TWI685329B - Automatic configuration of a low field magnetic resonance imaging system - Google Patents

Abstract

Low-field MRI presents an attractive imaging solution, providing a relatively low cost, high availability alternative to high-field MRI. Characteristics of low-field MRI facilitate the implementation of substantially smaller and/or more flexible installations that can be deployed in wide variety of circumstances and facilities, and further allow for the development of portable or cartable low-field MRI systems. According to some embodiments, automated techniques are provided to modify or adjust one or more aspects of an MRI system based on environmental and/or operating conditions of the system and/or automated techniques are provided that facilitate ease of use of the low-field MRI system, thus enabling use by users/operators having a wider range of training and/or expertise.

Description

Automatic configuration of low field magnetic resonance imaging system

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides an important imaging modality for many applications and is widely used in clinical and research settings to generate images of the human body. Generally speaking, MRI is based on the detection of magnetic resonance (MR) signals, which are electromagnetic waves emitted by atoms in response to changes in the state derived from the applied electromagnetic field. For example, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology involves detecting emission from the nuclear of an excited atom when the nuclear spin of an atom in an imaged object (eg, an atom in human tissue) is realigned or relaxed. MR signal. Detected MR signals can be processed to produce images. In the context of medical applications, these images allow the investigation of internal structures and/or biological procedures within the body for diagnostic, therapeutic, and/or research purposes. Safety issues due to the production of non-invasive images with relatively high resolution and contrast without other modalities (eg, no need to expose the subject to ionizing radiation (eg, x-rays) or introduce radioactive materials into the body) MRI provides one of the attractive imaging modalities for biological imaging. In addition, MRI is particularly well-suited for providing soft tissue contrast, which can be used to target objects that cannot be satisfactorily imaged in other imaging modalities. Furthermore, MR technology can obtain information about structures and/or biological procedures that other modalities cannot capture. However, MIR has several disadvantages. For a given imaging application, these disadvantages may involve the relatively high cost of equipment, limited availability, and/or difficulty in accessing the length of clinical MRI scanners and/or image acquisition procedures. The trend of clinical MRI is to increase the field strength of MRI scanners to improve one or more of scan time, image resolution and image contrast, which in turn continue to increase costs. The vast majority of installed MRI scanners operate at 1.5 or 3 Tesla (T) (which refers to the field strength of the main magnetic field B ₀ ). The rough cost of one of the clinical MRI scanners is estimated to be about one million US dollars per Tesla, which does not include the actual operation, service and maintenance costs involved in operating these MRI scanners. In addition, conventional high-field MRI systems generally require large superconducting magnets and associated electronics to generate a strong uniform static magnetic field (B ₀ ) in which an object (eg, a patient) is imaged. The size of these systems is quite large, and a typical MRI device includes multiple rooms for magnets, electronics, thermal management systems, and the console area. The size and cost of MRI systems usually limit their use to facilities (such as hospitals and academic research centers) with sufficient space and resources to purchase and maintain them. The high cost and substantial space requirements of high-field MRI systems result in the limited availability of MRI scanners. Thus, there are often clinical scenarios where one of the MRI scans will be advantageous, but not practical or feasible due to one or more of the limitations discussed above, as discussed in further detail below.

Low-field MRI presents an attractive imaging resolution, providing a relatively low-cost, high-availability alternative to high-field MRI. The inventors have recognized that the characteristics of low-field MRI facilitate the implementation of substantially smaller and/or more flexible devices that can be deployed in a wide variety of situations and facilities, and further allow the development of portable or transportable low-field MRI systems. Because these systems can be operated at different times in different environments and/or because these systems can be operated in normally uncontrolled environments (for example, low-field MRI systems can be in special shielded rooms where high-field MRI systems usually operate External operation), it may therefore be advantageous to provide "on-site" and/or dynamic calibration of one or more components of the MRI system to adjust or optimize the system for the environment in which the system is located. According to some embodiments, automated techniques are provided to modify or adjust one or more aspects of an MRI system based on its environmental and/or operating conditions, as discussed in further detail below. According to some embodiments, an automated technique is provided that facilitates easy use of the low-field MRI system and therefore can be used by users/operators with a wider range of training and/or expertise (including no professional training or expertise at all). Some embodiments include a method of operating a magnetic resonance imaging system that includes a B ₀ magnet and at least one thermal management component configured to transfer heat away from the B ₀ magnet during operation, the method includes placing providing operating power to the magnet B _0; B ₀ to monitor one of the magnet temperature to determine the current temperature of one magnet B _0; and occurs in response to one of the at least one event to the at least one component less than the operating thermal management ability to operate. Some embodiments include a magnetic resonance imaging system including: a B ₀ magnet configured to provide at least a portion of a B ₀ field; at least one thermal management component configured to transfer heat away during operation the magnet B _0; and at least one processor that is programmable to monitor the temperature of one of the magnet B ₀ to determine the current temperature of one magnet B ₀ and a response to at least one event occurred and the ability to operate at less than the operating At least one thermal management component. Some embodiments include a method of dynamically adjusting a B ₀ field generated by a magnetic resonance imaging system, the method comprising: detecting a first magnetic field generated by a B ₀ magnet that contributes to the B ₀ field; and selective operation At least one shim coil generates a second magnetic field based on the detected first magnetic field to adjust the B ₀ field generated by the magnetic resonance imaging system. Some embodiments include a magnetic resonance imaging system that includes: a B ₀ magnet configured to provide a first magnetic field that contributes to a B ₀ field; a plurality of shim coils; at least one sensor configured To detect the first magnetic field when operating the B ₀ magnet; and at least one controller configured to selectively operate at least one of the plurality of shim coils based on detection by the at least one sensor The first magnetic field generates a second magnetic field to adjust the B ₀ field generated by the magnetic resonance imaging system. Some embodiments include a method of degaussing a target object including a magnetic resonance imaging system configured to at least partially provide a B ₀ field, a B ₀ magnet, the method including: operating the B ₀ using a first polarity A magnet; and periodically operating the B ₀ magnet using a second polarity opposite to the first polarity. Some embodiments include a magnetic resonance imaging system configured to demagnetize an approaching object, the magnetic resonance imaging system including: a B ₀ magnet configured to provide at least partially a B ₀ field; and a controller , Which is configured to operate the B ₀ magnet using a first polarity and periodically operate the B ₀ magnet using a second polarity opposite to the first polarity. Some embodiments include a method for dynamically configuring a magnetic resonance imaging system in an arbitrary environment, the method comprising: identifying at least one obstacle to performing magnetic resonance imaging; and automatically based at least in part on the identified at least one obstacle Perform at least one remedial action. Some embodiments include a method of configuring a magnetic resonance imaging system having a component operably coupled to a different type of radio frequency coil, the method including: detecting whether a radio frequency coil is operatively coupled to the magnetic resonance imaging system Components; in response to determining that the RF coil is operatively coupled to the magnetic resonance imaging system to determine information about the RF coil; and at least partially based on the information about the RF coil to automatically perform at least one action to configure the magnetic resonance imaging The system operates with the radio frequency coil. Some embodiments include a magnetic resonance imaging system including: a B ₀ magnet configured to provide at least a portion of a B ₀ field; a component operably coupled to different types of RF coils; and at least A controller configured to: detect whether a radio frequency coil is operatively coupled to the component of the magnetic resonance imaging system; in response to determining that the radio frequency coil is operatively coupled to the magnetic resonance imaging system, determine about the radio frequency coil Information; and based at least in part on the information about the radio frequency coil, automatically perform at least one action to configure the magnetic resonance imaging system to operate using the radio frequency coil. Some embodiments include a method of operating a low-field magnetic resonance imaging system that includes at least one communication interface that allows the magnetic resonance imaging system to communicate with one or more external computing devices. The method includes: At least one processor of the low-field magnetic resonance imaging system is initially connected to one of the at least one external computing device; and the at least one processor is used to exchange information with the at least one external computing device. Some embodiments include a low-field magnetic resonance imaging system that includes: at least one magnetic component configured to operate in a low field; at least one communication interface that allows the low-field magnetic resonance imaging system to communicate with one or more External computing devices; and at least one processor configured to initially connect to one of the at least one external computing device and use the at least one processor to exchange information with the at least one external computing device. Some embodiments include a method of assisting the automatic setting of a magnetic resonance imaging system, the method comprising: detecting a type of radio frequency coil connected to the magnetic resonance imaging system and/or a position of a patient support; and at least part At least one setting procedure is automatically executed based on the detected type of the radio frequency coil and/or the position of the patient support.

