Flexible RF Coil Assembly with Rigid Frame for MRI
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional 'curved' RF coil assemblies for MRI are cumbersome, heavy, and require multiple configurations for different body regions, leading to increased costs and complexity in storage and positioning during MRI scans.
Innovation Solution
A flexible RF coil assembly attached to a rigid frame that can be bent into specific contours, such as concave and half tubular shapes, to conform to various body regions like the head, shoulder, and ankle, allowing for a multi-purpose coil that is lighter and easier to position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a hard plastic housing is used to enclose a flexible coil to hold the coil assembly in the desired configuration, then the coil assembly can maintain its shape for curved regions, but the coil assembly becomes cumbersome and fairly heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the hard plastic housing from the coil assembly, extracting the rigid structural component that caused weight and cumbersome issues. The flexible coil is allowed to maintain its shape through its own inherent properties and positioning mechanisms rather than being enclosed in a rigid housing, thus resolving the contradiction between shape maintenance and weight reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a flexible coil with inherent shape-memory properties instead of a rigid housing. The flexible coil can be positioned to conform to curved body regions and maintain its configuration through its own elastic properties and positioning elements, eliminating the need for heavy plastic enclosures while preserving the necessary shape characteristics.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple curved coil assemblies are used for different curved regions such as head, shoulder or ankle, then each region can be properly imaged, but the cost increases and storage and management becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal coil assembly that can be adapted to multiple curved body regions (head, shoulder, ankle, etc.) through a standardized flexible coil design. The same coil assembly can be positioned and configured for different anatomical regions, eliminating the need for multiple specialized coil assemblies and simplifying storage and management while maintaining adaptability to various curved surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible, dynamically positionable coil assembly that can be adjusted and reconfigured for different body regions. The flexible coil can be bent, positioned, and secured in various configurations to match different curved anatomical surfaces, providing versatility without requiring multiple rigidly designed coil assemblies for each specific region.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a curved coil assembly is not available for a particular subject's region, then the MRI scan cannot be performed, but replacing the coil assembly is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal flexible coil assembly that can be quickly adapted to various body regions through positioning and configuration rather than replacement. The same coil assembly can serve multiple anatomical regions, eliminating the need for time-consuming replacement operations while maintaining the ability to perform scans on different curved regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the flexible coil assembly with pre-integrated positioning elements and configuration features that allow for rapid deployment and adaptation to different body regions. The coil comes pre-configured with the necessary components to be quickly positioned and secured on various curved surfaces, reducing the time required for setup and eliminating the need for replacement.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides a RF coil assembly comprising a first rigid frame and a flexible coil in a naturally planar shape having a first end, a second end opposite the first end and a longitudinal axis extending from the first end to the second end. The first end of the flexible coil is attached to the first rigid frame and the second end of the flexible coil is away from the first rigid frame. The first rigid frame is shaped to bend the flexible coil, upon attaching the first end of the flexible coil to the first rigid frame, to form a shape of the RF coil assembly which conforms to a shape of a region of a subject with multiple contours.According to the present invention, the RF coil assembly is lighter and better matches the regions of different subjects to be imaged. The contoured shape of the RF coil assembly can be maintained for immediate use instead of having to achieve the shape by an operator attaching the flexible coil to body regions. Therefore, the positioning and fastening of the RF coil assembly is much easier and faster as compared to the conventional flexible coil, and the workflow of MR scanning is enhanced.