Full-Body Posterior RF Coil Assembly With Flexible Sections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current rigid surface coils in MRI systems do not perfectly fit all patients, requiring shimming pads and are cumbersome to install and remove, leading to inefficient workflow and suboptimal image quality due to inconsistent coil-to-anatomy distance.
Innovation Solution
A posterior RF receiving coil array assembly with multiple sections, each containing a flexible RF coil and a mechanically resistive structure, allowing sections to be bent and maintained in position without extraneous support, integrated on a cradle table for closer patient positioning and improved contour fitting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If rigid surface coils are used, then structural stability is improved, but adaptability to different patient body types deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The coil assembly is designed with flexible sections that can be dynamically positioned and bent to match different patient body contours. The flexible RF coil sections can be manipulated into bent positions and maintained without extraneous support, allowing adaptation to various patient anatomies while preserving structural integrity through the mechanically resistive structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs flexible RF coil sections instead of rigid coils. These flexible sections can be bent and conform to the patient's body shape, providing both adaptability to different body types and maintaining structural stability through the integrated mechanically resistive structure that prevents excessive deformation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If shimming pads are added to improve coil fit, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity and setup time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the shimming function from separate pads and integrates it directly into the coil assembly structure. The mechanically resistive structure is built into the flexible coil sections themselves, eliminating the need for additional shimming pads and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the coil structure with the positioning and shaping functions by integrating the mechanically resistive structure directly into the flexible RF coil sections. This combination eliminates separate shimming components and simplifies the overall system while maintaining the ability to adapt to different patient anatomies.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple separate coils are used for different body parts, then imaging coverage is improved, but workflow efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the coil assembly into multiple flexible sections that can be independently positioned and bent to cover different body parts. Each section contains RF coils that can be oriented to image specific anatomies, providing comprehensive coverage while allowing rapid reconfiguration for different scan types without removing and replacing entire coils.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible coil assembly is designed as a universal device that can image multiple body parts and anatomies through the flexible positioning and bending of its sections. The same assembly can be reconfigured for head, spine, or extremity imaging, eliminating the need for multiple separate coils and improving workflow efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system includes an MRI scanner having a bore. The MRI system also includes a table including a cradle and a posterior radio frequency (RF) receiving coil array assembly integrated on a top surface of the cradle, wherein the table is configured to move a subject to be imaged disposed on the RF receiving coil array assembly into and out of the bore of the MRI scanner, and wherein the posterior RF receiving coil array assembly comprises a plurality of sections, each section of the plurality of sections includes an RF coil including a plurality of loops, and at least one section of the plurality of sections is configured to be manipulated into a bent position and to remain in the bent position without extraneous support.