Endorectal Prostate Coil with Deployable Spreader for Vertical MR Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current magnetic resonance (MR) imaging systems with horizontal main fields face limitations in accessing the prostate region for detailed anatomical and metabolic imaging, particularly during biopsies, due to the enclosed bore design which restricts movement and access, and dedicated abdominal coils do not operate effectively with vertical main fields.
Innovation Solution
An endorectal prostate coil designed for use with vertical main field MR systems, featuring a guide tube with a deployable spreader that flattens the prostate and provides open access for surgical instruments, combined with electrically conductive elements that act as both receive and transmit coils for improved imaging and biopsy guidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If an enclosed bore MR scanner with horizontal main field is used, then dedicated abdominal coils can image the prostate region, but the enclosed bore design restricts freedom of movement and access for surgical instruments during biopsy procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate functional components: a coil assembly for imaging and a spreader assembly for creating access. The coil includes a guide tube with a deployable spreader that can be inserted through the anal canal, allowing the prostate to be flattened and creating open access for biopsy instruments while the coil elements remain positioned for imaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The spreader is nested within the guide tube in a collapsed state for insertion, then deployed outward to flatten the prostate. The coil elements are positioned around the guide tube, with the spreader fitting inside the tube structure, allowing compact insertion followed by functional deployment.
2Ease of operation
If MR scanners with vertical main fields are used to provide open access, then access for surgical instruments is improved, but dedicated abdominal coils designed for horizontal main fields do not operate effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The coil elements are specifically designed and oriented to operate with vertical main field MR systems. The coil assembly includes conductive elements arranged in a configuration optimized for vertical field orientation, ensuring effective imaging operation when the patient is positioned horizontally with the vertical main field applied along the body axis.
3Ease of operation
If a deployable spreader is inserted through the anal canal to flatten the prostate, then open access for biopsy is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spreader transitions from a collapsed state during insertion to an expanded flattened state during the procedure. This dynamic transformation allows the device to be inserted through the narrow anal canal in a compact form, then deployed to create the necessary working space for biopsy instruments and flatten the prostate against the rectal wall.
Solution Approach 2:
The spreader is constructed with flexible supports that can bend and conform during insertion, then rigidize or maintain shape when deployed. The guide tube and spreader components use flexible materials that allow navigation through the anal canal while providing structural integrity when expanded to flatten the prostate.
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
Enables detailed metabolic imaging of the prostate region while allowing for biopsies with enhanced access and positioning accuracy, overcoming the limitations of traditional MR systems by providing a more open design and effective imaging with vertical main fields.
Implementation Method 1
Magnetic resonance occurs within a static main field B0 which is typically oriented horizontal or vertical. Radio frequency (RF) pulses are applied to excite resonance. Gradient fields are applied across the static field to focus and manipulate resonance in the subject. The local coils receive the weak magnetic resonance decay RF signals close to the body and retransmit the received signals to a receiver.
Data Source
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AI summary
An endorectal coil (1) includes a tube (40), a spreader (44), and one or more electrically conductive elements (64). The tube (40) is configured for insertion into the rectum (42). The spreader (44) is configured to be positioned at a distal end of the tube (40) and mechanically spread to compress surrounding tissue after the tube (40) is inserted. The one or more electrically conductive elements (64) are tuned to receive magnetic resonance data disposed on at least one of the tube (40), the spreader (44), and adjacent the tube and spreader.