Flexible MRI Coil Cover With Through-Holes for Size-Adjustable Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coil units for magnetic resonance imaging systems are inflexible and cannot be adjusted to accommodate subjects of varying sizes, leading to inefficiencies in fixing and image acquisition.
Innovation Solution
A coil unit with a flexible coil cover featuring through-holes for string-like members to secure the unit to the subject, allowing for size adjustment and precise positioning of receive coils based on the subject's dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed-size coil unit is used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot be adjusted according to the size of the subject
Solution Approach 1:
The coil unit is divided into multiple receive coils arranged in a matrix pattern on the flexible coil cover. This segmentation allows the coil unit to be configured for different subject sizes by selecting appropriate receive coils, achieving adaptability without requiring a completely different coil unit for each size category.
Solution Approach 2:
The coil cover is made flexible to allow the coil unit to conform to different subject shapes and sizes. The flexibility enables the coil unit to adapt dynamically to various anatomical structures while maintaining contact with the subject surface.
2Reliability
If traditional fixing methods are used, then the fixation is simple, but the fixation is not secure enough for subjects of varying sizes
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple through-holes are provided in the coil cover at different positions, allowing string-like members to be inserted through multiple points. This segmentation of fixation points creates a distributed securing mechanism that prevents the coil unit from shifting or detaching, improving fixation reliability for subjects of varying sizes.
3Manufacturing precision
If receive coils are fixed in position, then the coil unit structure is simple, but the placement cannot be optimized based on subject dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The receive coils are arranged in a matrix pattern with multiple rows and columns, creating a segmented array that can be selectively activated. This segmentation allows the system to optimize placement precision by selecting specific receive coils based on subject dimensions, rather than relying on a single fixed coil position.
Solution Approach 2:
Different receive coils in the matrix arrangement have different local qualities in terms of their positioning and sensitivity characteristics. This allows the system to optimize placement precision by selecting receive coils with appropriate local properties for specific anatomical regions and subject sizes.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a coil unit, a magnetic resonance imaging system, and a control method of the magnetic resonance imaging system, which can be used by being adjusted according to a size of a subject. A coil unit according to the present disclosure is a coil unit that is fixed to a subject by the string-like member, and includes a plurality of receive coils that receive a nuclear magnetic resonance signal of the subject, and a coil cover that has flexibility and on which the plurality of receive coils are two-dimensionally arranged, in which the coil cover has a plurality of through-holes penetrating from one surface to the other surface, the through-holes being disposed at positions corresponding to a size of the subject, into which the string-like members are inserted.