards on opposite sides of a cooling plate allows for heat dissipation from both circuit boards using only a single cooling plate, further saving space. By detecting the temperatures of the first circuit board 51 and the second circuit board 53 respectively, and using the control module 56 to control the output of the RF power amplifier circuit 54 of the corresponding circuit board based on the detected temperatures, the output power of the RF power amplifier circuit 54 on the corresponding circuit board is brought to the target temperature, reducing the output power drop caused by the temperature difference between the two circuit boards.

[0072] In some embodiments, the first circuit board 51 and the second circuit board 53 have at least mutually symmetrical portions, for example, the symmetrical portions are used to arrange corresponding radio frequency power amplifier circuits 54. In this way, the environmental differences of the radio frequency power amplifier circuits 54 on the two circuit boards are reduced, and the consistency of signal characteristics is improved.

[0073] In some embodiments, the first circuit board 51 and the second circuit board 53 may have asymmetrical portions, which can be used to arrange any required circuits or components. The cooling plate 62 may not be configured in the asymmetrical portions of the first circuit board 51 and the second circuit board 53; for example, the cooling plate 62 may not extend to the location of the additional circuit.

[0074] Figure 7A schematic cross-sectional view of a radio frequency power output device according to other embodiments of the present invention is shown, wherein the temperature detection module 55 includes a first temperature detector 552 and a second temperature detector 554. The first temperature detector 552 can output a first temperature based on temperature detection of a first circuit board 51, and the second temperature detector 554 can output a second temperature based on temperature detection of a second circuit board 53. The aforementioned "temperature of the first circuit board 51" can be generated based on the first temperature, and the aforementioned "temperature of the second circuit board" can be generated based on the second temperature. For example, the aforementioned first temperature and second temperature can be directly used as the temperatures of the corresponding circuit boards, or they can be the results of preset mathematical operations, respectively, as the temperatures of the corresponding circuit boards. One embodiment of the first temperature detector 552 and the second temperature detector 554 may include a temperature sensor, or other temperature detection technologies may be applied to realize the temperature detection of the first circuit board 51 and the second circuit board 53.

[0075] In some embodiments, the first temperature detector 552 includes a portion that contacts one side 621 of the cooling plate 62, close enough to the cooling plate 62 such that the detected temperature is as correlated as possible with the temperature environment in which the circuit board and its devices are located. The first temperature detector 552 also includes a portion that contacts the first circuit board 51 to facilitate circuit layout on the first circuit board 51. Similarly, the second temperature detector 554 includes a portion that contacts the other side 622 of the cooling plate 62 and a portion that contacts the second circuit board 53.

[0076] In some embodiments, a first temperature detector 552 is disposed between a cooling plate 62 and a first circuit board 51, and a second temperature detector 554 is disposed between a cooling plate 62 and a second circuit board 53. For example, both the first temperature detector 552 and the second temperature detector are embedded in the cooling plate 62, the first temperature detector 552 is embedded in or penetrates the first circuit board 51, and the second temperature detector 554 is embedded in or penetrates the second circuit board 53.

[0077] In some embodiments, the first temperature detector 552 and the second temperature detector 554 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the cooling plate 62 so as to output the temperature at the corresponding location, so that the control module 56 makes control of the RF power amplifier circuit 54 based on consistent temperature feedback conditions, further ensuring the consistency of signal characteristics on both sides.

[0078] In some embodiments, the first temperature detector 552 and the second temperature detector 554 are both located close to the RF power amplifier in the corresponding RF power amplifier circuit, so that the temperature that can be obtained is closer to the actual temperature of the RF power amplifier, and the control of the RF power amplifier is more precise.

[0079] In some embodiments, the control module 56 is used to control the phase and amplitude of the first radio frequency power input signal input to the radio frequency power amplifier circuit (i.e., the first radio frequency power amplifier circuit) 54 of the first circuit board 51 based on the temperature of the first circuit board 51 and the pre-stored temperature characteristics of the radio frequency power amplifier. The control module 56 is also used to control the phase and amplitude of the second radio frequency power input signal input to the radio frequency power amplifier circuit (i.e., the second radio frequency power amplifier circuit) 54 of the second circuit board 53 based on the temperature of the second circuit board 53 and the pre-stored temperature characteristics of the radio frequency power amplifier.

[0080] The aforementioned "temperature characteristics" include the characteristics of the signal output of the RF power amplifier as a function of temperature. The range of this "temperature" can encompass the actual temperature detectable by the temperature detection module 55, and also includes the target temperature, i.e., the temperature at which the first circuit board 51 and the second circuit board 53 operate in an optimal state. In embodiments of the present invention, the "signal characteristics" include at least one of the amplitude and phase of the output signal of the RF power amplifier.

[0081] Figure 8 This schematically illustrates an example of controlling the output signal characteristics of an RF power amplifier circuit based on actual temperature and the temperature characteristics of the RF power amplifier, where the actual temperature refers to the temperature of the first circuit board 51 and the temperature of the second circuit board 53 obtained by the aforementioned temperature detection module 55. Figure 8 As shown, curve 810 represents the amplitude-temperature characteristic of the RF power amplifier in the RF power amplifier circuit 54. The horizontal axis represents the temperature of the RF power amplifier, and the vertical axis represents the amplitude gain of the RF power amplifier. Figure 8 It can be seen that, with the same input signal, the amplitude of the output signal of the RF power amplifier gradually decreases as the temperature increases, that is, the gain of the RF power amplifier decreases as the temperature increases. Curve 820 represents the amplitude gain of the RF signal after adjustment before it is input to the RF power amplifier. The temperature T1 at point 830 on curves 820 and 810 is the standard temperature, also known as the target temperature, and point 830 and its corresponding line 834 correspond to the target amplitude gain.

