← Back to Patent Explorer
US4362993A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Imaging systems

Assignee: Philips Design Ltd
•
Filing: 1980-08-05
•
Granted: 1982-12-07
•
Expires: 2000-08-05
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract The invention provides RF field coils and detector coils for an NMR machine. The two coils are specially designed for their respective purpose, the transmit coil (5, 6) being rectangular and the received coil (7-11) substantially elliptical with defined axis ratios and spacing in the z-direction being by projection of equi-spaced conductors on to the ellipse.

Inventors

  • 👤 Ian R. Young
  • 👤 Michael Burl
  • 👤 Graham J. Clarke

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 14:28
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N33/00; G01N33/34

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim 118 words
For a nuclear magnetic resonance apparatus for imaging at least one planar section of the body of a patient, a combination of a transmitting coil arrangement, for transmitting radio frequency energy to excite nuclei in said body and a receiving coil arrangement, for receiving radio frequency signals emitted by nuclei excited to resonance, wherein the transmitting coil arrangement is of rectangular shape and the receiving coil arrangement is a saddle shaped coil having a plurality of conductors disposed perpendicularly to the plane of said section and distributed substantially uniformly about an ellipse parallel to said section and wherein the transmitting coil arrangement extends beyond the receiving coil arrangement in both directions perpendicular to the plane of said section.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 118 words
For a nuclear magnetic resonance apparatus for imaging at least one planar section of the body of a patient, a combination of a transmitting coil arrangement, for transmitting radio frequency energy to excite nuclei in said body and a receiving coil arrangement, for receiving radio frequency signals emitted by nuclei excited to resonance, wherein the transmitting coil arrangement is of rectangular shape and the receiving coil arrangement is a saddle shaped coil having a plurality of conductors disposed perpendicularly to the plane of said section and distributed substantially uniformly about an ellipse parallel to said section and wherein the transmitting coil arrangement extends beyond the receiving coil arrangement in both directions perpendicular to the plane of said section.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 49 words
A combination according to claim 1 wherein the transmitting coil arrangement is adapted to produce a uniform magnetic field in one direction in the plane of said section and the receiving coil arrangement is adapted to be uniformly sensitive in the orthogonal direction in the plane of said section.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 45 words
A combination according to claim 1 wherein the receiving coil arrangement is arranged to have uniform sensitivity in one direction in the plane of said section by having conductors spaced around said ellipse so as to be of equal spacing as projected on said direction.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 19 words
A combination according to claim 3 wherein said direction of uniform sensitivity is the major axis of said ellipse.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 47 words
A combination according to claim 4 wherein the receiving coil arrangement includes four pairs of conductors disposed perpendicularly to the plane of said section with their projections on the major axis of said ellipse being at ±na and ±3na where 2a is the major axis ellipse dimension.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 13 words
A combination according to claim 5 wherein n is between 0.167 and 0.250.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 17 words
A combination according to claim 1 wherein the transmitting coil arrangement comprises two spaced rectangular coil parts.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 32 words
A combination according to claim 7 wherein the ratio of the length of said coils, perpendicular to the plane of said section, to their spacing is in the range 1.40 to 1.70.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 11 words
A combination according to claim 8 wherein said ratio is 1.55.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 21 words
A combination according to any one of claims 7, 8 or 9 wherein the coil parts are electrically connected in parallel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 15 words
A combination according to claim 1 wherein the said coil arrangements comprise metal pipe conductors.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 11 words
A combination according to claim 11 wherein the metal is copper.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 18 words
A combination according to any one of claims 11 or 12 wherein the pipe is 22 mm diameter.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 29 words
A combination according to claim 1 for scanning the torso of a patient wherein the ratio of major to minor axes of the ellipse is between 1.3 and 1.8.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 12 words
A combination according to claim 14 in which said ratio is 1.6.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 29 words
A combination according to claim 1 for scanning the head of a patient wherein the ratio of major to minor axes of the ellipse is between 1.0 and 1.4.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 11 words
A combination according to claim 16 wherein said ratio is 1.2.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 85 words
In combination, a transmitting coil arrangement for transmitting radio frequency energy and a receiving coil arrangement for receiving radio frequency energy, wherein the transmitting coil arrangement is of rectangular shape including conductors substantially perpendicular to a plane and the receiving coil arrangement is a saddle shaped coil having a plurality of conductors perpendicular to said plane and distributed substantially uniformly about an ellipse in said plane and wherein the transmitting coil arrangement extends beyond the receiving coil arrangement in both directions perpendicular to said plane.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 85 words
In combination, a transmitting coil arrangement for transmitting radio frequency energy and a receiving coil arrangement for receiving radio frequency energy, wherein the transmitting coil arrangement is of rectangular shape including conductors substantially perpendicular to a plane and the receiving coil arrangement is a saddle shaped coil having a plurality of conductors perpendicular to said plane and distributed substantially uniformly about an ellipse in said plane and wherein the transmitting coil arrangement extends beyond the receiving coil arrangement in both directions perpendicular to said plane.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 35 words
A combination according to claim 18 in which the receiving coil arrangement includes a plurality of pairs of said conductors disposed with their projections at equal spacing as projected on a direction in said plane.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 18 words
A combination according to claim 19 wherein said direction is that of the major axis of said ellipse.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 20 words
A nuclear magnetic resonance imaging apparatus including a combination of radio frequency transmitting and receiving coil according to claim 1.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2507301A Cited
US3582779A Cited
GB1135332A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1985-12-06 1986-06-07 1986-12-07 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1989-12-06 1990-06-07 1990-12-07 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1993-12-06 1994-06-07 1994-12-07 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag