Disposable RF Coil for MRI Using Segmented Flexible Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional MRI RF coils are bulky, rigid, and inflexible, making them uncomfortable for patients and limiting their ability to efficiently couple with anatomical structures, which affects imaging quality and patient comfort.
Innovation Solution
A flexible and lightweight RF coil assembly with distributed capacitance conductors and miniaturized coupling electronics, enclosed in disposable materials like paper, plastic, or cloth, allowing for arbitrary placement and size adjustments based on anatomy, reducing material costs and environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional RF coils are used, then imaging function is achieved, but the coils are bulky and rigid making them uncomfortable for patients and limiting anatomical coupling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The RF coil assembly is divided into a disposable portion (loop portion surrounded by disposable material) and a durable portion (coupling electronics). This segmentation allows the loop portion to be flexible and conformable while the electronics can be optimized separately, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and functional capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The loop portion is surrounded by disposable material that provides flexibility and conformability, allowing the coil to adapt to patient anatomy. This flexible enclosure enables the coil to maintain intimate contact with body surfaces while remaining lightweight and comfortable.
2Productivity
If conventional RF coils are used, then imaging function is achieved, but operator maintenance time and cost are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The loop portion is designed as a disposable component that can be discarded after use, eliminating the need for time-consuming cleaning, sterilization, and maintenance operations. This disposable approach reduces operator workload and increases imaging throughput by allowing rapid replacement of used coils.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable loop portion is discarded after a single use while the durable coupling electronics are recovered and reused. This selective discarding and recovery strategy minimizes maintenance requirements and maximizes system productivity.
3Ease of operation
If flexible and lightweight RF coil assembly is used, then patient comfort and anatomical coupling are improved, but coil strength and durability may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The assembly is segmented into a disposable loop portion and a durable coupling electronics portion. The loop portion can be optimized for flexibility using appropriate materials, while the coupling electronics provide structural robustness and durability, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The loop portion is constructed with composite materials that provide both flexibility and sufficient structural integrity. The combination of flexible conductive elements with supportive disposable material enclosure creates a structure that is both conformable and mechanically sound.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables RF coils to conform to patient anatomy, reduces operator maintenance, and lowers production costs while maintaining imaging quality, making them suitable for disposable use in various MRI applications.
Implementation Method 1
Radio frequency (RF) coils are then used to create pulses of RF energy at or near the resonance frequency of the hydrogen nuclei
Implementation Method 2
the two parallel conductors maintained separate by the dielectric material along an entire length of the loop portion between terminating ends
Data Source
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AI summary
Various methods and systems are provided for a flexible, lightweight, and low-cost disposable radio frequency (RF) coil of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. In one example, an RF coil assembly for an MRI imaging system includes a loop portion comprising distributed capacitance conductor wires, a coupling electronics portion including a pre-amplifier; and a disposable material enclosing at least the loop portion, the disposable material comprising one or more of paper, plastic, and/or cloth.