Ankle Coil With Flexible Enclosure for Easier MRI Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ankle coils in magnetic resonance imaging systems are bulky and difficult to operate due to their upper halves being cumbersome, making it challenging to position them correctly for scanning.
Innovation Solution
An ankle coil design featuring a support assembly with flexible sheets and a pressing member that enclose around the foot, allowing the coil to be positioned without moving it, and incorporating a coil unit within the pressing member to improve imaging quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the upper half of the ankle coil is made bulky to ensure proper enclosing and imaging, then imaging quality is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in moving and positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The ankle coil is divided into an upper half and a lower half that can be separated. The lower half remains on the imaging table while the upper half can be independently moved into position, eliminating the need to move the entire bulky coil assembly and simplifying the positioning operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper half of the ankle coil is extracted as a separate movable component from the lower half. This allows the upper half to be independently positioned and installed only when needed, reducing the operational complexity of handling the complete bulky coil structure.
2Measurement precision
If the ankle coil is designed as a complete assembly to ensure proper enclosing state, then imaging quality is improved, but device complexity increases making it harder to install
Solution Approach 1:
The ankle coil assembly is segmented into upper and lower halves with distinct functions. The lower half provides the base structure and remains stationary, while the upper half contains the coil elements and can be independently installed, reducing overall installation complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower half of the ankle coil is pre-positioned on the imaging table before the upper half is installed. This preliminary arrangement simplifies the overall installation process by establishing a stable base first, then adding the movable upper portion.
Data Source
AI summary
An ankle coil may include a support assembly and a coil unit arranged inside the support assembly, which may include a seat including a side support located on a plantar side that supports a foot sole, and a bottom support located on a foot posterior side that supports a heel posterior part and a lower leg distal posterior part; flexible sheets connected to the seat and located on both sides of the foot, where the sheets are deformable to wrap the foot and overlap each other to provide an enclosing state; and a pressing member movably connected to the seat that may move until pressing against the overlapping portions in the enclosing state to maintain the enclosing state. Advantageously, the ankle coil is easy to operate, and the arrangement of the portion of the coil forming the coil unit in the pressing member helps to improve imaging quality.