[0082] Assuming the temperature T2 corresponding to point 832 on curve 820 and point 833 on curve 810 is the current actual temperature, which can be the temperature of the first circuit board 51 or the temperature of the second circuit board 53 detected by the temperature detection module 55, then according to curve 810, the amplitude gain at this actual temperature is lower than the target amplitude gain. In this case, based on the target amplitude gain and the actual amplitude gain at point 833, the amplitude of the input signal of the RF power amplifier can be increased (e.g., by adjusting the amplitude of the input signal according to curve 820), so that even with the decrease in the gain of the RF power amplifier, the amplitude of the output signal remains at the target amplitude.

[0083] When performing phase control on the RF power signal output by an RF power amplifier circuit, the principle is similar to that of amplitude control described above. For example, the phase of the output signal of the RF power amplifier gradually shifts as the temperature increases. If the phase at the actual temperature has a phase shift ΔФ compared to the phase at the target temperature, then the phase of the input signal of the RF power amplifier can be shifted by -ΔФ, and the phase of the output signal can be maintained at the phase at the target temperature.

[0084] Figure 9 A schematic block diagram of a radio frequency power output device 90 according to other embodiments of the present invention is shown, wherein the radio frequency power amplifier circuit 54 disposed on the first circuit board 51 and the second circuit board 53 can be connected with... Figure 1 The illustrated RF power amplifier module 16 has a similar structure. For example, the RF power amplifier circuit 54 may include multiple RF power amplifiers 542, and may further include an RF power divider 544 for power distribution and a first RF power combiner 546 for power combining. In embodiments of the present invention, the number and arrangement of the devices in the RF power amplifier 542 are not limited.

[0085] Control module 56 includes a first control circuit 92 and a second control circuit 94. The first control circuit 92 and the second control circuit 94 are respectively used to adjust the signal characteristics of the radio frequency power input signal input to the radio frequency power amplifier circuit 54 of the first circuit board 51 and the second circuit board 54. The radio frequency power input signal may be a power signal distributed to the radio frequency power amplifier circuit 54 on the first circuit board 51 and the second circuit board 53 via the radio frequency power divider 97.

[0086] The first control circuit 92 and the second control circuit 94 respectively include a phase adjuster 96 and an amplitude adjuster 98. The phase adjuster 96 includes an input terminal, a control terminal, and an output terminal. The input terminal of the phase adjuster 96 is used to receive the radio frequency power input signal RF0 to be adjusted. The control terminal of the phase adjuster 96 is used to receive the corresponding phase adjustment signal 912. The phase adjuster 96 is used to perform phase adjustment on the radio frequency power input signal RF0 to be adjusted based on the received phase adjustment signal 912, and then outputs the radio frequency power signal RF1 through its output terminal.

[0087] The amplitude adjuster 98 includes an input terminal, a control terminal, and an output terminal. The input terminal of the amplitude adjuster 98 is used to receive the corresponding phase-adjusted RF power input signal (RF power signal RF1). The control terminal of the amplitude adjuster 98 is used to receive the corresponding amplitude adjustment signal 914. The amplitude adjuster 98 is used to adjust the amplitude of the RF power signal RF1 based on the received amplitude adjustment signal 914 and then send the RF power signal RF2 through its output terminal to the input terminal of each RF power amplifier circuit 54 on the corresponding first circuit board 51 or second circuit board 53.

[0088] In other embodiments, the RF power input signal may be amplitude-adjusted first, and then phase-adjusted.

[0089] In some embodiments, the phase adjuster may include a phase shifter, the control terminal of which is used to receive a control voltage, the larger the absolute value of the control voltage, the greater the phase shift.

[0090] In some embodiments, the amplitude adjuster includes a variable gain amplifier, the control terminal of which is used to receive a control voltage so that the variable gain amplifier has a corresponding amplification gain, enabling the output of a required radio frequency power input signal to the radio frequency power amplifier circuit of the first or second circuit board based on gain adjustment.

[0091] The control module 56 further includes a signal adjustment processing unit 91, which generates a phase adjustment signal 912 and an amplitude adjustment signal 914 for the first control circuit 92 based on the temperature of the first circuit board 51 and the temperature characteristics of the aforementioned RF power amplifier. The signal adjustment processing unit 91 is also used to generate the phase adjustment signal 912 and the amplitude adjustment signal 914 for the second control circuit 94 based on the temperature of the second circuit board 53 and the temperature characteristics of the aforementioned RF power amplifier. The signal adjustment processing unit 91 sends the generated phase adjustment signal 912 and amplitude adjustment signal 914 to the corresponding RF power amplifier circuit 54 of the first circuit board 51 and the RF power amplifier circuit 54 of the second circuit board 53.

