MRI RF Coil Pre-Amplifier Narrowband Filtering Against Oscillation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional pre-amplifiers for magnetic resonance imaging radio-frequency coils suffer from oscillations and inadequate frequency selectivity, leading to unwanted gain at frequencies other than the magnetic resonance signal frequency, which affects image quality and stability.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a narrow band filter, either an LC filter or a surface acoustic wave filter, into the pre-amplifier design to selectively amplify signals only near the magnetic resonance signal frequency, reducing gain at other frequencies and minimizing oscillations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Power

If a traditional pre-amplifier with wide operation bandwidth is used, then great gain can be achieved within a wide frequency range, but the gain is also extremely high at frequencies other than the magnetic resonance signal frequency, causing oscillation

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovegainVSAvoidoscillation probability
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the frequency response parameters of the pre-amplifier by introducing a narrow band filter. This filter modifies the gain characteristic from a wide bandwidth response to a narrow bandwidth response centered at the magnetic resonance frequency, thereby maintaining high gain at the target frequency while suppressing gain at other frequencies to prevent oscillation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by making the pre-amplifier's gain characteristic non-uniform across frequency. The narrow band filter creates a localized high-gain region at the magnetic resonance frequency while creating low-gain regions at other frequencies, allowing the system to have high sensitivity where needed while maintaining stability elsewhere

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Power

If the output matching circuit is designed for impedance matching with 50 ohm system load, then the gain is increased, but the Q value becomes extremely low and good frequency selectivity cannot be achieved

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovegainVSAvoidfrequency selectivity
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the output matching circuit with a narrow band filter to create an integrated circuit. This combination allows the circuit to simultaneously achieve impedance matching with the 50 ohm system load and maintain high Q value for good frequency selectivity, as the filter is designed to work together with the matching components rather than in conflict

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Power

If the operation bandwidth is made extremely wide, then great gain can be achieved, but the pre-amplifier amplifies signals at frequencies other than the magnetic resonance frequency, affecting image quality

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovegainVSAvoidimage quality
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the operational bandwidth parameter from wide to narrow by introducing the narrow band filter. This ensures that the pre-amplifier only amplifies signals within a narrow frequency range centered at the magnetic resonance frequency, preventing amplification of out-of-band noise and interference that would degrade image quality while maintaining sufficient gain for the target signal

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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

The pre-amplifier achieves the required gain only near the magnetic resonance signal frequency, significantly reducing the probability of oscillation and improving the stability and image quality by limiting amplification to a narrow frequency range.

Implementation Method 1

a narrow band filter used for filtering a magnetic resonance signal amplified by the amplification circuit

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectNarrow band filtering: Filter (electronic)

Implementation Method 2

The narrow band filter is an LC filter, and the LC filter and the output matching circuit form an integrated circuit

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLC resonance: Resonance

Implementation Method 3

The narrow band filter is a surface acoustic wave filter

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSurface acoustic wave filtering: Surface Acoustic Wave

Data Source

PatentEP3151026B1Pre-amplifier for magnetic resonance imaging radio-frequency coil
Publication Date: 2020.10.28 SHANGHAI CHENGUANG MEDICAL TECH
  • EP3151026B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3151026B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP3151026B1 patent drawingFigure 7~8

AI summary

Disclosed is a pre-amplifier for a magnetic resonance imaging radio-frequency coil in the field of magnetic resonance imaging. The pre-amplifier comprises an input matching circuit, an amplification circuit, an output matching circuit and a narrow band filter used for filtering a magnetic resonance signal amplified by the amplification circuit. The pre-amplifier has the technical effect of the pre-amplifier for the magnetic resonance imaging radio-frequency coil generating the gain required for magnetic resonance imaging within an extremely narrow range near a magnetic resonance signal frequency point, but only generating an extremely small gain or having no amplification function at all at other frequency points, thereby significantly reducing the probability of oscillation of the magnetic resonance imaging radio-frequency coil. Further provided is a pre-amplifier for a magnetic resonance imaging radio-frequency coil, which can achieve the technical effect, comprising an input matching circuit, a first-level amplification circuit, a narrow band filter circuit, a second-level amplification circuit, and an output matching circuit.