Local Knee Coil with Direct Connect Socket and Feet Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing local knee coils for magnetic resonance imaging devices face challenges in accommodating patients with larger extremities or those wearing bandages, as well as safety issues due to cables, which can cause discomfort, jamming, or burns, and require precise positioning adjustments to maintain image quality.
Innovation Solution
A local knee coil design featuring a connecting device with a guiding element for sliding fit into a direct connect socket, a displacement device to adjust the coil unit to the knee position, and a feet support element, allowing for cable-free or minimally invasive cable placement, ensuring comfortable patient positioning and maintaining coil alignment during position changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cables are used to connect the local coil to the magnetic resonance imaging system, then the coil can be positioned close to the patient for improved signal to noise ratio, but the cables may cause discomfort, jamming, or burns to the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the cable from the system by implementing a direct connect interface. The local coil housing includes an integrated direct connect interface that couples directly to the patient table, eliminating the need for external cables and their associated risks of discomfort, jamming, or burns while maintaining the coil's proximity to the patient for high signal quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the direct connect interface directly into the local coil housing structure. The interface unit is integrated as part of the housing, allowing the coil to connect directly to the patient table without requiring separate cable connections, thus combining the positioning and electrical connection functions into a single integrated system
2Adaptability or versatility
If the local coil housing is designed to accommodate most patients, then the majority of patients can be imaged, but patients with larger extremities or wearing bandages cannot be accommodated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a movable local coil assembly that can be dynamically repositioned along the patient table. The displacement device allows the coil to be adjusted to different positions and orientations, enabling accommodation of patients with varying body sizes and conditions while maintaining optimal imaging positions for diverse patient populations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the local coil system into a movable coil assembly and a stationary direct connect interface. This segmentation allows the coil portion to be independently positioned and adjusted to accommodate different patient sizes and conditions, while the interface remains fixed for stable electrical connection
3Measurement precision
If the coil unit is fixed in position, then the alignment with the knee joint can be maintained, but the coil cannot be adjusted for different patient sizes and positions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a movable local coil assembly with displacement capabilities along the patient table. The displacement device enables dynamic adjustment of the coil position while maintaining precise alignment with the knee joint during imaging, allowing adaptation to different patient sizes and positions without compromising alignment accuracy
Data Source
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AI summary
Local knee coil (1, 1', 1") for a patient table (21) (21) of a magnetic resonance imaging device (34), comprising - a connecting device (2) for connecting to a socket (22) in the patient table (21), the connecting device (2) comprising at least one interface unit (10) for multiple channels corresponding to coil elements of the local knee coil (1, 1', 1") and connecting to a corresponding interface unit of the socket (22), and - a coil unit (3) comprising the coil elements for sending excitation signals and/or receiving magnetic resonance signals, wherein the connecting device (2) comprises at least one guiding element (9) to slidingly fit the connecting device (2) into the socket (22) which is displaced from the knee position on the patient table (21) and functions as a receptable for the connecting device (2), to form a positive connection and interconnect the interface units (10) during the slide-fit, and in that the local knee coil (1, 1', 1") further comprises a feet support element (25) for the feet of a patient whose knee extends through the coil unit (3) in the knee position, which is positioned or positionable on the top (24) of the connecting device (2).