[0092] As an example, the signal conditioning processing unit 91 can be based on Figure 8The principle illustrated yields the corresponding phase adjustment signal 912 and amplitude adjustment signal 914. For example, the temperature range of the pre-stored temperature characteristics of the RF power amplifier can include the actual temperatures of the first and second circuit boards, which can be obtained by the temperature detection module 55, as well as the aforementioned target temperature. The signal adjustment processing unit 91 can receive predetermined reference characteristic values ​​(e.g., signal amplitude / gain and signal phase at the target temperature). The signal adjustment processing unit 91 can also obtain signal characteristic values ​​at the actual temperature based on the temperature characteristics. By obtaining the difference between the characteristic values ​​at the target temperature and the actual temperature, the corresponding phase adjustment signal 912 and amplitude adjustment signal 914 are obtained.

[0093] As previously described, the temperature of the first circuit board 51 can be a first temperature obtained by a first temperature detector 552, or a temperature value obtained by performing appropriate mathematical operations on the first temperature. The temperature of the second circuit board 53 can be a second temperature obtained by a second temperature detector 554, or a temperature value obtained by performing appropriate mathematical operations on the second temperature. For example, the temperature detection module 55 includes multiple first temperature detectors 552 and multiple second temperature detectors 554. The multiple first temperature detectors 552 can generate multiple first temperatures based on temperature detection of the first circuit board 51, and the multiple second temperature detectors 554 can generate multiple second temperatures based on temperature detection of the second circuit board 53.

[0094] like Figure 9 As shown, in some embodiments, the temperature detection module 55 further includes a temperature processing unit 93, which is used to obtain the average value of the multiple first temperatures output by the multiple first temperature detectors 552 and the average value of the multiple second temperatures output by the multiple second temperature detectors 554. The temperature processing unit 93 is used to transmit the average value of the multiple first temperatures as the temperature of the first circuit board to the control module 56, and the average value of the multiple second temperatures as the temperature of the second circuit board to the control module 56. The control module 56 then controls the RF power amplifier circuit 54 of the corresponding circuit board to output an RF power signal at the target temperature based on the average temperature.

[0095] The control module 56 can be integrated with the resonant component 44, for example, on the first circuit board 51, the second circuit board 53, or a separate third circuit board (not shown). In other embodiments, the first temperature detector 552 and the second temperature detector 554 can be disposed close to the first and second circuit boards, respectively, and connected to the first control circuit 92 and the second control circuit 94, respectively. Those skilled in the art will understand that the first temperature detector 552 and the second temperature detector 554 can be part of the first control circuit 92 and the second control circuit 94, respectively. The first control circuits 92 and 94 can be integrated with the resonant component 44, and at least one of the signal conditioning processing unit 91 and the temperature processing unit 93 can be integrated with the system controller 43 or other computer processing modules. The signal conditioning processing unit 91 and the temperature processing unit 93 can communicate with other circuits / modules / units of the control module 56, for example, via electrical or data connections.

[0096] like Figure 9 As shown, the radio frequency power output device of this embodiment further includes a radio frequency power divider 97, which is used to distribute the radio frequency power input signal RF0 to the radio frequency power amplifier circuits on the first circuit board 51 and the second circuit board 53, respectively. The radio frequency power output device of this embodiment also includes a second radio frequency power combiner 95, which is used to combine the radio frequency power signals output by the radio frequency power amplifier circuits 54 on the first circuit board 51 and the second circuit board 53 and output them to the outside. In some embodiments, the radio frequency power signal output via the second power combiner 95 can be transmitted to the radio frequency coil of the magnetic resonance system through the radio frequency transmission module 18.

[0097] Figure 10 A schematic exploded view of a radio frequency power output device 100 according to other embodiments of the present invention is shown, wherein the cooling plate 62 includes a main plate 101 and a cooling channel 102 formed on the main plate 101. The cooling channel 102 is used to store or circulate a cooling medium, which may include water, air or other media.

[0098] The cooling channel 102 extends through the main body plate 101. The cooling plate 62 also includes a first partition 104 disposed between the main body plate 101 and the first circuit board 51 and a second partition 106 disposed between the main body plate 101 and the second circuit board 53, for the purpose of isolating the cooling channel 102 and the first circuit board 51 and the second circuit board 53, respectively.

[0099] A sealing device 105 is provided between the first partition 104 and the second partition 106 and the main body plate 101 to further prevent leakage of the cooling medium in the cooling channel 102.

[0100] By creating a cooling channel running through both sides of the cooling motherboard 101, the temperatures of the first circuit board 51 and the second circuit board 53 on both sides of the cooling plate 62 can be made more consistent, resulting in more consistent adjustments to the RF power signals on both sides based on temperature detection. However, this method has drawbacks such as increased processing load, high cost, and the potential for cooling medium leakage.

[0101] Figure 11 A schematic exploded view of a radio frequency power output device 110 according to other embodiments of the present invention is shown, wherein a cooling plate 62 includes a main body plate 111 and a cooling channel 112 formed on the main body plate 111. The cooling channel includes a groove communicating with one side 621 of the cooling plate 62 and a cooling pipe 113 disposed in the groove. The cooling pipe 113 is used to store or circulate a cooling medium, which may include water, air, or other media. An example of the cooling pipe 113 is a copper pipe.