The MRI scanner market is dominated by high-field systems and is especially used for medical or clinical MRI applications. As discussed above, the general trend in medical imaging is to produce MRI scanners with increasing field strength. Most clinical MRI scanners operate at 1.5 T or 3 T, with 7 T and 9 used in the study settings T is higher field strength. As used herein, "high field" generally refers to the MRI system currently used in a clinical setting and more specifically, refers to operation using a main magnetic field at or above 1.5 T (ie, a B ₀ field) MRI system, but clinical systems that operate between 0.5 T and 1.5 T are usually characterized as "high fields." In contrast, "low field" generally refers to the use of an MRI system operating at a B ₀ field of less than or equal to about 0.2 T, but due to the increased field strength in high field therapy, has between 0.2 T and about 0.3 T One B ₀ field system is sometimes characterized as a low field. The attractiveness of high-field MRI systems includes improved resolution and/or reduced scan time compared to lower-field systems, stimulating the increasing field strength for clinical and medical MRI applications. The inventors have developed technologies for generating improved quality, portable and/or lower cost low-field MRI systems that can improve MRI technology in various environments (including (but also exceeding) hospitals and research facilities Large-scale deployment capabilities in devices). For example, in addition to hospitals and research facilities, low-field MRI systems can also be deployed in offices, clinics, and multiple departments within a hospital (eg, emergency room, operating room, radiology department, etc.) as permanent or semi-permanent The device may be deployed as a mobile/portable/carryable system that can be transported to the desired location. The inventors have recognized that the widespread deployment of these low-field MRI systems poses a challenge to ensure proper implementation of the MRI system in any environment of the operating system. Manually configuring the parameters of the low-field MRI system for a specific environment and/or application is cumbersome and generally requires technical expertise that may not be available to typical users of low-field MRI systems. In addition, the nature of the environment that may be important to the operation of the system may not be determined or otherwise obtained by a human operator. Therefore, some embodiments relate to techniques for automatically configuring a low-field MRI system based at least in part on the environment and/or operating conditions of the low-field MRI system. The techniques for automatic configuration may be performed when the system is powered on or in response to one or more changes in the detected environment and/or operating conditions, as discussed in more detail below. Some aspects relate to an automatic setting procedure for a low-field MRI system, wherein the component(s) of the system are automatically configured based at least in part on the environment and/or operating conditions of the low-field MRI system. Some aspects relate to dynamically configuring an MRI system in view of changing environments and/or operating conditions. Some aspects are related to automatic techniques for adjusting the operation of the system based on one of the operating modes of the system (eg, low power mode, warm-up, idle, etc.). In addition, as discussed above, increasing the field strength of an MRI system produces increasingly expensive and complex MRI scanners, thus limiting availability and preventing their use as a general and/or commonly available imaging solution. The relatively high cost, complexity, and size of high-field MRI mainly limit their use to dedicated facilities. Furthermore, conventional high-field MRI systems are usually operated by technicians who already have extensive training in the system to be able to produce the desired images. Technicians who require highly training exist to operate high-field MRI systems to further contribute to the limited availability of high-field MRI and high-field MRI cannot be used as a widely available and/or general-purpose imaging solution. The inventors have recognized that ease of use may be a substantial enabler that allows low-field MRI systems to be widely available, deployed, and/or used in various situations and environments. To this end, the inventors have developed automatic, semi-automatic, and/or assisted setting techniques that facilitate the simple and intuitive use of low-field MRI systems. Therefore, the amount of training required to operate this low-field MRI system can be substantially reduced, thereby increasing the context in which the low-field MRI system can be used to perform the desired imaging application. The following is a more detailed description of various concepts related to methods and devices for low-field magnetic resonance applications, including low-field MRI, and embodiments of such methods and devices. It should be understood that the various aspects described herein can be implemented in any of numerous ways. Examples of specific implementations are provided herein for illustrative purposes only. In addition, the various aspects described in the embodiments below may be used alone or in any combination and are not limited to the combinations explicitly described herein. Although some of the techniques described herein are at least partially designed to solve the challenges associated with low-field and/or portable MRI, these techniques are not limited in this regard and can be applied to high-field MRI systems because of The sample is not limited to use with any particular type of MRI system. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of exemplary components of a low-field MRI system 100. In the illustrative example of FIG. 1, the low-field MRI system 100 includes a workstation 104, a controller 106, a pulse sequence repository 108, a power management system 110 and a magnetic assembly 120. It should be understood that the system 100 is illustrative and that in addition to or instead of the components illustrated in FIG. 1, a low-field MRI system may also have one or more other components of any suitable type. As shown in FIG. 1, the magnetic assembly 120 includes a magnet 122, a shim coil 124, an RF transmission/reception coil 126 and a gradient coil 128. The magnet 122 may be used to generate the main magnetic field B ₀ . The magnet 122 may be any suitable type of magnet that can generate a main magnetic field with a low field strength (ie, a magnetic field with a strength of 0.2 Tesla or less). The shim coil 124 can be used to promote the magnetic field(s) to improve the uniformity of the B ₀ field generated by the magnet 122. The gradient coil 128 may be configured to provide a gradient field and, for example, may be configured to generate a gradient in the magnetic field along three substantially orthogonal directions (X, Y, Z). RF transmit / receive coil 126 for generating RF pulses comprise an oscillating magnetic field B to initiate _a one or more transmission coils. The transmission coil(s) can be configured to generate any suitable type of RF pulse for performing low-field MR imaging. In some embodiments, a suitable type of RF pulse for performing low-field MR imaging may be selected based at least in part on environmental conditions, as discussed in more detail below. Each of the magnetic components 120 may be constructed in any suitable manner. For example, in some embodiments, the US application filed in the joint application with the attorney file number O0354.70000US01 entitled "Low Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging Methods and Apparatus" filed on September 4, 2015 can be used. The described technology manufactures one or more of the magnetic components 120, the entire text of which is incorporated herein by reference. The power management system 110 includes electronics to provide operating power to one or more components of the low-field MRI system 100. For example, as discussed in more detail below, the power management system 110 may include one or more power supplies, gradient power amplifiers, transmission coil amplifiers, and/or components that provide suitable operating power to power the low-field MRI system 100 and Any other suitable power electronic devices required to operate these components. As shown in FIG. 1, the power management system 110 includes a power supply 112, an amplifier(s) 114, a transmission/reception switch 116 and a thermal management component 118. The power supply 112 includes electronic devices for providing operating power to the magnetic assembly 120 of the low-field MRI system 100. For example, the power supply 112 may include electronics to provide operating power to one or more B ₀ coils (eg, B ₀ magnet 122) to generate the main magnetic field for the low-field MRI system. In some embodiments, the power supply 112 is a unipolar continuous wave (CW) power supply, however, any suitable power supply may be used. The transmission/reception switch 116 can be used to select whether to operate the RF transmission coil or the RF reception coil. The amplifier(s) 114 may include: one or more RF receiving (Rx) preamplifiers that amplify MR signals detected by one or more RF receiving coils (eg, coil 126); one or more RF transmissions (Tx) amplifiers, etc. configured to provide power to one or more RF transmission coils (eg, coil 126); one or more gradient power amplifiers, etc. configured to provide power to one or more Gradient coils (e.g., gradient coil 128); shim amplifiers, etc., which are configured to provide power to one or more shim coils (e.g., shim coil 124). Thermal management component 118 provides cooling for components of low-field MRI system 100 and can be configured to provide cooling by facilitating the transfer of thermal energy generated by one or more components of low-field MRI system 100 away from these components. The thermal management component 118 may include (but is not limited to) components for performing water-based or air-based cooling, which may be combined with heat-generating MRI components (including (but not limited to) B ₀ coils, gradient coils, shims Coils and/or transmit/receive coils) are integrated or configured in close proximity to these MRI components. The thermal management component 118 may include any component suitable for heat transfer media (including but not limited to air and water) to transfer heat away from the low-field MRI system 100. The thermal management component can be, for example, any thermal management component described in the joint application with the agent file number O0354.70004US01, entitled "Thermal Management Methods and Apparatus", applied on September 4, 2015, and/or Or technology, the entire text of the case is incorporated by reference. As shown in FIG. 1, the low-field MRI system 100 includes a controller 106 (also referred to herein as a “master console”). The controller 106 has commands for sending commands to and from the power management system 110 Control electronics to receive information. The controller 106 may be configured to implement instructions for determining the commands sent to the power management system 110 to operate one or more pulse sequences of one or more magnetic components 120 in a desired sequence. The controller 106 may be implemented as hardware, software, or any suitable combination of hardware and software, because the aspect of the disclosure provided herein is not limited in this regard. In some embodiments, the controller 106 may be configured to implement a pulse sequence by obtaining information about the pulse sequence from a pulse sequence repository 108 that stores information for each of the one or more pulse sequences. The information stored by the pulse sequence repository 108 for a particular pulse sequence may be any suitable information that allows the controller 106 to implement the particular pulse sequence. For example, the information stored in the pulse sequence repository 108 for a pulse sequence may include: one or more parameters for operating the magnetic component 120 according to the pulse sequence (eg, parameters for operating the RF transmit/receive coil 126 , Parameters used to operate the gradient coil 128, etc.); one or more parameters used to operate the power management system 110 according to the pulse sequence; including causing the controller 106 to control the system 100 to operate according to the pulse sequence when implemented by the controller 106 Command one or more programs; and/or any other suitable information. The information stored in the pulse sequence storage 108 may be stored in one or more non-transitory storage media. As shown in FIG. 1, the controller 106 also interacts with the arithmetic device 104 programmed to process the received MR data. For example, the computing device 104 may process the received MR data to generate one or more MR images using any suitable image reconstruction procedure(s). The controller 106 may provide information about the one or more pulse sequences to the arithmetic device 104 to facilitate the arithmetic device to process the MR data. For example, the controller 106 may provide information about the one or more pulse sequences to the computing device 104 and the computing device may perform an image reconstruction process based at least in part on the provided information. The computing device 104 may be any electronic device configured to process the captured MR data and generate one or more images of an imaged object. In some embodiments, the computing device 104 may be a fixed electronic device, such as a desktop computer, a server, a rack-mounted computer, or may be configured to process MR data and produce one of the imaged objects or Multiple images of any other suitable for fixing electronic devices. Alternatively, the computing device 104 may be a portable device, such as a smart phone, a digital assistant, a laptop, a tablet, or one that can be configured to process MR data and produce an imaged object Or any other portable device with multiple images. In some embodiments, the computing device 104 may include multiple computing devices of any suitable type, because the aspect of the disclosure provided herein is not limited in this regard. A user 102 can interact with the computing device 104 to control the appearance of the low-field MRI system 100 (eg, program the system 100 to operate according to a specific pulse sequence, adjust one or more parameters of the system 100, etc.) and/or watch Images obtained by the low-field MRI system 100. 2A and 2B illustrate a portable or transportable low-field MRI system 200 according to some embodiments. System 200 may include one or more components described above in connection with FIG. 1. For example, system 200 may include magnetic and electrical components and potentially other components (eg, thermal management, console, etc.) configured together on a single generally transportable and convertible structure. The system 200 may be designed to have at least two configurations: one configuration adjusted for shipping and storage and one configuration adjusted for operation. 2A shows the system 200 when it is fixed for shipping and/or storage and FIG. 2B shows the system 200 when it is transformed for operation. The system 200 includes a portion 290A that can slide into a portion 290B and withdraw from the portion 290B when the system is changed from its shipping configuration to its operating configuration (as indicated by the arrow shown in FIG. 2B). Part 290A may house power electronics 110, console 106 (which may include an interface device such as the touch panel display shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B), and thermal management 118. Section 290A may also include other components for operating system 200 as needed. Part 290B includes the magnetic component 120 of the low-field MRI system 200, including one or more magnetic components (eg, magnet 122, shim coil 124, RF transmission/reception coil 126, gradient coil 128) integrated thereon in any combination Lamination plates 210A and 210B. When changing to a configuration adapted to the operating system to perform MRI (as shown in FIG. 2B), the support surfaces of portions 290A and 290B provide a surface on which an object to be imaged can lie. A slidable surface 265 may be provided to facilitate sliding the object into position so that a portion of the object is within the field of view of the laminate that provides the corresponding low-field MRI magnet. System 200 provides a portable compact configuration that facilitates access to MRI imaging in a situation where conventional MRI imaging is not available (eg, in an emergency room). 2C and 2D illustrate another generally transportable low-field MRI system according to some embodiments. 2C illustrates an example of a switchable low-field MRI system 280 that utilizes a dual-plane hybrid magnet according to some embodiments. In FIG. 2C, the convertible system is in a folded configuration that facilitates the transportation system or storage system when it is not in use. The convertible system 280 includes a slidable bed 284 configured to support a human patient and allow the patient to slide into and out of the imaging area in the direction of arrow 281 between the housings 286A and 286B. The housings 286A and 286B house magnetic components that enable the convertible system 280 to generate a magnetic field for performing MRI. According to some embodiments, magnetic components may be produced, manufactured, and configured using only stacking technology, only conventional technology, or a combination of the two (eg, using hybrid technology). 