Flexible MRI Antenna Array for Patient Contour Conformity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current MRI antenna arrays face limitations in achieving optimal volumetric homogeneity and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) due to their rigid design, which restricts flexibility and ability to conform to the human body, especially in imaging deep-seated tissues and extremities, leading to suboptimal performance and increased examination time.

Innovation Solution

A flexible and elastic MRI antenna array design featuring a housing and substrate that allows the antenna elements to maintain resonance and isolation when distorted in three dimensions, enabling close conformity to the patient's contours, with elements embedded in a lightweight, durable, and compressible foam housing for optimal SNR and anatomical coverage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a rigid antenna array design is used, then manufacturing precision and structural stability are improved, but flexibility and ability to conform to patient contours deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveantenna element positioning precisionVSAvoidconformability to patient contours

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies this principle by using a flexible substrate to mount the antenna elements, allowing the array to conform to the three-dimensional contours of the patient's body while maintaining element positioning through controlled distortion characteristics of the substrate

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by designing the antenna array to be distortable in three dimensions, allowing it to adapt its shape dynamically to different patient anatomies while maintaining functional performance through controlled element spacing and orientation during distortion

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If the antenna array is made flexible and distortable, then adaptability to patient anatomy is improved, but maintaining element resonance and isolation becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconformability to patient contoursVSAvoidelement resonance and isolation maintenance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by designing the flexible substrate with specific distortion characteristics that control how the antenna elements move relative to each other during flexing, maintaining optimal spacing and orientation to preserve resonance frequencies and isolation between elements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements beforehand cushioning by pre-engineering the flexible substrate to compensate for expected distortions, ensuring that antenna elements maintain proper electrical isolation and resonance characteristics even when the array is distorted to conform to patient body contours

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Reliability

If rigid antenna arrays are used, then element isolation and tuning stability are improved, but signal penetration to deep-seated tissues and imaging quality deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelement isolation and tuning stabilityVSAvoidsignal-to-noise ratio and imaging quality

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a flexible substrate that allows the antenna array to conform closely to the patient's body surface, improving the coupling between the antenna elements and the tissue being imaged, thereby enhancing signal-to-noise ratio and imaging quality while maintaining element isolation through controlled design

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

4Measurement precision

If the antenna array conforms closely to patient contours, then signal-to-noise ratio is improved, but examination time increases due to positioning complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal-to-noise ratioVSAvoidexamination time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service by designing the antenna array to be self-adjusting through its flexible substrate, which automatically conforms to the patient's body contours without requiring complex manual positioning or adjustment mechanisms, thereby improving signal-to-noise ratio while minimizing examination time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11039787B2Garment MRI antenna array

Publication Date: 2021.06.22 SCANMED LLC

AI summary

An MRI antenna array including a housing and a substrate, antenna elements and circuitry encapsulated by the housing. The housing, antenna elements, and substrate are flexible to allow the housing to distort in three dimensions to closely conform to contours of a patient. The antenna elements may be formed from a flat weave mesh conductor. The flat weave mesh conductor allows the MRI antenna array to conform to the contours of a patient to provide three dimensional movement of the array. The flat weave mesh conduct has increased durability over a tight weave mesh of an elongate hollow cylinder conductor, allowing the flat weave mesh conductor to withstand additional flexing cycles.