[0102] like Figure 10 and 11 As shown, both cooling channels 102 and 112 include cooling medium inlets 1021 and 1121 and cooling medium outlets 1022 and 1122. It should be understood that cooling medium with a lower temperature can flow through cooling medium inlets 1021 and 1121 into cooling channels 102 and 112 to absorb heat dissipated by heat-generating devices (e.g., components in the RF power amplifier circuit 54) located near cooling channels 102 and 112, allowing cooling medium with a higher temperature to flow out through cooling medium outlets 1022 and 1122. In some embodiments, cooling medium inlets 1021 and 1121 and cooling medium outlets 1022 and 1122 can be located on the same side or opposite sides of the cooling plate 62.

[0103] like Figure 9 , Figure 10 , Figure 11 As shown, in embodiments of the present invention, multiple first temperature detectors 552 and multiple second temperature detectors 554 can be provided along cooling channels 102 or 112. For example, the first temperature detectors 52 and second temperature detectors 554 can be provided at least at cooling medium inlets 1021, 1121 and cooling medium outlets 1022, 1122. In this way, it is possible to adjust / control the RF power amplifier circuits on the two circuit boards based on temperature values ​​close to the actual temperature, so as to further improve the consistency / balance of signal characteristics. Of course, in cases where cost savings, simplified circuit layout, or less precise control are not required, only one first temperature detector 552 and one second temperature detector 554 can be provided.

[0104] Figure 12A radio frequency power output device 120 for a magnetic resonance system, according to further embodiments of the present invention, is shown. This device 120 may have a similar structure and operating principle to one or more of the foregoing embodiments. The device 120 includes a cooling plate 122, which comprises a main body plate 1221 having opposing first sides 1223 and second sides 1225, and a cooling groove 1227 formed on the main body plate 1221. The cooling groove 1227 includes an opening on the first side 1223 of the main body plate 1221 and a bottom 1229 opposite to the opening, the bottom being located between the first side 1223 and the second side 1225 of the main body plate 1221. The cooling groove 1227 may be connected to... Figure 11 The aforementioned groove has a similar structure, for example, for accommodating cooling pipe 1226.

[0105] The device 120 also includes two radio frequency power amplifier circuits 123 and 124, which are symmetrically disposed on the first side 1223 and the second side 1225 of the main body plate 1221, respectively. Each radio frequency power amplifier circuit 123, 124 is used to receive a radio frequency power input signal RF2 after adjusting the allocated radio frequency power input signal RF0. Each radio frequency power amplifier circuit 123, 124 may have a similar structure to the radio frequency power amplifier circuits 12, 54 in the above embodiment.

[0106] The device 120 also includes a first temperature detector 125 and a second temperature detector 126. The first temperature detector 125 is used to obtain the temperature of the first side 1223 of the main board 1221, and the second temperature detector 126 is used to obtain the temperature of the second side 1225 of the main board 1221. In this way, the ambient temperature of the two radio frequency power amplifier circuits 123 and 124 can be obtained respectively.

[0107] The device 120 also includes a first control circuit 127 and a second control circuit 128, which are respectively connected to the radio frequency power amplifier circuits 123 and 124, and are used to control the corresponding radio frequency power amplifier circuits 123 and 124 to output radio frequency power signals at the target temperature in response to the received signal characteristic adjustment signal. The signal characteristic adjustment signal received by the first control circuit 127 is generated based on the temperature of the first side 1223 of the main body plate 1221, and the signal characteristic adjustment signal received by the second control circuit 128 is generated based on the temperature of the second side 1225 of the main body plate 1221.

[0108] The aforementioned signal characteristic adjustment signals may include phase adjustment signals and amplitude adjustment signals. The first control circuit 127 and the second control circuit 128 may each include an amplitude adjuster and a phase adjuster. The phase adjuster receives the corresponding phase adjustment signal 1291 and adjusts the phase of the RF power input signal RF0 input to the corresponding RF power amplifier circuits 123 and 124 based on the received phase adjustment signal 1291. The amplitude adjuster receives the corresponding amplitude adjustment signal 1292 and adjusts the amplitude of the RF power input signal RF0 input to the corresponding RF power input signal RF0 based on the received amplitude adjustment signal 1292.

[0109] In embodiments of the present invention, the order in which the phase and amplitude of the radio frequency power input signal RF0 are adjusted is not limited. For example, the phase of the radio frequency power input signal RF0 can be adjusted first, and then the amplitude of the radio frequency power signal RF0 after phase adjustment can be adjusted; or, the amplitude of the radio frequency power input signal RF0 can be adjusted first, and then the phase of the radio frequency power signal RF0 after amplitude adjustment can be adjusted.

[0110] The device 120 may also include a signal adjustment processing unit 1293, which is used to generate the phase adjustment signal 1291 and amplitude adjustment signal 1292 mentioned above. The specific principle is similar to that of the signal adjustment processing unit 91, and will not be described in detail here.

[0111] The cooling pipe 1226 may include a cooling medium inlet and a cooling medium outlet, wherein at least one of the cooling medium inlet and the cooling medium outlet is provided with a first temperature detector 125 located on a first side 1223 of the main body plate 1221 and a second temperature detector 126 located on a second side 1225 of the main body plate 1221. In embodiments of the present invention, the number of the first temperature detector 125 and the second temperature detector 126 may be multiple, for example, multiple first temperature detectors 125 are respectively provided at the cooling medium inlet and the cooling medium outlet, and multiple second temperature detectors 126 are also respectively provided at the cooling medium inlet and the cooling medium outlet.