2D shows the convertible system 280 extended and where a patient is positioned on the slidable bed 284 before being inserted between the housings 286A and 286B for imaging. According to some embodiments, each of the housings 286A and 286B accommodates a hybrid magnet coupled to a thermal management component to draw heat away from the magnetic component. Specifically, each of the housings 286A and 286B on the opposite side of the imaging area includes the B ₀ coil 205a and 205b, the build-up board 210 (where 210b is visible in the housing 286B with the face-up configuration), and is provided on the B The thermal management component 230 between ₀ coils. The magnetic components housed in 286A and 286B can be substantially the same to form a symmetric biplane hybrid magnet or the magnetic components housed in 286A and 286B can be different to form an asymmetric biplane hybrid magnet, because of the appearance It is not limited to use with any particular design or configuration of a hybrid magnet. According to the techniques described herein, one or more components of the low-field MRI system (eg, systems 100, 200, and/or 280) are automatically configured to ensure that the system will perform properly or is performing properly during operation. As discussed above, this MRI system can operate in various environments where one or more parameters of the system need to be adjusted to ensure satisfactory operation in a given environment. As also discussed above, manual configuration of components of a low-field MRI system is cumbersome and requires expertise that many users of the MRI system may not have. In many cases, a human operator (or even an expert) may be unsure of the environmental and/or operating conditions (such as radio frequency noise or other electromagnetic interference (EMI), unintentional short circuit or Open circuits, misaligned components, etc.) make appropriate adjustments to the system impractical. Therefore, some embodiments are configured to automatically execute a group in response to the occurrence of a specific event (eg, energizing the low-field MRI system, waking up from a sleep mode or a low power mode, detecting changing environmental conditions, etc.) Configuration and/or setting operations. FIG. 3 illustrates an automatic configuration procedure that can be executed in response to an event according to some embodiments. It should be understood that although FIG. 3 illustrates several configuration or setting operations that can be performed, any one or combination of operations that can be performed is because the aspect is not limited in this regard. In addition, although the exemplary configuration operations shown in FIG. 3 are shown to be performed in series, it should be understood that one or more configuration operations may be performed partially or completely in parallel, and which specific configuration operations and/or when There are no restrictions on performing specific configuration operations. In act 310, the low-field MRI system is powered on. FIG. 4 illustrates a power-on procedure that can be performed in act 310 according to some embodiments. It should be understood that although FIG. 4 illustrates several power-on operations that can be performed, any one or combination of operations that can be performed is because the aspect is not limited in this regard. In addition, although the exemplary configuration operations shown in FIG. 4 are shown to be performed in series, it should be understood that one or more configuration operations may be performed partially or completely in parallel, and which specific configuration operations and/or There are no restrictions on when to perform specific configuration operations. In act 410, the low field MRI system is connected to a power source. For example, the low-field MRI system can be connected to a standard wall outlet, to an external power supply such as a generator, or to any other suitable component for providing operating power to the low-field MRI system Types of. In act 412, it is verified that the emergency power cut-off system is operational. The Department of Patient Safety is one of the main considerations when designing medical devices. Therefore, some low-field MRI systems used in accordance with the techniques described herein include an emergency power cut that can be triggered manually or automatically in situations where patient safety may be a problem (eg, magnet overheating). Therefore, to ensure safe operation, the system may check to confirm that any and all power cuts (or other safety mechanisms) are enabled and/or operational. In act 414, for example, a user presses a power switch, button, or other mechanism on the console to energize the console 104. In response to being powered on, the main console can perform a number of start-up procedures before launching a control application to control one or more operations of the low-field MRI system. After or during any start-up procedure, one of the control applications configured to control one or more operations of the low-field MRI system is launched on the console (act 416). The control application can be automatically started when the main console is powered on or in response to user interaction with the main console or one of the external electronic devices configured to interact with the main console. In response to starting the control application, the application can instruct the console to perform one or more operations, including (but not limited to) instructing the power supply 112 to turn on the system DC power. After or during the activation of the control application, other components of the low-field MRI system can be activated and/or configured. For example, in act 418, the control application 112 may indicate that power supply to the magnet 122 by warming the resulting wherein the B ₀ field suitable for imaging (e.g.) the temperature of one power turned on to perform a low-field magnet to MRI. In some embodiments, the process of warming up the magnet may take a significant amount of time (eg, 30 minutes) to provide a stable B ₀ field suitable for imaging. To reduce the amount of time required to warm up the magnet 122, some embodiments perform one or more "preheat" operations. For example, one or more thermal management components 118 that can transfer heat away from the magnetic components 120 of the low-field MRI system during operation of the low-field MRI system can be adjusted down or off to allow the magnet to warm up faster than the thermal management components operate normally Situation. In some embodiments, the thermal management component 118 includes an air or water cooling system (eg, fan and/or pump) to provide cooling of the magnetic components of the low-field MRI system. During the preheating of the magnet, the fan and/or pump can be turned off or turned down (eg, by reducing the cooling capacity or intensity) to speed up the magnet warm-up process. Operating one or more thermal management components with less than the operating capacity refers to intentionally adjusting one or more thermal management components (including by not operating one or more thermal management components at all) so that the ability to remove heat is normal The operation is reduced. In an embodiment that modifies the operation of the thermal management component 118, the temperature of the magnet should be closely monitored to ensure that the magnet is not overheating and/or to determine when to turn on the thermal management component or increase the capacity/strength of the thermal management component. It may include (but is not limited to) determining the temperature of the magnet in any suitable way by using a temperature sensor; determining the temperature of the magnet based at least in part on the measured voltage of one of the magnets, etc. According to some embodiments engaged embodiment, there is provided a temperature sensing (e.g., via a sensor and / or a voltage measurement) so that the thermal management control automation to speed up the warm-up and near thermal equilibrium or stability for the B ₀ field magnet and / Or increase the cooling intensity. Some embodiments include a low power mode that is used when the system is idle (eg, not used for imaging) to keep the magnet warm. For example, in a low power mode, less current may be provided to the magnet, while still allowing the magnet 122 to remain at a temperature that is acceptable for imaging. The low power mode can be implemented in any suitable way that enables the magnet to be maintained at a desired temperature. For example, one or more techniques described above for reducing the warm-up time of the magnet (eg, turning off or turning down one or more thermal management components) can also be used to place the low-field MRI system at a low In power mode. Therefore, although not in use, the magnet can maintain the temperature with less power so that when needed, the magnet is ready without a warm-up cycle. In some embodiments, operation in the low power mode is automatically initiated when the low-field MRI system 100 is not in operation for a certain amount of time and/or may be manually initiated via a switch, button, or other interface mechanism provided by the system Low power mode. Alternatively, the low power mode may be used in response to determining that the ambient temperature of one of the environments in which the low-field MRI system 100 operates is higher than a certain temperature. For example, if the low-field MRI system is deployed in a high-temperature environment (eg, a desert), the magnet cannot be operated in a normal operation mode due to the possibility of overheating of the magnet. However, in these scenarios, the MRI system 100 may still be able to operate in the low power mode by using less current to drive the magnet in an environment with a lower temperature. Therefore, this low power mode enables the use of low field MRI systems in challenging environments that would normally not be suitable for MRI system operation. In some embodiments, the time required to perform the warm-up of the magnet before imaging can be reduced by determining and compensating for fluctuations in low-field MRI parameters during the warm-up procedure to achieve imaging before the fluctuations have stabilized. For example, the Larmor frequency of the B ₀ magnet usually fluctuates and becomes stable as the magnet warms up. Some embodiments characterize how the Lamor frequency tracks the voltage (or temperature) of the magnet and compensates for the change in frequency to allow imaging before the magnet reaches its normal operating temperature. The uniformity of the B ₀ field is another parameter known to fluctuate during the warm-up of the magnet. Therefore, some embodiments characterize how B ₀ field uniformity tracks the voltage (or temperature) of the magnet and (eg, using one or more shim coils) compensates for changes in field uniformity to achieve field uniformity to reach normal operating positions Pre-imaging. If it is possible to characterize the fluctuations of other low-field MRI parameters that fluctuate during the warm-up of the magnet 122 by measuring one of the magnet's voltage (or temperature) or some other parameter of the low-field MRI system, it can also be tracked and compensated These parameters provide imaging using a low-field MRI system before the magnet reaches thermal equilibrium and/or field stability. Referring back to the procedure of FIG. 4, in act 420, the gradient coil is activated. The inventors have recognized that in some embodiments, the process of enabling the gradient coil may be delayed until shortly before imaging is ready to reduce the power consumption of the low-field MRI system. After the low-field MRI system is operational, action 422 may be performed to monitor one or more properties of the magnet to ensure that the magnet remains in a state suitable for operation. If it is detected that one or more properties of the magnet have drifted or otherwise changed to affect the ability to capture a satisfactory image, one or more remedial actions can be performed. Referring back to the procedure of FIG. 3, in act 312, one or more general system checks are performed to ensure proper operation of the low-field MRI system 100. For example, a general system check may include checking whether the magnet 122 is shorted or open. The short circuit of the magnet 122 may occur due to any of several reasons. For example, during normal operation use and/or due to operation in different environments, thermal contraction and expansion (thermal cycling) of various components of the low-field MRI system may cause the magnet 122 or a part thereof or various other circuits, coils, etc. of the MRI system Any short circuit. For example, thermal cycling can cause conductive materials that are otherwise isolated to contact to short circuit the system's circuits (eg, windings in a coil). For example, in some cases, a conductive (eg, aluminum) surface of a cold plate that is included as a component of the thermal management system 118 may contact the cooled conductive material of one or more coils to cause a short circuit of the coils . Some embodiments test the system (eg, magnet 122) to determine whether there is a short circuit, and if there is a short circuit, a warning that the system is inoperable and needs maintenance may be provided to the user. A short circuit can be detected by monitoring the current-voltage (IV) curve derived from powering one or more components to assess whether the IV curve responds as expected or by using any other suitable technique. According to some embodiments, the system detects an open circuit. For example, any number of factors can cause a magnet 122 (or any other system circuit) to open, thereby not allowing current to flow. An open circuit can be caused by thermal cycling and/or through the use of the system (eg, by disconnecting electrical connections or by loosening components (eg, displacement bolts or screws used to connect components of the low-field MRI system 100)). For example, thermal cycling of the magnet can cause loosening of bolts/screws in the magnet assembly, which can cause the magnet to have an open circuit. Some embodiments test the magnet 122 to determine whether it is disconnected (eg, by observing whether a voltage is applied to draw a current), and if so, a warning that the magnet is inoperable and requires maintenance may be provided to the user. Other general system checks that can be performed according to some embodiments include determining the stability of the power supply 112. The inventors have recognized that in some implementations, the power supply 112 can operate near stability margins, and small deviations outside this range can cause the power supply to become unstable and oscillate. The power supply 112 may also oscillate for other reasons, including (but not limited to) a circuit failure within the power supply. The stability of the power supply can be determined in any suitable manner, including (but not limited to) measuring the current drawn from the power supply to ensure that the current drawn is as expected. The inventors have recognized that the quality of the power supply used to power the low-field MRI system 100 may vary depending on the environment in which the low-field MRI system is deployed. For example, a low-field MRI system operating in the field can be powered by, for example, a generator that can present a power challenge that does not exist when using a standard power outlet in a hospital to power the low-field MRI system . As another example, the power supply quality may vary with the operation of other devices on the same local power grid. As yet another example, it may be necessary to power a low-field MRI system deployed in a mobile context (such as in an ambulance) via a battery and converter. To address these issues, some embodiments perform general system checks to evaluate the characteristics of the power supply in any suitable manner to determine whether the power supply has sufficient quality for the operating system. As another example, a low-field MRI system may be deployed in a non-standard environment where the quality and/or standards of power-hook-up may not be known. To address this, some embodiments include checking the wiring of the power socket before trusting the power supply to supply power to the system to determine whether the socket is properly wired to avoid damage to the components of the system by the power supply. Checking the wiring of the power socket may include (but is not limited to) measuring the voltage from the power socket; measuring the level of noise in the current provided by the power socket and/or determining whether the power socket is properly wired (eg, FireWire, The sex wire and ground are all appropriate values). The inventors have understood that power generated by some power sources (eg, a generator or power converter) may have noise. If it is determined that the power outlet is not properly wired or has an unacceptable noise level, the user of the system can be notified and an alternative power source can be located before energizing the low-field MRI system. The inventors have recognized that external sources of electromagnetic noise can affect the ability of a low-field MRI system to operate properly in various environments in which the system can be deployed. Referring back to the procedure of FIG. 3, in act 314, the external noise source is evaluated to determine whether the detected noise source(s) can be properly handled by modifying one or more operating parameters of the low-field MRI system; Noise compensation techniques can be used to compensate for noise sources; or whether the low-field MRI system will not be able to operate properly in the presence of one or more detected noise sources, in which case the low-field MRI system will warn of an operation The system should be moved to another location that is less affected by noise. According to some embodiments, environmental conditions including (but not limited to) external temperature drift and/or system temperature drift may be detected and/or monitored, and one or more pulse sequences for performing imaging by the low-field MRI system may be modified The carrier frequency (Lamo frequency) compensates for changes in environmental conditions. The appearance of the low-field MRI system other than the pulse sequence parameters can be additionally or alternatively adjusted or modified to compensate for changes in environmental conditions. For example, the gradient current or shim current may also be determined based at least in part on the detected environmental conditions. Some low-field MRI systems for use according to some embodiments may include a noise cancellation system configured to detect and at least partially compensate for external noise sources. For