Retractable MRI Magnet Assembly for Equine Imaging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current MRI systems are unsuitable for imaging large animals like horses due to the need for anesthesia and the risk of injury from high-field magnets, and they face maintenance challenges with liquid helium cooling systems.
Innovation Solution
A vertically retractable MRI magnet and gradient assembly that allows horses to be imaged awake and standing, with a compact design that safely retracts into the floor, using cryogen-free superconducting magnets to eliminate helium maintenance issues and enhance imaging performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a large superconducting magnet with cylindrical bore is used for high field strength imaging, then imaging performance is improved, but the animal is at risk of injury if it moves suddenly with its leg trapped in the bore
Solution Approach 1:
The magnet assembly is designed to be movable rather than fixed. It can be positioned over the animal's limb and then retracted away, allowing the system to adapt its state based on operational needs. The magnet transitions from a static cylindrical bore that traps limbs to a dynamic assembly that can be pulled away, eliminating the injury risk while preserving imaging capability when positioned correctly.
Solution Approach 2:
The magnet assembly is extracted from the traditional fixed central position and made into a movable unit that can be positioned and removed as needed. This extraction allows the magnet to be brought close to the animal's limb for imaging, then safely retracted away, preventing the harmful effect of limb entrapment while maintaining the high field strength imaging capability.
2Reliability
If liquid helium is used to cool flux generating elements, then superconducting operation is achieved, but maintenance issues arise including helium blow-off, refilling requirements, and safety hazards from leaked helium
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid helium cooling system is completely extracted and removed from the magnet assembly. By eliminating the cryogen, the patent removes the associated maintenance problems of helium blow-off, refilling, and safety hazards. The system achieves superconducting operation without requiring liquid helium, thereby simplifying maintenance while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent eliminates the need for expensive liquid helium and its associated maintenance infrastructure. By using a cryogen-free cooling approach, the system avoids the high costs and complexity of helium management, making the system more economical and easier to maintain while preserving the superconducting functionality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the MRI scanner bore is made large to accommodate standing animals, then imaging of conscious animals becomes possible, but the device becomes too large and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The traditional large fixed bore scanner is segmented into a movable magnet assembly and a larger support structure. The magnet assembly can be positioned over the animal's limb and then retracted, allowing the system to function with a smaller overall footprint than a traditional large-bore scanner. This segmentation enables imaging of standing animals without requiring a prohibitively large fixed bore.
Solution Approach 2:
The magnet assembly is designed to be dynamically repositionable, allowing it to be brought close to the animal's limb for imaging and then retracted away. This dynamic capability enables the system to accommodate standing animals of various sizes without requiring a permanently large bore, thereby reducing device size and cost while maintaining adaptability.
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
Enables safe and efficient imaging of horses without anesthesia, while reducing maintenance costs and safety hazards associated with liquid helium, improving imaging performance and operational convenience.
Implementation Method 1
Each flux generating element is configured to generate a magnetic field for magnetizing the body portion positioned within the bore
Implementation Method 2
The MRI magnets must be high field strength. The high field magnets are typically made as a cylindrical tube-like structure using superconducting materials
Implementation Method 3
The plurality of flux generating elements are required to be maintained below a critical temperature via a suitable cooling system during operation
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a vertically retractable magnet field assembly for a Magnetic Imaging Resonance (MRI) system. The assembly can move from an upward raised position to a downward retracted position, and vice versa. The assembly includes a magnet configured with a bore for imaging a body portion of a subject. The bore defines an inner surface of the magnet and extends along a longitudinal axis of the magnet. The magnet includes at least one flux generating element disposed within the magnet and oriented such that each of the at least one flux generating element surrounds the bore. Each of the at least one flux generating element is configured to generate a magnetic field for magnetizing the body portion positioned within the bore to generate a visual representation of an anatomy of the body portion.