RF Coil Device Multiplexing Coax Pins for MRI Signal-to-Noise Ratio
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current MRI systems are limited by the number of coax pins, which restricts the number of RF channels, thereby limiting imaging quality and speed due to a lower signal-to-noise ratio.
Innovation Solution
An RF coil device with an RF switch control unit and decoder that allows for a greater number of RF channels than coax pins by using an RF switch control unit and decoder to manage connections between coil elements and coax pins, enabling increased RF channels without additional coax pins through efficient signal control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the number of coil elements is increased to improve imaging quality and signal-to-noise ratio, then the number of RF channels increases, but the number of coax pins must also increase which increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies multi-functionality by enabling each coax pin to serve multiple coil elements through time-division multiplexing. The RF switch control unit allows a single coax pin to sequentially connect to different coil elements, making the coax pin system universal rather than dedicated to one coil element per pin. This resolves the contradiction by allowing more coil elements without proportionally increasing coax pins.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic switching through the RF switch control unit and decoder, which dynamically reconfigure the connection between coil elements and coax pins during operation. Instead of static one-to-one connections, the system dynamically assigns coax pins to different coil elements based on operational requirements, enabling flexible resource allocation that improves imaging quality without linearly increasing hardware complexity.
2Productivity
If the number of RF channels is increased to improve imaging speed and signal-to-noise ratio, then more coil elements are needed, but this requires more coax pins which increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action through time-division multiplexing where the RF switch control unit periodically switches connections between coax pins and coil elements. Each coil element is activated in periodic time slots, allowing the system to handle more coil elements than physical coax pins by rapidly switching connections. This periodic switching enables increased imaging speed and signal-to-noise ratio without proportionally increasing the number of coax pins.
Solution Approach 2:
The RF switch control unit and decoder serve as intermediary components between the coil elements and coax pins. This intermediary layer manages the complex routing logic, allowing multiple coil elements to share fewer coax pins through intelligent switching. The intermediary absorbs the complexity of managing multiple connections, keeping the overall system architecture simpler while enabling increased RF channel capacity.
3Measurement precision
If more coil elements are used to increase pixel resolution and signal-to-noise ratio, then imaging quality improves, but the requirement for more coax pins increases device complexity and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the operation into discrete time slots where different coil elements are activated sequentially. The decoder segments the control signals and the RF switch control unit segments the connection timing, allowing each coax pin to serve multiple coil elements across different time periods. This segmentation enables high pixel resolution through multiple coil elements without requiring proportional increases in coax pin infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
An RF coil device and an MRI system are provided. The RF coil device includes m coil elements, where m is an integer greater than 1. The RF coil device also includes an RF switch control unit including n output terminals and m input terminals connected to the m coil elements, respectively, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than m. The RF coil device includes a decoder for outputting a control signal to the RF switch control unit according to a received control command. The RF switch control unit connects each of not more than n input terminals to a different output terminal according to the control signal.