CN211911610U - Magnetic resonance device with an examination table cable unit - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to a magnetic resonance device, it includes magnet unit, can be for patient's inspection desk and inspection desk cable unit that magnet unit removed. The examination table cable unit comprises a cable guide unit and at least one coil cable. The cable guide unit is arranged at an end face of the patient table and is designed to accommodate at least a part of the coil cable. Further, at least a part of the coil cable may be pulled out from the cable guide unit.

Description

Magnetic resonance device with an examination table cable unit

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a magnetic resonance device.

Background

In medical technology, Imaging by Magnetic Resonance (MR), also referred to as Magnetic Resonance Tomography (MRT), has the advantage of a high and variable soft tissue contrast. In this case, a high-frequency signal (HF signal, english: RF signal) is injected into the patient as an excitation pulse by means of the magnetic resonance apparatus. Thereby triggering a magnetic resonance signal in the patient. The magnetic resonance signals are acquired as measurement data by a magnetic resonance apparatus and used to reconstruct a magnetic resonance image.

For the acquisition of the measurement data, local receiving coils, so-called local coils, are usually used in order to receive signals in the vicinity of the patient and thus to achieve a signal-to-noise ratio which is as high as possible. Therefore, local coils are often also referred to as surface coils (surface coils). However, the HF signal can also be transmitted using a local coil.

Usually, the local coil is connected to the system via a socket (e.g. on the patient bed) by means of a cable. Different body areas to be measured require different lengths of cable in order to reach these body areas. For example, if it is assumed that the socket is located in the upper or lower part of the patient table, the shoulders of the patient are closer to the socket than the buttocks. However, the receiving coils usually have a fixed cable length, so that it may happen that certain body regions are difficult to reach, while for other body regions the cables on the table are too long to constitute a loop and have to be stacked on the patient table in the vicinity of the patient. This results in additional overhead for the user and possibly less patient comfort for the patient during the measurement.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

A possible task of the present invention is to solve the above problem. This technical problem is solved by the features of the present invention. The invention also describes an advantageous embodiment.

Accordingly, a magnetic resonance apparatus is proposed, which comprises a magnet unit, a patient table movable relative to the magnet unit, and a table cable unit. The examination table cable unit comprises a cable guide unit and at least one coil cable. The cable guide unit is arranged at an end face of the patient table and is designed to accommodate at least a part of the coil cable. Further, at least a part of the coil cable may be pulled out from the cable guide unit.

A possible advantage of the table cable unit is that the local coil itself can first be placed wirelessly at the patient, and then the coil cable can be connected. Due to the possibility of at least partially accommodating the coil cable in the cable guiding unit, superfluous coil cables can be reduced or even avoided in a possible manner.

The extendable portion of the coil cable can preferably be extended by an operator of the magnetic resonance apparatus. This makes it possible to more effectively position the patient prior to the MR examination.

The patient table usually has a support surface on which a patient to be examined can be placed. The bearing surface generally has two generally parallel longitudinal sides and two generally parallel end surfaces, wherein the longitudinal sides have a length greater than the end surfaces.

The magnet unit generally surrounds the patient receiving area in a cylindrical form. The cylindrical axis may be understood as the longitudinal axis of the magnet unit. The longitudinal sides of the patient table are preferably parallel to the longitudinal axis of the magnet unit. The end face of the patient table is preferably perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the magnet unit.

The patient table is preferably designed to be movable such that the patient table can be moved out of the magnet unit more in a first direction parallel to the cylinder axis than in a second direction opposite thereto. In general, when a patient is positioned on the patient table, the patient table is in an advanced state in a first direction. The end face of the patient table which is arranged next to the magnet unit in this extended state can be referred to as the head side and the other end face can be referred to as the foot side.

The cable guide unit is preferably arranged on the head side of the patient table. A possible advantage of such an arrangement may be that the cable guide unit may be more easily integrated into the magnetic resonance apparatus.

The accommodation of the withdrawable part of the coil cable by the cable guide unit is to be understood in particular as stacking, placing, storing and/or storing at least a part of the coil cable. In particular, the pullout portion of the coil cable can be rolled up in the cable guide unit. In particular, the pullout portion of the coil cable may be mechanically guided by the cable guide unit.

A further embodiment of the magnetic resonance apparatus provides that at least a part of the cable guide unit, in particular the entire cable guide unit, is arranged fixedly with respect to the patient table. In particular, the first part of the cable guide unit may be movable and/or flexible with respect to the patient table and the second part of the cable guide unit may be immovable and/or rigid. In an advantageous manner, the cable guide unit can thus be arranged more easily on the patient table.