example, noise cancellation can be performed by providing an auxiliary receiving channel to detect surrounding radio frequency interference (RFI). For example, one or more receive coils may be positioned close to the B ₀ field of view but outside the B ₀ field of view to sample RFI but not detect MR signals emitted by an imaged object. It can be freely positioned to detect signals received via one or more receiving coils transmitting MR signals minus RFI sampled by one or more auxiliary receiving coils. This configuration has the ability to dynamically process and suppress RFI to facilitate the provision of one of the RFIs that can generally be transported and/or can carry low-field MRI systems depending on the environment in which the low-field MRI system is operated and which may experience different and/or varying levels . It is described in the US application for the joint application with the agent file number O0354.70001US01, entitled "Noise Suppression Methods and Apparatus", filed on September 4, 2015, which is suitable for use with a low-field MRI system for noise reduction Some examples of technology, the entire text of the case is incorporated herein by reference. Some embodiments may use a multi-channel receive coil array to detect and compensate for noise sources. The multi-channel receive coil array is configured to detect the spatial position of the received signal as within or outside the array. Signals determined to be from outside the array can be regarded as noise and can be subtracted from signals determined to be from within the array. The noise cancellation technique according to some embodiments includes both the use of a multi-channel receive coil array and one or more auxiliary coils for performing noise cancellation. As another example, the noise cancellation system can detect whether there is a nearby device that generates electromagnetic noise that will affect the operation of the low-field MRI system, which will enable an operator of one of the low-field MRI systems to determine whether it can be operated before Unplug or remove the noisy device and/or whether any of various noise cancellation techniques can be used to compensate for the noise introduced by the detected noisy device. External noise can be generated by several different types of sources that interfere with the ability of a low-field MRI system to produce images of acceptable quality. For example, a low-field MRI system can detect noise in a specific frequency band and configure the low-field MRI system to operate in a different frequency range to avoid interference. As another example, a low-field MRI system can detect enough noise so that the system cannot avoid and/or sufficiently suppress noise. For example, if the low-field MRI system is deployed near an AM broadcast station, it can be determined that the noise cancellation system may not be able to eliminate broadcast noise, and the user of the low-field MRI system should be notified that the system should move away from the AM broadcast station Another location to ensure proper operation of the low-field MRI system. The inventors have recognized that external signals that can contribute to the reduced performance of a low-field MRI system can include signals that are not normally considered as traditional noise sources. For example, other low-field MRI systems operating in the vicinity of a given low-field MRI system configured can also generate signals that can interfere and negatively affect the performance of the low-field MRI system. According to some embodiments, the low-field MRI system is configured to detect other systems that are close enough to interfere with operation and can communicate with any such system to avoid mutual interference with each other. For example, multiple low-field MRI systems may be configured to communicate with each other using a network protocol (eg, Bluetooth, WiFi, etc.) and other low-field MRI systems operating in the vicinity of the configured low-field MRI system may Identify by attempting to automatically connect to other low-field MRI systems within the scope of using network protocols. The high-field MRI system is deployed in a dedicated shielded room to prevent electromagnetic interference from affecting the operation of the MRI system. Therefore, the high-field MRI system is also isolated from external communications. In addition, due to the high field strength, electronic devices are usually not able to operate in the same room as the B ₀ magnet of the MRI system. On the other hand, low-field MRI systems can generally be configured to be portable and operate in locations other than dedicated shielded rooms. Therefore, the low-field MRI system can be communicatively coupled to other devices (including other low-field MRI systems) in ways that are not possible with high-field MRI systems, thereby promoting several benefits, some of which are discussed in further detail below. FIG. 5 illustrates a network environment 500 in which one or more low-field MRI systems can be operated. For example, multiple low-field MRI systems may be deployed in different rooms of a clinic or hospital or may be deployed in different facilities located remotely. The system can be configured to communicate via the network to identify the presence of other systems and automatically configure the operating conditions of one or more low-field MRI systems with detection capabilities to reduce interference between the systems. As shown, the network environment 500 includes a first low-field MRI system 510, a second low-field MRI system 520, and a third low-field MRI system 530. Each low-field MRI system is configured to discover other low-field MRI systems via the network or using any other suitable mechanism (eg, through inter-device communication, detection of another low-field MRI system as a noise source, etc.) Existence detection ability. In some embodiments, a low-field MRI system may be configured to automatically detect the presence of another low-field MRI system by communicating directly with other low-field MRI systems. For example, a low-field MRI system can be configured to communicate with each other using a short-range wireless protocol (eg, Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee), and at startup, a low-field MRI system can try to discover any other low-field MRI system Whether to use short-range wireless protocol operation nearby. In some embodiments, a low-field MRI system may be configured to use an indirect technique (eg, by not directly communicating with another low-field MRI system) (such as by connecting to a network configured to track One of the locations of the system is a central computer, a server (for example, server 585), or an intermediate device communication) that automatically detects the presence of another operating low-field MRI system. Any suitable indirect technique can be used. For example, in some embodiments, at startup and/or sometimes during operation thereafter, a low-field MRI system may send one or more messages to the database 550 via the network 540 to be in the database Register itself. Registering a low-field MRI system in the database 550 may include providing any suitable information for storage in the database, including (but not limited to) an identifier of one of the low-field MRI systems, and operation of one of the systems (eg, Ramo ) Indication of frequency, location of one of the systems and whether the system is active or in a standby mode. Update the information stored in the database 550 in the following situations: when a low-field MRI system is started for the first time; when a low-field MRI system changes its operating state (for example, from active mode to standby mode) ; When the system changes one or more parameters (for example, operating frequency) and so on. At startup and/or sometimes thereafter, a low-field MRI system may send a query to a computer (eg, server 585) associated with the database to determine whether the additional low-field MRI system is operating nearby and obtain information about Information about any detected low-field MRI system. The query may include any suitable information capable of searching the database 550, including (but not limited to) an identifier of one of the low-field MRI systems that issued the query and a location of the low-field MRI system. The low-field MRI system can then negotiate with other proximity systems directly or via a computer to establish operating parameters so that the system does not interfere. In other embodiments, the detection of the presence of other nearby low-field MRI systems can be accomplished through the measurement of MR data. For example, the signal detected in response to the RF pulse can be analyzed to identify the presence of noise in the signal characterizing the presence of a nearby low-field MRI system. These embodiments do not require network (direct or indirect) communication between multiple low-field MRI systems. However, data acquisition and data analysis are required for the detection process, which can delay the identification of nearby systems. The inventors have recognized that in implementations where multiple low-field MRI systems are in close proximity to operation, the system can be configured to reduce interference between systems or reduce any other noise sources (eg, an AM radio station) to one The effect of the low-field MRI system's effectiveness. For example, the B ₀ field of a first low-field MRI system can be adjusted to shift the Raman frequency of the system away from the Raman frequency of a second low-field MRI system operating nearby or away from detected noise Any other frequency range. The appropriate operating frequency and/or field strength to be used can be established by directly negotiating between multiple low-field MRI systems or by communicating with a central server responsible for resolving conflicts between systems (or any other suitable configuration parameter). For example, a computer associated with database 550 may be responsible for assigning operating configuration parameters to a tightly positioned low-field MRI system. The inventors have recognized that multiple low-field MRI systems can also benefit from using one or more networks to connect to each other by sharing information including (but not limited to) the following: pulse sequence, waveform table, pulse timing Cheng or any other suitable information. In some embodiments, one of the potential conflicts between multiple low-field MRI systems can be managed through the time slice operation of the system to reduce the effects of interference between the systems. For example, a time-sharing configuration can be established between at least two low-field MRI systems to alternate or otherwise coordinate the pulse sequence so that transmission and/or reception cycles are properly interleaved to reduce interference between systems. As shown, the network environment can also include one or more image archiving and communication systems (PACS) 560 and a low-field MRI system can be configured to automatically detect and connect to the PACS 560 to: use the low-field MRI system Storage of the acquired images; obtaining one or more images (or information from them) stored by PACS 560; or otherwise using the information stored therein. The network environment may also include a server 585 that can coordinate the activities of the low-field MRI systems connected to the network and/or the activities between these low-field MRI systems. The server 585 can also be used to provide data (eg, magnetic resonance fingerprint identification data) to a low-field MRI system to facilitate the use of MR fingerprints for MRI. The server 585 can also be operated as an information source in other aspects. Referring back to the procedure illustrated in FIG. 3, in action 316, the mechanical configuration of the low-field MRI system is checked. For example, one or more mechanical components of the low-field MRI system may include a microswitch, a sensor, or any other suitable device for determining whether the one or more mechanical components are in place. Examples of measures that can be taken to ensure that they are properly engaged with one of the mechanical components of a low-field MRI system include, but are not limited to, one or more RF coils (eg, head coils), on which the patient is placed during imaging A bed or table and a circuit breaker device for low-field MRI systems when implemented as a portable system. According to some embodiments, the exemplary system depicted in FIG. 2 may include transmissions that allow different types of transmission/reception coils to snap into place, for example, configured to image different parts of an anatomy / One component of the receiving coil. In this way, a head coil, a chest coil, an arm coil, a leg coil or any other coil configured for a specific part of the anatomy can be snapped into the system to perform a corresponding imaging operation . The interface to which the interchangeable coils are connected (eg, snapped into place) can include a mechanism for detecting when a coil has been correctly attached, and can convey this information to an operator of the system. Alternatively or additionally, the transmit/receive coil may be configured with one of any suitable type of sensor capable of detecting when the coil has been correctly positioned and coupled to the system (eg, snap into position). According to some embodiments, various transmission/reception coils may include a storage device and/or microcontroller that stores information about the coil, the information including, for example, coil type, operating requirements, field of view, number of channels, and/or available Any one or combination of any other information of the system is discussed in further detail below. The transmit/receive coil can be configured to automatically provide information (eg, broadcast information) to the system when properly attached to the system and/or the transmit/receive coil can be configured to provide any in response to an inquiry from one of the systems Information upon request. Any other components can be checked to ensure that all relevant mechanical connections are made correctly, because the appearance is not restricted in this respect. According to some embodiments, the system may automatically select a scanning protocol based on the type of transmission/reception coil connected to the system. For example, if a head coil is detected, the system can automatically select a suitable head imaging protocol. The system can provide a list of available head imaging protocols, and then present the list to the user for selection. Alternatively, if the system has further information (eg, information obtained from an RFID tag associated with the patient, as discussed in further detail below) or information from a patient scheduling system, the system can select a specific head Imaging agreement and setting the system to execute the corresponding imaging procedure (for example, an imaging procedure for checking stroke). Similarly, when multiple agreements are presented and a user selects an option, the system can configure the system to perform the corresponding imaging procedure. As an example, the system can obtain (eg, load or generate) an appropriate pulse sequence, select an appropriate contrast type, select an appropriate field of view, prepare to acquire one or more reconnaissance images, and so on. It should be understood that regardless of the type of detected transmission/reception coil, the system may present available protocols and/or prepare and configure the system to perform a selected or automatically identified scanning protocol. According to some embodiments, the system may automatically select a scan protocol based on the location of one or more components of the system. For example, the system can detect the position of the patient support (eg, bed, table, or chair) and automatically select a suitable imaging protocol or present a list of available imaging protocols suitable for the patient support and/or configure the system To perform an appropriate imaging procedure. It should be understood that the automatic selection of the appropriate imaging protocol(s) and/or other automatic setting activities can be performed based on the location and/or configuration of other components of the detection system, because the aspect is not limited in this regard. In act 318, automatic tuning of the RF coil may be performed. Some embodiments may include functionality for automatically detecting the type of connected RF coil, and the automatic tuning of the RF coil may be performed based at least in part on the detected specific type of information of the connected RF coil. Other embodiments may not include functionality for automatically detecting one type of connected RF coil and may perform automatic tuning of the RF coil based at least in part on manually entered information about the type of coil currently connected. One type of automatic detection of connected RF coils can be implemented in any suitable manner. For example, the type of connected RF coil may be based at least in part on the wiring in one of the coil's connectors. As another example, a programmable storage device (e.g., an EPROM) may be included that is programmed with configuration information of the coil as part of the coil, and the group may be grouped when the coil is connected or at some other time thereafter The state information is downloaded to the low field MRI system. The configuration information may include information identifying the RF coil and any other suitable information to facilitate the configuration and/or calibration of the RF coil. For example, as discussed above, information about the coil's field of view (FOV), coil frequency range, coil power scaling, coil calibration data, or any other suitable information may be stored on the storage device and transferred to Low-field MRI system can be used to automatically tune the RF coil. As yet another example, the connected RF coil may include identifying the RF coil as one of a specific type of RFID tag, and the type of coil may be identified by the low-field MRI system based at least in part on the RFID tag. The RFID tag can store and provide other information about the corresponding coil, such as