Displaceable Local Coil for MRI Knee Centering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional knee coils in MRT systems lack the ability to be displaced in the axial patient direction, leading to suboptimal centering of the knee within the coil, resulting in signal loss, fold artifacts, and increased workflow complexity, particularly for patients who cannot adjust their position effectively.
Innovation Solution
A local coil design that allows for adjustable positioning in the axial and lateral directions, enabling the lower part of the coil to be displaced relative to the patient couch, ensuring accurate centering of the knee within the coil's isocenter without requiring patient movement, thus improving image quality and reducing examination time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the knee coil is fixed in position on the patient couch, then the device structure is simple, but the knee cannot be accurately centered in the isocenter leading to signal loss and fold artifacts
Solution Approach 1:
The knee coil is designed with a movable structure that allows displacement in the axial patient direction. The coil can be moved along the patient couch using a displacement device, transforming from a static fixed position to a dynamic adjustable position, enabling accurate centering of the knee in the isocenter while maintaining relatively simple device structure
Solution Approach 2:
The knee coil is divided into an upper part and a lower part that can move relative to each other. The lower part can be displaced independently along the patient couch in the axial direction, allowing the coil to be segmented into functional modules with different mobility requirements, thus achieving precise positioning without overly complicating the overall structure
2Ease of operation
If the patient is required to adjust their position to achieve proper centering, then no additional coil mechanisms are needed, but this increases workflow complexity and is not feasible for patients who cannot adjust their position
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring the patient to adjust their position to achieve proper centering, the invention inverts the approach by making the coil adjustable relative to the patient. The displacement device moves the coil along the patient couch, reversing who performs the adjustment action, thereby simplifying the operation for the patient while adding a controlled displacement mechanism to the coil
3Reliability
If the coil is designed to be displaced in axial direction, then accurate anatomical alignment is achieved improving image quality, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The coil incorporates a dynamic displacement capability along the axial patient direction, allowing it to adapt its position to achieve accurate anatomical alignment. This dynamic feature improves image quality by ensuring the knee is properly centered in the isocenter, while the displacement mechanism is designed to add minimal structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The displacement device serves multiple functions: it enables accurate centering of the knee, allows adjustment for different patient sizes and positions, and can compensate for positioning errors. This multi-functionality justifies the added structural complexity by providing comprehensive positioning capabilities that improve image quality across various examination scenarios
Data Source
AI summary
The embodiments relate to a local coil for an imaging magnetic resonance tomography system. The local coil includes at least one displacement facility for a displacement of at least part of the local coil along at least axes running, in particular, in the axial patient direction.