A further embodiment of the magnetic resonance apparatus provides that the part of the coil cable that can be pulled out of the cable guide unit has a coil-side end at which a connecting part is arranged, which can be connected to a corresponding connecting part of the local coil. The local coil can therefore advantageously be connected to the magnetic resonance apparatus.

The connection means may for example comprise a plug connection. The plug connection may include one or more electrical contacts. In the connected state, signals, for example magnetic resonance signals, can be transmitted via the electrical contacts of the plug connection. The plug connection is a particularly reliable connection part and therefore also contributes to an increased inspection efficiency.

A further embodiment of the magnetic resonance apparatus provides that the length of the coil cable drawn out of the cable guide unit is adjustable.

The coil cable can thereby be connected in an advantageous manner with the required length. Advantageously, superfluous coil cables on the examination table, in particular in the vicinity of the patient, can be avoided. It is also possible to avoid the patient-uncomfortable positioning that would necessarily result from the redundant coil cable. The operator does not have to worry about stacking up extra cables, so that the examination of the patient can be performed more efficiently.

In a further embodiment of the magnetic resonance apparatus, the cable guide unit has a locking unit which is designed to fix the length of the coil cable drawn out of the cable guide unit. This fixing can be achieved, for example, by clamping the coil cable. In an advantageous manner, this allows the operator to fix the length of the required coil cable such that there is no tension on the coil cable when the coil cable is connected with the local coil and/or when the local coil is fixed at the patient.

A further embodiment of the magnetic resonance apparatus provides that the cable guide unit has a first extension which is oriented parallel to a normal of the bearing surface of the patient table, wherein the magnet unit surrounds the cylindrical patient receiving region, wherein the cable guide unit has a second extension which is oriented parallel to a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical patient receiving region, wherein the second extension is greater than the first extension.

Preferably, the second extension is more than two times, in particular more than three times, in particular more than five times larger than the first extension. Therefore, the cable guide is preferably flat.

In general, the positions on the patient table are limited, since the additional structure influences the required length of the patient table and thereby directly increases the amount of space required when installing the magnetic resonance apparatus. On the other hand, the planar structure at the end face of the patient table does not limit or only slightly limits the comfort of the patient during operation or examination of the magnetic resonance apparatus.

A further embodiment of the magnetic resonance apparatus provides that the cable guide unit comprises a housing which covers the accommodated part of the coil cable. The accommodated part of the coil cable can thereby be better protected from damage and the risk of injury to the patient or the operating personnel is reduced.

A further embodiment of the magnetic resonance apparatus provides that the cable guide unit comprises a spring unit which exerts a force on the coil cable, which force is oriented for pulling the pulled-out section of the coil cable towards the cable guide unit. In particular, the pulled-out section of the coil cable is pulled into the cable guide unit under the action of force.

The possible pulling mechanism of the coil cable facilitates in an advantageous manner for the operator to ensure that no excess coil cable is present on the patient table.

The spring unit may comprise, for example, one or more springs, in particular tension and/or compression springs, which are connected to the coil cable.

A further embodiment of the magnetic resonance apparatus provides that the part of the coil cable which is arranged in the cable guide unit is arranged in a ring shape. According to the annular arrangement, the cable can be accommodated particularly effectively by the cable guide unit.

In a further embodiment of the magnetic resonance apparatus, the cable guide unit comprises one or more elastic bands, for example rubber bands, which are each arranged around a loop of the coil cable. The elastic band advantageously generates a restoring force on the loop, so that a force is exerted on the coil cable, which force is oriented for pulling the pulled-out section of the coil cable towards the cable guide unit. In particular, the pulled-out section of the coil cable is pulled into the cable guide unit under the action of force.

A further embodiment of the magnetic resonance apparatus provides that the cable guide unit comprises a drag chain, in which a part of the coil cable is arranged. Advantageously, the drag chain allows a particularly reliable accommodation of the coil cable by the cable guide unit.

Preferably, the coil cable is led out laterally from the cable guide unit at the end face. A preferred embodiment of the magnetic resonance apparatus provides that the end face of the patient table has an end face length parallel to the support surface of the patient table, wherein the cable guide unit has a cable exit point at which the coil cable exits the cable guide unit, wherein the cable exit point is at a distance of more than one quarter, in particular more than one third, of the end face length from the end face center point. In this way, it is advantageously possible to free the region in which the patient is usually positioned on the patient table.

A further embodiment of the magnetic resonance apparatus provides that the coil cable has a system-side end which is arranged fixedly with respect to the cable guide. The system-side end of the coil cable is preferably an end opposite to the coil-side end of the coil cable.