any information described above. It should be understood that any type of device that can store information that can be accessed actively or passively can be used because the aspect is not limited in this regard. Various aspects of automatic RF coil configuration can be performed based at least in part on the data collected during the configuration process. For example, some embodiments may be configured to automatically detect the field of view and/or the position of the patient before imaging by performing a test locator pulse sequence and analyzing the MR response. In some embodiments, to speed up the configuration process, this positioner pulse sequence may be performed before the magnet is fully warmed up, as discussed above. The patient and/or components of the low-field MRI system can then be adjusted appropriately when the magnet is warmed up. However, these pulse sequences can be applied after the magnet is warmed up, which is used at any particular point in time because this technique is not limited. According to some embodiments, the field of view and/or the center position are determined by capturing a low-resolution image to discover the spatial extent of the object. Alternatively, the spatial extent can be obtained by acquiring signal projections through the object. The system can be adjusted based on the position of the detected object in the field of view or provide a warning message when the object is outside the field of view to a range that cannot be adjusted or compensated. The field of view and/or center position can be used to obtain one or more rapid reconnaissance images. This reconnaissance image can be used in several ways to facilitate imaging procedures. For example, the user can select a scan amount by dragging a frame over a desired part of the scanned image or annotating the reconnaissance image in other ways to indicate the desired area for performing image capture. Alternatively, the user can zoom in or out (eg, use a zoom tool, use a gesture on the touch screen, etc.) to select the scan volume for performing a higher or full resolution scan. According to some embodiments, a reconnaissance image may be displayed, where the position of one or more receiving coils is superimposed on the image. This information can be used to determine whether a patient is positioned within the field of view to image the target portion of the anatomy satisfactorily. According to some embodiments, other techniques (eg, using one or more optical cameras) may be used to determine the spatial extent. Information obtained from one or more optical cameras can be used to assess the location of a patient and whether the patient is positioned in a manner suitable for imaging. Referring back to the procedure of FIG. 3, in act 320, automatic shimming is performed. As discussed above, some low-field MRI systems for use with the techniques described herein include one or more shim coils that can be energized to adjust the B ₀ field to account for field non-uniformities. In some embodiments that include a shim coil, calibration of the B ₀ field can be performed in a similar manner by selectively activating the shim coil to improve the uniformity of the B ₀ field. According to some embodiments, one or more sensors are used to determine system characteristics (eg, uniformity of a magnetic field, stability of the system) and/or characteristics of environmental noise, and information from the sensors may be used to The magnetic field is tuned by adjusting the operating parameters of the magnetic element (including but not limited to adjusting the B ₀ magnet, selecting one or more shim coils to be operated, and/or selecting one or more shim coil operating parameters). In some embodiments, automatic shimming is performed only after the magnet has been completely warmed up. In other embodiments, automatic shimming is performed during the warm-up procedure as needed to capture images before the magnet has completely warmed up. It is possible to perform automatic shimming using a predefined sequence or measurement in response to the B ₀ field, because the aspect of the invention is not limited in this respect. In addition, automatic shimming can be performed at start-up and/or at any other suitable time interval when the low-field MRI system is put into use. Dynamic adjustment of the B ₀ field by periodically or continuously using automatic shimming during operation can facilitate in environments with changing properties, noise levels and/or where the temperature of the magnet does not reach thermal equilibrium during operation or because the magnet Capture higher-quality images under fluctuating conditions. According to some embodiments, a low-field MRI system may include a field sensor configured to obtain local magnetic field measurements in combination with the magnetic field generated by a low-field MRI system and/or the magnetic field in the environment. These magnetic field measurements can be used to dynamically adjust various properties, characteristics, and/or parameters of the low-field MRI system to improve the performance of the system. For example, a network of spatially distributed field sensors can be arranged at known locations in space to achieve real-time characterization of the magnetic field generated by a low-field MRI system. The network of sensors can measure the local magnetic field of the low-field MRI system to provide information that facilitates any number of adjustments or modifications to the system, some examples of which are described in further detail below. Any type of sensor that can measure the magnetic field of interest can be used. These sensors may be integrated into one or more laminates or may be provided separately, because the concepts related to the use of magnetic field measurement are not limited to the type, number or method of providing sensors. According to some embodiments, the measurement provided by a sensor network provides information that facilitates the establishment of suitable shims to provide a B ₀ field with the desired intensity and uniformity. As discussed above, any desired number of shim coils of any geometry and configuration can be integrated in a laminate alone or in combination with other magnetic components to enable selective operation and/or shim operation at the desired power level Different combinations of coils. Thus, when a low-field MRI system is operated in a specific environment, measurements from a network of field sensors can be used to characterize the magnetic field generated by, for example, a B ₀ magnet and/or gradient coil to determine What combination of shim coils should be selected for operation and/or at what power level the selected shim coil is operated to affect the magnetic field so that the low-field MRI system produces a B ₀ field with the desired intensity and uniformity. This capability facilitates the deployment of generally portable, transportable, and/or loadable systems because the B ₀ field can be calibrated for a given location using one of the systems. According to some embodiments, measurements from the field sensor network may be utilized to perform dynamic shimming during operation of the system. For example, the sensor network can measure the magnetic field generated by a low-field MRI system during operation to provide information that can be used (for example, real-time, near real-time, or otherwise combined with the operating system) to dynamically adjust a Or a different combination of multiple shim coils and/or operating shim coils (for example, by operating one or more additional shim coils or stopping operating one or more shim coils) such that having a magnetic field with or closer to the desired or expected characteristics (e.g., at or closer to the desired field strength and uniformity of the resulting the B ₀ field). Amount from a network of sensors can measure magnetic field for informing an operator quality (e.g., B ₀ field, the gradient fields, etc.) fails to meet a desired criterion or measure. For example, if the generated B ₀ field fails to meet specific requirements regarding field strength and/or uniformity, an operator may be alerted. According to some embodiments, measurements from a sensor network may be used to guide and/or correct the reconstruction and/or processing of MR data obtained from operating a low-field MRI scanner. In particular, the actual space-time magnetic field pattern obtained from the sensor network can be used as knowledge of when to reconstruct images from MR data acquired. Therefore, even in the presence of field inhomogeneities that would otherwise be unsatisfactory for capturing data and/or producing images, reconstruction of suitable images is still possible. Therefore, techniques for using field sensor data to assist in image reconstruction facilitate obtaining improved images in some situations and achieving low-field MRI performance in environments and/or situations where field strength and/or uniformity is degraded. According to some embodiments, a field sensor network may be used to measure and quantify system performance (eg, eddy current, system delay, timing, etc.) and/or to facilitate gradient waveform design based on measured local magnetic fields. It should be understood that measurements obtained from a field sensor network can be used in any other way to facilitate the implementation of low field MRI, because the aspect is not limited in this regard. In a generally portable, transportable, or transportable system, the environment in which the MRI system is deployed can often be unknown, unshielded, and often uncontrolled. Thus, the ability to characterize the magnetic field generated by a low-field MRI system in the context of a specific environment (magnetic and other) facilitates the ability to deploy such systems in a wide range of environments and situations, thereby allowing for a given environment Optimize the system. According to some embodiments, in addition to or as an alternative to a one-field sensor network, one or more measurements performed by a low-field MRI system may be used. The use of MR-based measurements by low-field MRI systems instead of measurements by one-field sensor networks can simplify the design of low-field MRI systems and enable the production of low-field MRI systems with a reduced cost. In some embodiments, a low-field MRI system may send diagnostic information to a centralized location (eg, one or more network-connected computers associated with database 550 before determining that the system is ready to image a patient) ). In this way, the low-field MRI system can be connected to the cloud to exchange information at any time before imaging or during setup, configuration, and/or operation. The transmitted diagnostic information can be analyzed at a centralized location and if it is determined that the low-field MRI system is functioning properly, a message can be sent back to the system to inform the user that the system is ready for imaging. However, if a problem is detected in response to analyzing the transmitted information, information indicating that the system may have an operational problem can be sent back to the system. The information returned to the low-field MRI system can be in any form, including (but not limited to) a simple prepared/unprepared indication and a detailed analysis of one of the detected problems (if found). In some embodiments, the information transmitted back to the low-field MRI system only indicates that the low-field MRI system needs maintenance. According to some embodiments, the provided diagnostic information may include the current version of one of the software installed on the low-field MRI system. From this information, it can be determined that the MRI system is operating with one of the latest versions of the software. If it is determined that the current version of the software installed on the low-field MRI system is not the latest, the information sent back to the MRI system may include an indication that the software should be updated. In some embodiments, the ability to operate a low-field MRI system may be limited based on the importance of software updates. According to some embodiments, one of the latest versions of the software may be downloaded from a computer connected to the cloud to dynamically update the system when detecting that the system is not using the latest version of the software and/or otherwise operating with old and/or outdated software. Some embodiments may be configured to provide a dynamic configuration of the MRI system by enabling the console to adjust the way the MRI sequence is used to generate images with a desired quality and resolution. Conventional MRI consoles generally operate by having a user select a pre-programmed MRI pulse sequence, and then use the pre-programmed MRI pulse sequence to retrieve MR data that is processed to reconstruct one or more images. Then, a physician can interpret one or more images obtained. The inventors have recognized and understood that using pre-programmed MRI pulse sequences to operate an MRI system does not necessarily effectively produce an image with a desired quality. Therefore, in some embodiments, a user can specify the type of image to be captured, and the console can be assigned the following tasks: determine the initial imaging parameters, update the parameters as the scan progresses, as appropriate, based on analysis of the received MR data provides the desired type of image. Dynamically adjusting imaging parameters based on computational feedback facilitates the development of a "button" MRI system in which a user can select a desired image or application and the MRI system can determine a component image parameter used to acquire the desired image, which can be based on The obtained MR data dynamically optimizes the composition image parameters. Referring back to the procedure of FIG. 3, in act 322, an external electronic device (eg, the external electronic device 565 shown in FIG. 5) can be detected. The inventors have recognized that using a low-field MRI system allows patients, medical practitioners, and others to have and use electronic devices in close proximity to the MRI system without the safety issues that arise when these devices are positioned in close proximity to the high-field MRI system. An external electronic device of this category is a wearable electronic device (eg, smart watch, sensor, monitor, etc.) that can be safely used in a low-field environment. Wearable electronic devices can store and/or detect patient data that can facilitate the use of low-field MRI systems to capture images. Therefore, some embodiments automatically detect the presence of these electronic devices and download patient data (eg, heart rate, respiration rate, height, weight, age, patient identifier, etc.) to the low field MRI system for acquisition Imaging information. For example, patient data can be used to gate or modify one or more data acquisition parameters (eg, pulse sequences) to customize a data acquisition process based on patient-specific data for a specific individual. Patient data can also be used to select the appropriate pulse sequence or other operating parameters of the low-field MRI system from a set of possible pulse sequences or operating parameters. Alternatively, patient data can be used for any other purpose to improve imaging by a low-field MRI system. For example, heart rate data and/or respiration rate data received from a wearable electronic device can be used to reduce and/or correct movement artifacts caused by patient movement. In addition, physiological data such as heart rate or respiration rate can be used to provide synchronized information for an imaging procedure. Any suitable wireless discovery technology (an example of known wireless discovery technology) can be used to detect wearable electronic devices in any suitable manner. A wearable device may include an RFID tag that includes information such as demographic information, health information about the patient (eg, whether the patient has a heart rhythm regulator, implants, etc.), and imaging protocols for the patient Patient information such as information. This information can be used by the system to automatically prepare and/or configure the system to perform imaging according to appropriate protocols. For example, the system can perform one or more checks to ensure that the system is properly configured (e.g., a correct transmit/receive coil is connected to the system, the bed is in a suitable location, etc.) for the desired imaging procedure; appropriate Pulse sequence; properly configure one or more parameters of the system; prepare to capture one or more reconnaissance images and/or automatically execute any other suitable procedures to prepare for capturing the image(s) according to the desired agreement. The information obtained from the RFID tag can include any other information (including but not limited to contrast agent type, amount, etc.), the destination of the captured image (e.g., PACS, cloud, remote radiologist, centralized server, etc.) ) And/or any other information that facilitates the imaging process. It should be understood that any of the above information can be obtained by the system using other technologies such as: scanning a bar code or hospital tag or obtaining information available on the patient’s mobile device (such as a smart phone or wearable device). Because the automatic acquisition of information about the patient and/or the imaging procedure required is not restricted and used in any particular technology. For example, a patient's mobile device (eg, a smartphone, wearable device, etc.) may include health information, diagnostic information, or may be accessed and utilized to obtain notifications to automatically set an imaging protocol and/or imaging Other information about the state of the process. The inventor has also recognized that some external electronic devices (eg, a mobile computing device 565) can be used to control various operating modes of the low-field MRI system. For example, some embodiments allow an external electronic device (such as a smartphone or a tablet) to control the operation of the low-field MRI system without requiring a healthcare professional to control the low-field MRI system from a dedicated console. The