Integrated MR Imaging and Interventional Coil System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current MRI breast screening systems suffer from low specificity in distinguishing between benign and malignant tumors, leading to cumbersome and time-consuming biopsy procedures due to the need for patient repositioning, which introduces spatial position errors.
Innovation Solution
An integrated MR imaging and interventional coil system with a support structure that includes lateral and medial RF coil devices with conformal surfaces and apertures for interventional device trajectories, allowing for imaging and intervention without patient repositioning, enhancing patient comfort and workflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate imaging and biopsy devices are used, then imaging sensitivity is improved, but patient repositioning is required causing time loss and spatial errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the MRI imaging coil and biopsy intervention device into a single integrated system. The coil housing contains both the RF coil elements for imaging and the biopsy device with needle guide for intervention, allowing both functions to be performed without patient repositioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated coil device serves multiple functions: it performs MRI imaging through the RF coil elements and simultaneously enables biopsy intervention through the integrated biopsy device with needle guide and trajectory apertures, making the system multi-functional.
2Measurement precision
If separate imaging and biopsy devices are used, then imaging sensitivity is improved, but spatial positioning accuracy deteriorates due to patient repositioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the MRI imaging coil and biopsy intervention device into a single integrated system. The coil housing contains both the RF coil elements for imaging and the biopsy device with needle guide for intervention, allowing both functions to be performed without patient repositioning.
3Measurement precision
If multiple separate devices are used for imaging and intervention, then imaging quality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the MRI imaging coil and biopsy intervention device into a single integrated system. The coil housing contains both the RF coil elements for imaging and the biopsy device with needle guide for intervention, allowing both functions to be performed without patient repositioning.
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
Improves patient comfort and safety by enabling simultaneous imaging and intervention without repositioning, reducing procedural time and errors, and improving the efficiency of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Implementation Method 1
The aligned nuclear spins are then excited by transverse magnetic fields B1 oscillating in the radio frequency band
Implementation Method 2
the patient is subjected to a uniform magnetic field which aligns nuclear spins of the body tissue along an axis
Implementation Method 3
In imaging, relaxation signals are exposed to gradient magnetic fields to localize the resultant resonance
Data Source
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AI summary
MR imaging and intervention functions are localized within a single device. At least one integrated coil device (62,63,64,90) which has at least one RF coil (72,94,112,118), a housing (70,74,92,96,110,114) which encases the RF coil and provides an anatomically conformal surface, and a plurality of apertures. The integrated coil device slides along a guide rail system(66) to adjust the size of a patient anatomical imaging region (60). The apertures in the integrated coil device are available to secure tool holder grid plate inserts (67,116,130,131) or other interventional device guides. The inserts assist in holding the soft tissue for diagnostic imaging and provide support for biopsy/interventional instrument guides(140). The integrated MR imaging and interventional coil device works in combination with a prone patient support structure(20), an adaptive torso sling(55), and also features an open architecture design for improved patient access. The device also works for supine or side imaging procedures.