A further embodiment of the magnetic resonance apparatus provides that the system-side end of the coil cable is connected to a system cable unit which is designed to intercept a movement of the patient table relative to the magnet unit of the magnetic resonance apparatus. In particular, the system cable unit is designed for balancing and/or compensating a movement of the patient table relative to the magnet unit of the magnetic resonance apparatus.

The table cable unit is advantageously designed for intercepting, in particular balancing and/or compensating, movements of the local coil relative to the patient table.

Advantageously, the examination table cable unit and the system cable unit are mechanically decoupled from one another. The different units of the magnetic resonance apparatus can thus be more easily constructed in a modular manner.

A further embodiment of the magnetic resonance apparatus provides that the magnetic resonance apparatus comprises at least one cable-free local coil, which can be connected to the table cable unit. In particular, the local coil includes a connection part corresponding to a connection part of the coil cable.

In contrast to local coils with cables, such local coils can be replaced independently of the cables in the event of a fault. Furthermore, different variants of maintaining local coils with different cable lengths are no longer necessary.

Drawings

Further advantages, features and details of the invention emerge from the embodiments described below and with reference to the drawings. In all the figures, parts corresponding to each other have the same reference numerals.

In the drawings:

figure 1 shows a magnetic resonance apparatus in a schematic view,

figures 2 to 3 show a magnetic resonance apparatus with an exemplary table cable unit,

fig. 4 to 5 show exemplary table cable units.

Detailed Description

A magnetic resonance apparatus 10 is schematically shown in fig. 1. The magnetic resonance apparatus 10 comprises a magnet unit 11 having a main magnet 12 for generating a strong and in particular temporally constant main magnetic field 13. Furthermore, the magnetic resonance apparatus 10 comprises a patient receiving region 14 for receiving a patient 15. In this exemplary embodiment, the patient receiving region 14 is of cylindrical design and is surrounded in a cylindrical manner in the circumferential direction by the magnet unit 11. The longitudinal axis of the cylinder is oriented parallel to the z-axis of the coordinate system used herein. However, in principle, a different design of the patient receiving region 14 is also conceivable.

The patient 15 can be moved into the patient accommodation region 14 by means of the patient positioning device 16 of the magnetic resonance apparatus 10. The patient positioning device 16 has a patient table 17 for this purpose, the patient table 17 having a bearing surface 28 which is designed perpendicularly to the y-axis. The first end face 26 is located on the head side of the patient table 17 and the second end face 27 is located on the foot side of the patient table. The patient table 17 is designed to be movable within the patient receiving region 14, so that the patient table can be moved along the z-axis. However, movements along the y-axis and/or the x-axis are also conceivable.

The magnet unit 11 also has a gradient coil unit 18 for generating magnetic field gradients, which is used for spatial encoding during imaging. The gradient coil unit 18 is controlled by a gradient control unit 19 of the magnetic resonance apparatus 10. Furthermore, the magnet unit 11 comprises a high-frequency antenna unit 20, in this example the high-frequency antenna unit 20 being designed as a body coil which is fixedly integrated in the magnetic resonance apparatus 10. The high-frequency antenna unit 20 is designed for excitation of the nuclei, which excitation is set in the main magnetic field 13 generated by the main magnet 12. The radio-frequency antenna unit 20 is controlled by a radio-frequency antenna control unit 21 of the magnetic resonance apparatus 10 and transmits the HF signal as an excitation pulse into an examination room which is essentially formed by the patient receiving region 14 of the magnetic resonance apparatus 10. The high-frequency antenna unit 20 is also designed for receiving HF signals, in particular magnetic resonance signals. In this case, a local coil 50 is placed directly on the patient 15, which local coil 50 is designed to receive magnetic resonance signals. However, it is also conceivable to use local coils for transmitting the HF signal.

Furthermore, the magnetic resonance apparatus comprises an examination table cable unit 100 comprising a cable guide unit 101 and a coil cable 102. The cable guide unit 101 is arranged at the first end face 26 of the patient table 17 and accommodates a portion of the coil cable 102. Another part of the coil cable 102 is pulled out from the cable guide unit. The cable guide unit is here arranged fixedly with respect to the patient table, i.e. when the patient table is moved, the cable guide unit moves together with the patient table.

The drawn-out portion of the coil cable has a coil-side end at which a connecting member 103 is arranged. The local coil 50 has a corresponding connection member 51 connected to the connection member 103. Via the connecting means 51, 103, for example, magnetic resonance signals received by the local coils can be transmitted to the table cable unit 100 and from there to further units of the magnetic resonance apparatus 10, for example to an evaluation unit described below.