control device (eg, using a control application) may be used to program the electronic device. When the control command is within the range of a low-field MRI system, it enables a user of one of the electronic devices to control at least some operations of the system. Therefore, some low-field MRI systems used in accordance with some of the techniques described herein can be configured to automatically detect the presence of external electronic devices that can be used to remotely control at least some operations of the low-field MRI system. In addition, one or more applications installed on an external electronic device may also include instructions that enable the healthcare professional using the device to access and view one or more images stored on the PACS 560. As discussed above, an imaging program can be controlled using any number of local or remote devices, including a user’s mobile device, a computer at a remote radiologist’s local computer, a local computer at the system site, and/or an integrated computer Wait. The inventor has learned that no matter which device is used, user interface functionality can be implemented to facilitate the inspection process. For example, during an inspection procedure, the area of interest can be selected through one or more reconnaissance images or through one or more higher resolution images and additional scans can be automatically performed to capture further corresponding to the selected area of interest image. According to some embodiments, to assist a local user and/or a remote radiologist, previously acquired images of the object may be displayed and/or reference images of the expected or healthy anatomy/tissue may be displayed. The previously obtained images can be used as a comparison to identify abnormal areas, monitor patient changes (eg, to determine the efficacy of a treatment), or provide diagnostic assistance in other ways. The reference image can be used to assist in identifying abnormal body structures, abnormal tissues, and/or identifying any other conditions that deviate from expectations as characterized by the reference image. The inventors have further understood that automatic analysis of acquired images can be performed to detect various events, occurrences or conditions. For example, it is possible to detect poor image quality in one or more regions and obtain an appropriate pulse sequence to capture further image data to enter the gap, increase the signal-to-noise ratio and/or obtain higher quality image data in other ways and /Or improve the image quality in the selected area. As another example, the captured image may be analyzed to detect when the target anatomy is not sufficiently acquired in the captured image and to warn the user that further imaging may need to be performed. The configuration operation of FIG. 3 discussed above is mainly described in the context of configuring a low-field MRI system during initial system startup. However, it should be understood that one or more configuration operations may be performed automatically during operation of the low-field MRI system in addition or alternatively. As an example, a temperature sensor can be used during system operation or the temperature of the magnet can be monitored by measuring the voltage of the magnet, as described above. The magnet voltage/temperature can also be monitored during operation to assess whether the components of the thermal management system (eg, pump, fan, etc.) are working properly. In addition, one or more components of the thermal management system can be directly monitored during operation of the low-field MRI system to ensure proper cooling of the components of the low-field MRI system as needed. In order to reduce the power consumption of the low-field MRI system during operation, a control application can be implemented on the system's main console to monitor user activity. When user activity is not detected for a certain amount of time (for example, 30 minutes, 1 hour), the low-field MRI system can automatically enter a low-power mode to reduce power consumption and/or burden on component operations (which can be shortened The effective life of the equipment). According to some embodiments, a low-field MRI system may have multiple low-power modes indicating different states of user inactivity and the low-field MRI system may transition between different low-power modes rather than when no user activity is detected Completely shut down. For example, a low-field MRI system can be configured to have three low-power modes, each of which corresponds to maintaining the magnet at a different state of a desired power and temperature. When detecting user inactivity for a short period of time (for example, 30 minutes), the magnet can automatically enter a "shallow" low power mode, in which the current supplied to the magnet is slightly reduced to reduce power consumption. If it is detected that the user has been inactive for a long period of time (for example, 1 hour), the magnet can automatically change to a "medium" low power mode, in which the current supplied to the magnet is further reduced to consume less power. If it is detected that the user has no activity for a longer period of time (for example, 4 hours), the magnet can automatically change to a "deep" low power mode, in which the current supplied to the magnet is further reduced to consume less power resources. When the magnet is cooled in different low power modes, the components of the thermal management system (eg, fan, pump) can be adjusted accordingly. Although three different low power modes are described above, it should be understood that any suitable number of low power modes (including zero or one low power mode) may be used instead. In addition, the time period given above is merely exemplary and any time period may serve as a basis for triggering a transition to a low power mode. Furthermore, other aspects of the system can be monitored and/or other events can be used to trigger a transition to a low power mode because the automatic transition to a low power mode is not limited to any particular type of trigger. According to some embodiments, a user may interact with a control application to place the magnet in a low power mode instead of relying on automated procedures (eg, detection of user inactivity). Responsive to detecting user activity (such as controlling a user through a control application on the console (for example, working on a user interface controlling a user on the console)), through external electronics communicating with the low-field MRI system The device may receive control commands in any other suitable manner) and return from a low power mode to normal operation of the low field MRI system. The inventor has recognized that if the polarity of the B ₀ field remains constant, objects in the environment near the low-field MRI system can become magnetized over time, and the magnetization of objects in the environment can cause distortion of the B ₀ field (eg, , An offset), resulting in poorer image quality. Degaussing the environmental object may include performing a degaussing process in which the magnetization in the object is reduced. Some embodiments are concerned with reducing the source of magnetization rather than dealing with its effects. For example, some low-field MRI systems may be configured to switch the polarity of the B ₀ field occasionally (eg, once a day) to prevent magnetization of objects in the surrounding environment. In an embodiment where the polarity of the B ₀ field is periodically switched, the automatic shimming procedure described above can take into account the current polarity of the B ₀ field to perform correct shimming. According to some embodiments, ferromagnetic components are used to increase the field strength of a B ₀ magnet without the need for additional power or using reduced power to generate a same B ₀ field. These ferromagnetic components can become magnetized by operating the low-field MRI system and can complete the magnetization relatively quickly, thereby disturbing the B ₀ field in an undesirable (ie, different from expected) manner. Therefore, the degaussing techniques described above (eg, switching the polarity of the B ₀ magnet) can be used to prevent the magnetization of the ferromagnetic component from adversely affecting the operation of the B ₀ field and therefore the low field MRI system. As discussed above, low-field MRI facilitates the design and implementation of MRI systems that are generally not feasible in the context of high-field MRI (eg, relatively low cost, reduced footprint, and/or generally portable or transportable MRI systems) Development. Having thus described several aspects and embodiments of the technology set forth in this disclosure, it should be understood that those skilled in the art will readily think of various changes, modifications, and improvements. Such changes, modifications, and improvements are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the technology described herein. For example, one of ordinary skill will readily envision various other components and/or structures for performing functions and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more advantages described herein, and each of these changes and/or modifications They are considered to be within the scope of the embodiments described herein. Those skilled in the art will recognize or be able to determine many equivalents of the specific embodiments described herein using only routine experimentation. Therefore, it should be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of examples only and within the scope of the accompanying patent application and its equivalents, the embodiments of the present invention may be practiced differently as described in detail. In addition, any combination of two or more features, systems, items, materials, kits, and/or methods described herein (if such features, systems, items, materials, kits, and/or methods are not inconsistent with each other ) Is included in the scope of the present invention. The above embodiment can be implemented in any of many ways. One or more aspects and embodiments of the present invention related to the performance of a program or method may utilize program instructions, which may be implemented by a device (eg, a computer, a processor, or other device) to execute the program or method or Control the effectiveness of procedures or methods. In this regard, various inventive concepts can be embodied as one computer-readable storage medium (or multiple computer-readable storage media) using one or more program codes (eg, a computer memory, one or more floppy disks, CD-ROMs) , Optical discs, magnetic tapes, flash memory, field programmable gate array circuit configuration or other semiconductor devices or other tangible computer storage media), when one or more computers or other processors implement the one Or multiple programs, they perform the method of implementing one or more of the embodiments described above. The computer-readable medium(s) may be transportable so that the program(s) stored thereon can be loaded onto one or more different computers or other processors to implement the various aspects described above. In some embodiments, the computer-readable media may be non-transitory media. The term "program" or "software" as used herein generally refers to any type of computer code or computer executable that can be employed to program a computer or other processor to implement the various aspects as described above Instruction Set. In addition, it should be understood that according to one aspect, one or more computer programs that perform the method of the present disclosure when implemented need not reside on a single computer or processor, but can be distributed to several different computers in a modular manner Or between processors to implement various aspects of the present disclosure. Computer-executable instructions can take many forms, such as program modules, executed by one or more computers or other devices. Generally speaking, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of the program module is usually combined or assigned as needed. Furthermore, the data structure can be stored in a computer-readable medium in any suitable form. For brevity of illustration, the data structure may be shown as having a field related by the position in the data structure. These relationships can also be achieved by assigning storage to fields in a computer-readable medium that have locations that convey the relationships between the fields. However, any suitable organization can be used to establish the relationship between the information in the fields of a data structure, including through the use of indicators, tags, or other organizations that establish relationships between data elements. When implemented in software, the software code may be implemented in any suitable processor or set of processors (whether provided in a single computer or distributed among multiple computers). In addition, it should be understood that as a non-limiting example, a computer may be embodied in any of several forms, such as a rack-mounted computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a tablet computer. In addition, a computer can be embedded in a device that is not normally considered a computer but has suitable processing capabilities, including a personal assistant (PDA), a smart phone, or any other suitable portable or fixed electronic device. Furthermore, a computer may have one or more input and output devices. These devices are particularly useful for presenting a user interface. Examples of output devices that can be used to provide a user interface include printers or display screens for visual presentation of output and speakers or other sound generating devices for audio presentation of output. Examples of input devices that can be used in a user interface include keyboards and pointing devices (such as mice, touchpads, and digital input pads). As another example, a computer can receive input information through voice recognition or in other audio formats. These computers can be interconnected by one or more networks in any suitable form, including a local area network or a wide area network (such as an enterprise network and intelligent network (IN) or Internet). These networks can be based on any suitable technology and can operate according to any suitable protocol and can include wireless networks, wired networks, or fiber optic networks. Also, as described, some aspects may be embodied as one or more methods. The actions performed as part of the method can be ordered in any suitable way. Thus, embodiments can be constructed that perform actions in a sequence different from the one depicted, and these embodiments can include performing actions at the same time, although the actions are shown as sequential actions in the illustrative embodiments. It should be understood that all definitions defined and used herein should be understood to govern dictionary definitions of defined terms, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or conventional meanings. Unless expressly indicated to the contrary, the indefinite article "a" as used herein in the specification and patent application should be understood to mean "at least one." The phrase "and/or" as used in this specification and the scope of patent applications herein should be understood to mean "any or both" of the elements so combined, that is, in some cases exist in combination and in other In the case of separate components. Multiple elements listed using "and/or" should be constructed in the same way, that is, "one or more" of the elements so combined. In addition to the elements clearly identified by the "and/or" clause, other elements may exist as needed, and these elements may or may not be related to their clearly identified elements. Thus, as a non-limiting example, when a reference to "A and/or B" is used in conjunction with an open language such as "include", in one embodiment, it may only refer to A (excluding Other components); in another embodiment, only refers to B (including components other than A as needed); in yet another embodiment, refers to both A and B (including other components as necessary) ;and many more. As used herein in this specification and in the scope of patent applications, when referring to a list of one or more elements, the phrase "at least one" should be understood to mean at least one of any one or more of the elements selected from the list of elements An element, but does not necessarily include at least one of each element explicitly listed in the element list, and does not exclude any combination of elements in the element list. This definition also allows for the existence of components other than those clearly identified in the list of components referred to by the phrase "at least one", which may or may not be related to their clearly identified components. Thus, as a non-limiting example, "at least one of A and B" (or equivalently, "at least one of A or B", or equivalently, "at least one of A and/or B") In one embodiment, it can refer to at least one A, including more than one A as needed, but there is no B (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, it means at least one B, Optionally include more than one B, but there is no A (and optionally include elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, refers to at least one A (optionally including more than one A) and at least one B (visual Need to include more than one B) (and other components as needed); etc. Also, the phrases and terms used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered limiting. The use of "contains", "includes" or "has", "contains", "involves" and other changes in this article is intended to cover the items listed thereafter and their equivalents as well as additional items. In the scope of patent application and in the above specification, such as "include", "include", "with", "have", "contain", "involve", "hold", "consists of" and All transitional phrases of the like should be understood as open-ended, meaning to include but not limited to. Only the transition phrase "consisting of" and "basically consisting of" should be closed or semi-closed transition phrases, respectively.

