MRI Antenna Array Guard Ring Layout for Bent Animal Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing MRI systems struggle to adapt their antenna arrays for imaging animals with smaller dimensions than humans, as the current designs fail to ensure reliable magnetic decoupling when bent to conform to animal morphology.
Innovation Solution
The proposed MRI system features an array of antennas with guard rings arranged only on the second face of the substrate, ensuring magnetic decoupling without overlapping guard rings, which maintains electromagnetic performance even when the array is bent to fit animal bodies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If guard rings are arranged on both faces of the substrate to ensure magnetic decoupling, then magnetic decoupling reliability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the guard rings from both-face arrangement and places them only on the second face of the substrate. This simplifies the structure while maintaining the magnetic decoupling function, as the projection of each antenna on the second face is circumscribed within a corresponding guard ring, eliminating the need for guard rings on the first face.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the spatial arrangement of guard rings from a potential two-dimensional overlap configuration to a configuration where guard rings are positioned on the opposite face of the substrate. This dimensional repositioning allows non-overlapping guard rings to effectively decouple antennas without increasing complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If antennas are bent to conform to animal body morphology, then adaptability to different subjects is improved, but magnetic decoupling between antennas deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention pre-establishes magnetic decoupling through guard rings positioned on the second face of the substrate before the array is bent. The guard rings are arranged such that each antenna's projection is circumscribed within a corresponding guard ring, creating a decoupling structure that remains effective even after bending to conform to animal bodies.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies guard rings specifically on the second face of the substrate where they are most effective for decoupling, rather than uniformly on both faces. This localized arrangement provides sufficient decoupling while allowing the array to be bent for adaptability to different subject morphologies.
3Ease of manufacture
If guard rings are spaced apart to avoid overlap, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but magnetic decoupling effectiveness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the overlapping requirement by positioning guard rings on the second face of the substrate rather than having them overlap on the same face. This allows guard rings to be spaced apart without compromising decoupling effectiveness, as each guard ring on the second face corresponds to an antenna's projection, providing sufficient electromagnetic isolation.
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
This design allows for high-quality imaging of animals by maintaining reliable magnetic decoupling and electromagnetic performance, even in curved configurations, thereby improving the reproducibility and reliability of MRI images.
Implementation Method 1
In order to magnetically decouple the antennas of the array of antennas, it is also known to add capacitors connecting adjacent antennas that do not overlap
Implementation Method 2
The guard rings are spaced apart from one another
Data Source
AI summary
A magnetic resonance imaging system that includes an array of antennas that includes a substrate, a plurality of antennas arranged on a first face of the substrate, and a plurality of guard rings. The guard rings are arranged only on the second face of the substrate, opposite the first face. A projection of each of the antennas on the second face of the substrate being circumscribed within a specific guard ring. The guard rings are spaced apart from one another.