[0112] The device 120 may further include a temperature processing unit 1294, which is used to acquire the average value of a plurality of first temperatures obtained by the plurality of first temperature detectors 125 based on temperature sensing, and the average value of a plurality of second temperatures obtained by the plurality of second temperature detectors 126 based on temperature sensing. In an embodiment of the present invention, the temperature of the first side 1223 of the main body plate 1221 is the average value of the plurality of first temperatures, and the temperature of the second side 1225 of the main body plate 1221 is the average value of the plurality of second temperatures.

[0113] In embodiments of the present invention, carriers 1231 and 1241 are further included, which are used to carry radio frequency power amplifier circuits 123 and 124, respectively. Carrier 1231 is attached to the first side 1223 of the main board 1221, and carrier 1241 is attached to the second side 1225 of the main board 1221. In this embodiment, carriers 1231 and 1241 can be the aforementioned first circuit board 51 or second circuit board 53, respectively.

[0114] In embodiments of the present invention, a carrier 1271 is further included, which carries the first control circuit 127 and the second control circuit 128. As an optional embodiment, the signal adjustment processing unit 1293 may also be disposed on the carrier 1271. An example of the carriers 1231, 1241, and 1271 includes a printed circuit board. The carrier 1271 may be independent of the carriers 1231 and 1241, or it may be part of either the carriers 1231 and 1241.

[0115] Temperature detector 125 may be disposed on carrier 1231, or at least partially disposed between main body plate 1221 and carrier 1231. Temperature detector 126 may be disposed on carrier 1241, or at least partially disposed between main body plate 1221 and carrier 1241.

[0116] The device 120 may further include an RF power combiner 1204 connected to the output terminals of RF power amplifier circuits 123 and 124, and an RF power divider 1206 connected to the input terminals of RF power amplifier circuits 123 and 124. The RF power divider 1206 outputs the aforementioned RF power input signal RF0, and the RF power combiner 1204 receives and combines the RF power output signal RF3 from the RF power amplifier circuits 123 and 124. The combined RF power signal can be sent to the RF coil of the magnetic resonance system.

[0117] The radio frequency power divider 1206 and the radio frequency power combiner 1204 can be respectively mounted on either of the above-mentioned carriers.

[0118] In the above embodiments of the present invention, by setting circuit modules with RF amplifiers on both sides of the cooling plate, it is unnecessary to increase the area of ​​the cooling plate to accommodate the increase in the number of devices or the circuit area in the circuit modules. By placing the two RF power amplifier circuits on opposite sides of the cooling plate, a single cooling plate can be used to simultaneously dissipate heat from both circuits, further saving space. A cooling groove can be created only on one side of the cooling plate, resulting in a simple process, low cost, and reduced leakage of the cooling medium. By using temperature detectors on both sides to detect the actual temperature on each side, the RF output signals of the two RF power amplifier circuits can be controlled to have relatively consistent signal characteristics, thus ensuring the subsequent synthesized power and the required RF power output.

[0119] refer to Figure 13 The diagram illustrates a flowchart of a radio frequency signal power output method 130 for a magnetic resonance system according to some embodiments of the present invention. This method can be implemented via the radio frequency power output device of any of the above embodiments.

[0120] In step 1310, the actual temperatures of two circuit boards located on opposite sides of water-cooled plates 62 and 122 are obtained, wherein each circuit board includes an RF power amplifier circuit, and each RF power amplifier circuit includes multiple RF power amplifiers. In this step, the induced temperatures at symmetrical locations on the two circuit boards are obtained. Obtaining the temperatures of the two circuit boards may include obtaining the average value of multiple induced temperatures at multiple locations on each circuit board.

[0121] At step 1320, the radio frequency power input signal allocated to the radio frequency power amplifier circuit of each circuit board is received.

[0122] In step 1330, based on the actual temperatures of the two circuit boards, the corresponding RF power amplifier circuits are controlled to output RF power signals at the target temperature. Specifically, this may include: adjusting the signal characteristics of each RF power input signal based on the pre-acquired temperature characteristics of the RF power amplifiers, and amplifying the adjusted RF power input signals via the corresponding RF power amplifier circuits. The temperature characteristics of the RF power amplifiers include the gain or output RF power signals of the RF power amplifiers at the actual temperature and the target temperature, respectively.

[0123] Based on the above description, the present invention provides a radio frequency (RF) power output device for a magnetic resonance (MRI) system. This device includes a cooling plate, a temperature detection module, and a control module. A first circuit board and a second circuit board are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the cooling plate. The first and second circuit boards are respectively provided with a first RF power amplifier circuit and a second RF power amplifier circuit. The temperature detection module is used to acquire the temperatures of the first and second circuit boards. The control module controls the first RF power amplifier circuit to output an RF power signal at a target temperature based on the temperature of the first circuit board, and controls the second RF power amplifier circuit to output an RF power signal at the target temperature based on the temperature of the second circuit board.

[0124] Each of these RF power amplifier circuits includes multiple RF power amplifiers. The control module is used to control the phase and amplitude of a first RF power input signal input to the first RF power amplifier circuit based on the temperature of the first circuit board and pre-stored temperature characteristics of the RF power amplifiers. The control module is also used to control the phase and amplitude of a second RF power input signal input to the second RF power amplifier circuit based on the temperature of the second circuit board and pre-stored temperature characteristics of the RF power amplifiers.

[0125] The control module includes a first control circuit and a second control circuit, each comprising a phase adjuster and an amplitude adjuster. The phase adjuster includes an input terminal, a control terminal, and an output terminal. The input terminal receives a first or second RF power input signal to be adjusted. The control terminal receives a corresponding phase adjustment signal. The phase adjuster adjusts the phase of the received first or second RF power input signal based on the received phase adjustment signal and outputs the result through its output terminal. The amplitude adjuster also includes an input terminal, a control terminal, and an output terminal. The input terminal receives the corresponding phase-adjusted first or second RF power input signal. The control terminal receives a corresponding amplitude adjustment signal. The amplitude adjuster adjusts the amplitude of the received first or second RF power input signal based on the received amplitude adjustment signal and outputs the result to the corresponding first or second RF power amplifier circuit.

[0126] The control module also includes a signal conditioning processing unit, which generates the phase adjustment signal and amplitude adjustment signal for the first control circuit based on the temperature of the first circuit board and the temperature characteristics of the RF power amplifier. The signal conditioning processing unit also generates the phase adjustment signal and amplitude adjustment signal for the second control circuit based on the temperature of the second circuit board and the temperature characteristics of the RF power amplifier.

[0127] The temperature detection module includes a first temperature detector and a second temperature detector. The first temperature detector outputs a first temperature based on temperature detection of the first circuit board, and the temperature of the first circuit board is generated based on the first temperature. The second temperature detector outputs a second temperature based on temperature detection of the second circuit board, and the temperature of the second circuit board is generated based on the second temperature.

[0128] The first temperature detector and the second temperature detector are arranged symmetrically with respect to the cooling plate.

[0129] The first temperature detector and the second temperature detector are embedded in or in contact with the cooling plate. The first temperature detector is embedded in or penetrates the first circuit board, and the second temperature detector is embedded in or penetrates the second circuit board.

[0130] The temperature detection module includes multiple first temperature detectors and multiple second temperature detectors. The device also includes a temperature processing unit, which is used to obtain the average value of multiple first temperatures output by multiple first temperature detectors as the temperature of the first circuit board, and to obtain the average value of multiple second temperatures output by multiple second temperature detectors as the temperature of the second circuit board.

[0131] The cooling plate includes a main plate and a cooling channel formed on the main plate, and the first temperature detector and the second temperature detector are disposed along the cooling channel.

[0132] The cooling channel includes a cooling medium inlet and a cooling medium outlet, wherein at least one of the cooling medium inlet and the cooling medium outlet is provided with the first temperature detector and the second temperature detector.

[0133] The cooling channel includes a groove connecting one of the opposite sides of the cooling plate and a cooling pipe disposed in the groove.

[0134] The cooling channel runs through the main body plate, and the cooling plate also includes a first partition plate disposed between the main body plate and the first circuit board, and a second partition plate disposed between the main body plate and the second circuit board.

[0135] In another aspect, the present invention provides a radio frequency power output device for a magnetic resonance system. This device includes a cooling plate, two radio frequency power amplifier circuits symmetrically disposed on a first side and a second side of a main body plate, a first temperature detector, a second temperature detector, a first control circuit, and a second control circuit. The cooling plate includes a main body plate having opposing first and second sides, and a cooling groove formed on the main body plate. The cooling groove includes an opening on the first side of the main body plate and a bottom opposite the opening and located between the first and second sides. The first temperature detector is used to acquire the temperature of the first side of the main body plate, and the second temperature detector is used to acquire the temperature of the second side of the main body plate. The first and second control circuits are respectively connected to the two radio frequency power amplifier circuits and are respectively used to control the corresponding radio frequency power amplifier circuits to output radio frequency power signals at a target temperature in response to received signal characteristic adjustment signals. The signal characteristic adjustment signal received by the first control circuit is generated based on the temperature of the first side of the cooling plate, and the signal characteristic adjustment signal received by the second control circuit is generated based on the temperature of the second side of the cooling plate.

[0136] The signal characteristic adjustment signal received by the first control circuit is obtained based on the temperature of the first side of the main board and the temperature characteristics of the pre-stored radio frequency power amplifier, and the signal characteristic adjustment signal received by the second control circuit is obtained based on the temperature of the second side of the main board and the temperature characteristics of the radio frequency power amplifier.

[0137] The signal characteristic adjustment signal includes an amplitude adjustment signal and a phase adjustment signal. The first control circuit and the second control circuit each include a phase adjuster and an amplitude adjuster. The phase adjuster receives the corresponding phase adjustment signal and adjusts the phase of the RF power input signal input to the corresponding RF power amplifier circuit based on the received phase adjustment signal. The amplitude adjuster receives the corresponding amplitude adjustment signal and adjusts the amplitude of the RF power input signal input to the corresponding RF power input circuit based on the received amplitude adjustment signal.