100‧‧‧ Low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system 102‧‧‧ user 104‧‧‧workstation/operating device 106‧‧‧ controller 108‧‧‧pulse sequence repository 110‧‧‧power management system 112‧ ‧‧Power supply 114‧‧‧Amplifier 116‧‧‧Transmit/receive switch 118‧‧‧Thermal management component 120‧‧‧Magnetic component 122‧‧‧Magnet 124‧‧‧Shim coil 126‧‧‧RF transmission/ Receiving coil 128 Gradient coil 200 ‧‧‧ Portable or transportable low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system 205a ‧‧‧B ₀ coil 205b ‧‧‧B ₀ coil 210A ‧‧‧ Laminate 210b‧‧ ‧Layer board 210B‧‧‧Layer board 230‧‧‧ Thermal management component 265‧‧‧Slidable surface 280‧‧‧Switchable low field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system 281‧‧‧arrow 284‧‧‧ 286A‧‧‧Case 286B‧‧‧Case 290A‧‧‧Part 290B‧‧‧Part 310‧‧‧Action 312‧‧‧Action 314‧‧‧Action 316‧‧‧Action 318‧‧‧Action 320 322‧‧‧Action 410‧‧‧Action 412‧‧‧Action 414‧‧‧Action 416‧‧‧Action 418‧‧‧Action 420‧‧‧Action 422‧‧‧Action 500‧‧‧Network environment 510‧‧ ‧The first low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system 520‧‧‧The second low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system 530‧‧‧The third low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system 540‧‧‧Network 550‧ ‧‧Database 560‧‧‧Image Archiving and Communication System (PACS) 565‧‧‧Mobile computing device 585‧‧‧Server

