RF Wave Sensor for MRI Respiratory Motion Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Respiratory motion of patients in magnetic resonance systems causes disruptions in imaging due to changes in the main magnetic field and radiofrequency field, leading to artifacts and increased measurement time, especially when contrast agents are administered, and existing methods require patient cooperation or longer measurement times.
Innovation Solution
A control device acquires and processes reflected radiofrequency waves to extract oscillations corresponding to patient respiratory motion, allowing for the determination and compensation of expected changes in the main magnetic field, minimizing the need for patient cooperation and reducing measurement time by using a predefined function or individual patient-specific calculations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If respiratory triggering is used to avoid disruptions, then imaging quality is improved, but measurement time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a sensor device to continuously monitor the patient's respiratory state and provides feedback to the control device. This feedback mechanism allows the system to automatically adjust the measurement process based on real-time respiratory information, eliminating the need for manual breath-holding instructions while maintaining imaging quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-monitoring of respiratory motion through integrated sensor devices and automatically compensates for respiratory effects during the measurement process. This self-service approach removes the need for operator intervention and patient cooperation, thereby reducing measurement time while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If automated respiratory state monitoring is implemented, then imaging reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor device serves multiple functions: it monitors respiratory state, triggers measurements at appropriate phases, and provides data for artifact compensation. By making the sensor device multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate dedicated components for each function, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while still improving imaging reliability.
3Reliability
If breath-holding is required from patients, then artifact reduction is achieved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to patient cooperation demands
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects respiratory phases and performs measurements during optimal phases without requiring the patient to consciously control their breathing. This self-service approach maintains artifact reduction while eliminating the need for patient cooperation and breath-holding instructions.
4Reliability
If special k-space trajectories are used to reduce artifacts, then imaging quality is improved, but measurement time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses real-time respiratory monitoring feedback to dynamically adjust the measurement timing and compensate for respiratory motion effects. This feedback-based approach achieves artifact reduction through temporal compensation rather than requiring more complex spatial sampling trajectories, thereby avoiding the time penalty associated with specialized k-space paths.
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 approach enables reliable and efficient compensation for changes in the main magnetic field, reducing artifacts and shortening the examination time without requiring additional hardware or altering the imaging scheme, thereby improving the accuracy and efficiency of magnetic resonance imaging.
Implementation Method 1
a control device acquires, via a sensor device, a portion of the respective radiofrequency wave supplied to the radiofrequency transmit coil. The portion is reflected by the radiofrequency transmit antenna.
Implementation Method 2
From the reflected portions of the radiofrequency waves, the control device extracts an oscillation corresponding to a respiratory motion of the patient
Implementation Method 3
the control device establishes the change in the main magnetic field expected for the respective time instant based on the variation with time of the extracted oscillation
Data Source
AI summary
A control device establishes a change in a main magnetic field expected for a respective time instant and based on the established expected change in the main magnetic field, correctively adjusts the main magnetic field and/or a nominal receive frequency of the RF receive coil and/or a transmit frequency for subsequent RF transmit pulses and/or takes the expected change in the main magnetic field into account in the evaluation of the received MR signals. At least for some of the RF transmit pulses, the control device acquires, via a sensor device, a portion of the respective radiofrequency wave supplied to the RF transmit coil. The controller extracts therefrom an oscillation corresponding to a respiratory motion of the patient and based on the variation with time of the extracted oscillation, establishes the change in the main magnetic field expected for the respective time instant.