[0138] The device also includes a first carrier and a second carrier for carrying the two radio frequency power amplifier circuits and being attached to the first and second sides of the main body plate, respectively. The first temperature detector is disposed on the first carrier or at least partially disposed between the main body plate and the first carrier, and the second temperature detector is disposed on the second carrier or at least partially disposed between the main body plate and the second carrier.

[0139] The cooling tank contains a cooling pipe, which includes a cooling medium inlet and a cooling medium outlet, wherein at least one of the cooling medium inlet and the cooling medium outlet is provided with the first temperature detector and the second temperature detector.

[0140] The device includes multiple first temperature detectors and multiple second temperature detectors. The temperature on the first side of the cooling plate is the average of multiple first temperatures obtained by the multiple first temperature detectors based on temperature sensing, and the temperature on the second side of the cooling plate is the average of multiple second temperatures obtained by the multiple second temperature detectors based on temperature sensing.

[0141] In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for radio frequency power output in a magnetic resonance system, comprising:

[0142] The actual temperatures of two circuit boards located on opposite sides of a water-cooled plate are obtained, wherein each circuit board includes an RF power amplifier circuit, and each RF power amplifier circuit includes multiple RF power amplifiers.

[0143] Receive the RF power input signal allocated to the RF power amplifier circuit for each board;

[0144] Based on the actual temperatures of the two circuit boards, the corresponding RF power amplifier circuits are controlled to output RF power signals at the target temperature.

[0145] The step of “controlling the output of the corresponding RF power amplifier circuit at the target temperature based on the actual temperatures of the two circuit boards” includes: adjusting the signal characteristics of each RF power input signal based on the pre-acquired temperature characteristics of the RF power amplifier, and amplifying the adjusted RF power input signal through the corresponding RF power amplifier circuit. The temperature characteristics of the RF power amplifier include the gain or output RF power signal of the RF power amplifier at the actual temperature and the target temperature, respectively.

[0146] In addition to any modifications previously indicated, those skilled in the art can devise many other variations and alternative arrangements without departing from the spirit and scope of this description, and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. Therefore, although the information has been described above in a specific and detailed manner in conjunction with what is currently considered to be the most practical and preferred aspects, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications can be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein, including but not limited to changes in form, function, mode of operation, and use. Likewise, as used herein, in all respects, examples and embodiments are intended to be illustrative only and should not be construed as restrictive in any way.

[0147] The purpose of providing the above specific embodiments is to enable a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of the disclosure of this invention, but this invention is not limited to these specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, equivalent substitutions, and changes can be made to this invention, and all such modifications and changes should be within the scope of protection of this invention, provided they do not depart from the spirit of this invention.

Claims

1. A radio frequency power output device for a magnetic resonance system, the device comprising: A cooling plate, wherein a first circuit board and a second circuit board are respectively provided on opposite sides of the cooling plate, and the first circuit board and the second circuit board are respectively provided with a first radio frequency power amplifier circuit and a second radio frequency power amplifier circuit; A temperature detection module is used to acquire the temperature of the first circuit board and the temperature of the second circuit board; and, The control module controls the first RF power amplifier circuit to output an RF power signal at a target temperature based on the temperature of the first circuit board, and controls the second RF power amplifier circuit to output an RF power signal at the target temperature based on the temperature of the second circuit board.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the aforementioned RF power amplifier circuits includes multiple RF power amplifiers, and the control module is used for: The phase and amplitude of the first RF power input signal input to the first RF power amplifier circuit are controlled based on the temperature of the first circuit board and the pre-stored temperature characteristics of the RF power amplifier; and, The phase and amplitude of the second RF power input signal input to the second RF power amplifier circuit are controlled based on the temperature of the second circuit board and the pre-stored temperature characteristics of the RF power amplifier.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, The control module includes a first control circuit and a second control circuit, the first control circuit and the second control circuit respectively including: A phase adjuster includes an input terminal, a control terminal, and an output terminal. The input terminal receives a first RF power input signal or a second RF power input signal to be adjusted. The control terminal receives a corresponding phase adjustment signal. The phase adjuster adjusts the phase of the received first RF power input signal or second RF power input signal based on the received phase adjustment signal and then outputs the result through its output terminal. An amplitude adjuster is provided, comprising an input terminal, a control terminal, and an output terminal. The input terminal of the amplitude adjuster is used to receive a corresponding phase-adjusted first RF power input signal or a second RF power input signal. The control terminal of the amplitude adjuster is used to receive a corresponding amplitude adjustment signal. The amplitude adjuster is used to adjust the amplitude of the received first RF power input signal or the second RF power input signal based on the received amplitude adjustment signal, and then sends the signal to the corresponding first RF power amplifier circuit or the second RF power amplifier circuit through its output terminal.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, The control module further includes a signal adjustment and processing unit, which is used for: The phase adjustment signal and amplitude adjustment signal for the first control circuit are generated based on the temperature of the first circuit board and the temperature characteristics of the RF power amplifier; and, The phase adjustment signal and amplitude adjustment signal for the second control circuit are generated based on the temperature of the second circuit board and the temperature characteristics of the RF power amplifier.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The temperature detection module includes: A first temperature detector, which outputs a first temperature based on temperature detection of the first circuit board, wherein the temperature of the first circuit board is generated based on the first temperature; and The second temperature detector outputs a second temperature based on temperature detection of the second circuit board, the temperature of the second circuit board being generated based on the second temperature.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, The first temperature detector and the second temperature detector are arranged symmetrically with respect to the cooling plate.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, The first temperature detector and the second temperature detector are embedded in or in contact with the cooling plate. The first temperature detector is embedded in or penetrates the first circuit board, and the second temperature detector is embedded in or penetrates the second circuit board.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, The temperature detection module includes multiple first temperature detectors and multiple second temperature detectors, and the device further includes: A temperature processing unit is configured to obtain the average value of multiple first temperatures output by multiple first temperature detectors as the temperature of the first circuit board, and to obtain the average value of multiple second temperatures output by multiple second temperature detectors as the temperature of the second circuit board.

