MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) COIL WITH CONSTANT CAPACITANCE COUPLING

摘要

Example minimalist magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radio frequency (RF) coils that are connected to off coil circuitry by capacitive coupling plates are described. A min-imalist MRI RF coil may have some elements that form a traditional coil located off the coil in off coil circuitry. An MR procedure may involve a number of minimalist MRI RF coils that are moved through an excitation zone as a patient is moved through the excitation zone. Example minimalist MRI RF coils may be selectively connected to off coil circuitry while the coils are in the excitation zone. The coupling may be made by capacitive coupling plates. Unlike conventional systems, example systems have capacitive coupling plates with properties that facilitate maintaining a constant capacitance between a coupling plate associated with the coil and coupling plates associated with the off coil circuitry as the coupling plates move relative to each other.

主权项

1. A system, comprising:
one or more coil couplers electrically connected to a corresponding number of minimalist magnetic resonance radio frequency (MMRRF) coils in a one-to-one manner, wherein each coil coupler is a capacitive plate; a plurality of off coil circuitry couplers (OCCCs) electrically connected to a corresponding plurality of off coil MR circuits (OCMRC) in a one-to-one manner, wherein each OCCC is a capacitive plate; wherein the one or more coil coupler is moveable relative to the plurality of OCCCs by a magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus during an MR procedure, wherein the one or more coil coupler and the plurality of OCCCs are arranged such that, at a given instance of time during the MR procedure, one OCCC can be in capacitive contact with at most one coil coupler and one coil coupler can be in capacitive contact with one or more OCCCs, wherein when a coil coupler is in capacitive contact with one or more selected OCCCs, MR signal detected by a MMRRF coil associated with the coil coupler is allowed to flow from the MMRRF coil to the one or more selected OCCCs via the coil coupler and wherein the MR signal further flows from the one or more selected OCCCs to one or more OCMRCs associated with the one or more selected OCCCs, and wherein when the coil coupler is in capacitive contact with the one or more selected OCCCs and while the coil coupler is moving relative to the plurality of OCCCs, there is a constant capacitance between the coil coupler and the one or more selected OCCCs to which the coil coupler is in capacitive contact with, and wherein the constant capacitance remains within a desired range for the MMRRF coil causing the MMRRF coil to remain tuned within a desired frequency range.