Various aspects and embodiments of the disclosed technology will be described with reference to the following figures. It should be understood that these figures need not be drawn to scale. Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of one of the low-field MRI systems that can be automatically configured according to the techniques described herein; Figures 2A and 2B are illustrations of one of the portable low-field MRI systems according to some embodiments; Figure 2C And FIG. 2D is a diagram of one of the low-field MRI systems that can be transported according to one of some embodiments; FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a procedure for automatically configuring a low-field MRI system according to some embodiments; FIG. 4 is based on Some embodiments of a flowchart of a procedure for powering on a low-field MRI system; and FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a network environment in which some of the techniques described herein can be performed.

280‧‧‧ Convertible low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system

281‧‧‧arrow

284‧‧‧sliding bed

286A‧‧‧Housing

286B‧‧‧Housing

Claims (44)

A method for dynamically adjusting a B ₀ magnetic field generated by a magnetic resonance imaging system, the method comprising: detecting a first magnetic field generated by a B ₀ magnet that contributes to the B ₀ magnetic field; and selectively operating at least one shim A coil to generate a second magnetic field based on the detected first magnetic field to adjust the B ₀ magnetic field generated by the magnetic resonance imaging system, wherein the B ₀ magnetic field and the at least one shim coil are configured to at least partially A B ₀ magnetic field having a field strength equal to or less than about 0.2 T and greater than or equal to about 10 mT is generated. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a field strength of the second magnetic field based on the detected first magnetic field. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively operating the at least one shim coil includes selectively operating each of the plurality of shim coils based on a respective field strength determined based on the detected first magnetic field. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively operating the at least one shim coil includes selectively operating at least one first shim coil and selectively not operating at least one second shim coil. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the first magnetic field is performed when the B ₀ magnet is warmed up after the power of the magnetic resonance imaging system is turned on. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the first magnetic field is performed before the B ₀ magnet reaches thermal equilibrium. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the first magnetic field is performed after the magnetic resonance imaging system has been operated to capture at least one image. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the first magnetic field is performed after the magnetic resonance imaging system has moved to a desired position. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively operating the at least one shim coil includes adjusting the field strength generated by the at least one shim coil to generate the second magnetic field. The method of claim 9, wherein adjusting the field strength generated by the at least one shim coil is performed to compensate for thermal drift of the B ₀ magnet. The method of claim 1, wherein the B ₀ magnet and the at least one shim coil are configured to at least partially generate a B ₀ magnetic field having a field strength equal to or less than about 0.2 T and greater than or equal to about 0.1 T. The method of claim 1, wherein the B ₀ magnet and the at least one shim coil are configured to at least partially generate a B ₀ magnetic field having a field strength equal to or less than about 0.1 T and greater than or equal to about 50 mT. The method of claim 1, wherein the B ₀ magnet and the at least one shim coil are configured to at least partially generate a B ₀ magnetic field having a field strength equal to or less than about 50 mT and greater than or equal to about 20 mT. The method of claim 1, wherein the B ₀ magnet and the at least one shim coil are configured to at least partially generate a B ₀ magnetic field having a field strength equal to or less than about 20 mT and greater than or equal to about 10 mT. A magnetic resonance imaging system includes: a B ₀ magnet configured to provide a first magnetic field that promotes a B ₀ magnetic field; a plurality of shim coils; at least one sensor configured to operate the B ₀ magnet when detecting the first magnetic field; and at least one controller configured to selectively operate at least one of the plurality of shim coils based on the first sensor detected by the at least one sensor A magnetic field generates a second magnetic field to adjust the B ₀ magnetic field generated by the magnetic resonance imaging system, wherein the B ₀ magnetic field and the at least one shim coil are configured to at least partially generate a magnetic field having a value equal to or less than about 0.2 T and A B ₀ magnetic field greater than or equal to a field strength of approximately 10 mT. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 15, wherein the at least one controller is configured to determine a field strength of the second magnetic field based on the first magnetic field detected by the at least one sensor. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 15, wherein the at least one controller is configured to selectively operate the plurality of shims based on a respective field strength determined based on the first magnetic field detected by the at least one sensor Each of the coils. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 15, wherein the at least one controller is configured to selectively operate at least one first shim coil and selectively not operate at least one second shim coil. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 15, wherein when the B ₀ magnet is warmed up after the power of the magnetic resonance imaging system is turned on, the at least one sensor is operated to detect the first magnetic field and the controller is configured To operate the at least one of the plurality of shim coils. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 15, wherein before the B ₀ magnet reaches thermal equilibrium, the at least one sensor is operated to detect the first magnetic field, and the controller is configured to operate the plurality of shims At least one of the coils. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 15, wherein after the magnetic resonance imaging system has been operated to capture at least one image, the at least one sensor is operated to detect the first magnetic field, and the controller is configured To operate the at least one of the plurality of shim coils. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 15, wherein when the magnetic resonance imaging system has moved to a desired position, the at least one sensor is operated to detect the first magnetic field, and the controller is configured to operate At least one of the plurality of shim coils. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to selectively operate the plurality of shim coils by adjusting the field strength generated by the at least one of the plurality of shim coils At least one of them generates the second magnetic field. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 23, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the field strength generated by the at least one of the plurality of shim coils to compensate for thermal drift of the B ₀ magnet. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 15, wherein the at least one of the B ₀ magnet and the plurality of shim coils is configured to at least partially generate a B ₀ magnetic field suitable for low field magnetic resonance imaging. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 15, wherein the B ₀ magnet and the at least one shim coil are configured to at least partially generate a B _{0 having} a field intensity equal to or less than about 0.2T and greater than or equal to about 0.1T magnetic field. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 15, wherein the B ₀ magnet and the at least one shim coil are configured to at least partially generate a B ₀ magnetic field having a field strength equal to or less than about 0.1 T and greater than or equal to about 50 mT . The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 15, wherein the B ₀ magnet and the at least one shim coil are configured to at least partially generate a B ₀ magnetic field having a field strength equal to or less than about 50 mT and greater than or equal to about 20 mT. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 15, wherein the B ₀ magnet and the at least one shim coil are configured to at least partially generate a B ₀ magnetic field having a field strength equal to or less than about 20 mT and greater than or equal to about 10 mT. A method of configuring a magnetic resonance imaging system having a component operably coupled to a component of different types of radio frequency coils, the method comprising: detecting whether a radio frequency coil is operatively coupled to the component of the magnetic resonance imaging system; Determining that the radio frequency coil is operatively coupled to the magnetic resonance imaging system to determine information about the radio frequency coil; and at least partially based on the information about the radio frequency coil to automatically perform at least one action to configure the magnetic resonance imaging system to Use this RF coil to operate. A magnetic resonance imaging system includes: a B ₀ magnet configured to provide at least a portion of a B ₀ magnetic field; a component operably coupled to different types of radio frequency coils; and at least one controller, which Configured to: detect whether an RF coil is operatively coupled to the component of the magnetic resonance imaging system; determine information about the RF coil in response to determining that the RF coil is operatively coupled to the magnetic resonance imaging system; and at least Based at least in part on the information about the radio frequency coil, at least one action is automatically performed to configure the magnetic resonance imaging system to operate using the radio frequency coil, wherein the B ₀ magnetic field is configured to produce a signal having a value equal to or less than about 0.2T and greater than A B ₀ magnetic field equal to one field strength of approximately 10 mT. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 31, wherein the at least one controller is configured to automatically configure at least one component of the magnetic resonance imaging system to operate using the radio frequency coil based at least in part on the information about the radio frequency coil. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 31, wherein the at least one controller is configured to automatically obtain information from the radio frequency coil. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 33, wherein the information from the radio frequency coil includes information about the coil type, operation requirements, field of view, and/or number of available channels. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 32, wherein the at least one controller is configured to automatically tune the radio frequency coil. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 33, wherein the radio frequency coil includes a storage device coupled thereto having information about the radio frequency coil. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 36, wherein the storage device includes a programmable storage device programmed using configuration information of the radio frequency coil. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 36, wherein the storage device includes an RFID tag that stores information about the radio frequency coil. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 36, wherein the storage device is coupled to a part of a microcontroller of the radio frequency coil. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 31, wherein the at least one controller is configured to present at least one imaging procedure available using the radio frequency coil for selection by at least one operator. The requested item 31 of the magnetic resonance imaging system, wherein the B ₀ magnet configured to generate equal to or less than about 0.2T to about one and greater than or equal to 0.1T of magnetic field strength B _0. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 31, wherein the B ₀ magnet is configured to generate a B ₀ magnetic field having a field strength equal to or less than approximately 0.1 T and greater than or equal to approximately 50 mT. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 31, wherein the B ₀ magnet is configured to generate a B ₀ magnetic field having a field strength equal to or less than about 50 mT and greater than or equal to about 20 mT. The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 31, wherein the B ₀ magnet is configured to generate a B ₀ magnetic field having a field strength equal to or less than about 20 mT and greater than or equal to about 10 mT.

Images