9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein, The cooling plate includes a main plate and a cooling channel formed on the main plate, and a first temperature detector and a second temperature detector are disposed along the cooling channel.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, The cooling channel includes a cooling medium inlet and a cooling medium outlet, wherein at least one of the cooling medium inlet and the cooling medium outlet is provided with a first temperature detector and a second temperature detector.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, The cooling channel includes a groove connecting one of the opposite sides of the cooling plate and a cooling pipe disposed in the groove.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, The cooling channel extends through the main body plate, and the cooling plate further includes a first partition plate disposed between the main body plate and the first circuit board and a second partition plate disposed between the main body plate and the second circuit board.

13. A radio frequency power output device for a magnetic resonance system, the device comprising: A cooling plate, the cooling plate comprising a main plate having opposing first and second sides and a cooling groove formed on the main plate, the cooling groove comprising an opening formed on the first side of the main plate and a bottom opposite the opening and located between the first and second sides; Two radio frequency power amplifier circuits are respectively symmetrically arranged on the first and second sides of the main body plate; A first temperature detector is used to acquire the temperature of a first side of the main body plate; A second temperature detector is used to acquire the temperature of a second side of the main body plate; and A first control circuit and a second control circuit are respectively connected to the two radio frequency power amplifier circuits. The first control circuit and the second control circuit are respectively used to control the corresponding radio frequency power amplifier circuit to output radio frequency power signals at the target temperature in response to the received signal feature adjustment signal. The signal feature adjustment signal received by the first control circuit is generated based on the temperature of the first side of the cooling plate, and the signal feature adjustment signal received by the second control circuit is generated based on the temperature of the second side of the cooling plate.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, The signal characteristic adjustment signal received by the first control circuit is obtained based on the temperature of the first side of the main board and the temperature characteristics of the pre-stored radio frequency power amplifier, and the signal characteristic adjustment signal received by the second control circuit is obtained based on the temperature of the second side of the main board and the temperature characteristics of the radio frequency power amplifier.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, The signal characteristic adjustment signal includes an amplitude adjustment signal and a phase adjustment signal, and the first control circuit and the second control circuit respectively include: A phase adjuster, the phase adjuster being configured to receive a corresponding phase adjustment signal and adjust the phase of the radio frequency power input signal input to the corresponding radio frequency power amplifier circuit based on the received phase adjustment signal; and, An amplitude adjuster is configured to receive a corresponding amplitude adjustment signal and adjust the amplitude of the input to the corresponding radio frequency power input signal based on the received amplitude adjustment signal.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, It also includes a first carrier and a second carrier respectively for carrying the two radio frequency power amplifier circuits and being attached to the first and second sides of the main body board. The first temperature detector is disposed on the first carrier or at least partially disposed between the main body board and the first carrier, and the second temperature detector is disposed on the second carrier or at least partially disposed between the main body board and the second carrier.

17. The apparatus according to any one of claims 13-16, wherein, The cooling tank contains a cooling pipe, which includes a cooling medium inlet and a cooling medium outlet, wherein at least one of the cooling medium inlet and the cooling medium outlet is provided with a first temperature detector and a second temperature detector.

18. The apparatus according to any one of claims 13-16, wherein, The device includes a plurality of first temperature detectors and a plurality of second temperature detectors. The temperature on the first side of the cooling plate is the average of a plurality of first temperatures obtained by the plurality of first temperature detectors based on temperature sensing. The temperature on the second side of the cooling plate is the average of a plurality of second temperatures obtained by the plurality of second temperature detectors based on temperature sensing.

19. A method for radio frequency power output in a magnetic resonance system, comprising: The actual temperatures of two circuit boards located on opposite sides of a water-cooled plate are obtained, wherein each circuit board includes an RF power amplifier circuit, and each RF power amplifier circuit includes multiple RF power amplifiers. Receive the radio frequency power input signal allocated to the radio frequency power amplifier circuit for each circuit board; as well as, Based on the actual temperatures of the two circuit boards, the corresponding RF power amplifier circuits are controlled to output RF power signals at the target temperature.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein, The step of "controlling the corresponding RF power amplifier circuit to output the RF power signal at the target temperature based on the actual temperatures of the two circuit boards" includes: Based on the pre-acquired temperature characteristics of the RF power amplifier, the signal characteristics of each RF power input signal are adjusted, and the adjusted RF power input signal is amplified by the corresponding RF power amplifier circuit. The temperature characteristics of the RF power amplifier include the gain or output RF power signal of the RF power amplifier at the actual temperature and the target temperature, respectively.

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