For this purpose, the magnetic resonance apparatus has a system cable unit 30. The system cable unit is connected to a system-side end of the coil cable 102, which is fixedly arranged with respect to the cable guide 101. The system cable unit 30 is designed to compensate for movements of the patient table 17 relative to the magnet unit 11 of the magnetic resonance apparatus 10.

The cable guide 101 has a first extension dy which is oriented parallel to the normal of the supporting surface 28 of the patient table 17. The normal to the bearing surface 28 is oriented parallel to the y-axis. Furthermore, the cable guide 101 has a second extension dz which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical patient receiving region 14. Here, the second extension dz is greater than the first extension dy. Thus, the cable guide 101 is flat.

For controlling the main magnet 12, the gradient control unit 19 and for controlling the high-frequency antenna control unit 21, the magnetic resonance apparatus 10 has a system control unit 22. The system control unit 22 centrally controls the magnetic resonance apparatus 10, for example, to execute a predetermined imaging gradient echo sequence. Furthermore, the system control unit 22 comprises an analysis unit, not shown in detail, for analyzing medical image data acquired during the magnetic resonance examination. Furthermore, the magnetic resonance apparatus 10 comprises a user interface 23 connected to the system control unit 22. The control information, such as imaging parameters, and the reconstructed magnetic resonance image may be displayed to a medical operator on a display unit 24 of the user interface 23, e.g. on at least one monitor. Furthermore, the user interface 23 has an input unit 25, by means of which information and/or parameters can be input by a medical operator during the measurement process.

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the examination table cable unit 100 in more detail. The examination table cable unit comprises a roll-up mechanism for the coil cable 102, which is arranged in the cable guide unit 101. The cable guide unit 101 is arranged here on the patient table 17 behind the position of the highest point of the patient 15, which in this case is determined by the position of the skull of the patient.

By means of the wind-up mechanism, the operator can set an optimal cable length between the local coil 50 and the cable guide unit 101. In principle, the rolling mechanism itself can be located on the local coil 50. However, in order to achieve a sufficient length of the cable that can be pulled out, a certain size of the mechanism is required, thereby limiting the operation of the local coil 50. Thus, providing a sufficiently long pullout cable length can be achieved more easily with the table cable unit 100 proposed here.

Fig. 3 shows a further embodiment of the examination table cable unit 100 in more detail. The cable guide 101 is here designed to be flat. The space behind the patient table is usually empty, so that the flat structure in this region does not limit the comfort of the patient during operation or measurement of the system. It is therefore advantageous to implement a roll-up mechanism in this region.

The first end face 26 of the patient table 17 has an end face length parallel to the x axis parallel to the bearing surface 28 of the patient table 17. The cable guide unit 101 has a cable exit point 110 at which the coil cable 102 is led out of the cable guide unit 101, wherein the cable exit point 110 is spaced from the center of the end face by more than a quarter of the length of the end face. Thus, the coil cable 102 is laterally led out from the cable guide unit 101, thereby making an area where the patient 15 is positioned unobstructed.

Fig. 4 and 5 show two variants of the spring units 107a, 107b, which each exert a force on the coil cable 102, which force is directed to pull the coil cable toward the cable guide unit 101. Here, the cable guide unit 101 includes a housing covering the accommodated portion of the coil cable 102.

The cable guide 101 shown in fig. 4 is arranged fixed on the head side of the patient table 17 such that it moves together with the movable patient table 17. In particular, the cable guide 101 may comprise a drag chain housing in order to allow a downward movement, for example, when the patient table 17 is lowered on the one hand. On the other hand, the entire mechanism is thus reliably closed.

The mechanism itself is realized here by a pulley mechanism, in that the coil cable 102 is arranged in one or more longitudinal loops inside the drag chain.

The cable guide 101 comprises a part 105 with a movable cable guide 106 and a part 104 with a fixed cable guide 111. In part 105, the cable guide 101 includes a spring mechanism 107a having a spring. The spring is fixed at one end on the side of the housing of the cable guide 101 facing away from the patient table and at the other end is connected to a movable cable guide 106 on which the coil cable 102 is arranged. In the component 104, the coil cable 102 is arranged at a fixed cable guide 111.

Furthermore, a locking mechanism in the form of a locking unit 108 is located inside the cable guide 101. The locking mechanism enables the operator to fix the desired length of the coil cable 102 so that there is no tension on the cable when it is connected to the local coil 50 and the local coil is secured at the patient 15.

The coil cable 102 can be automatically retracted by the force generated by the spring of the spring mechanism 107a after the locking mechanism of the locking unit 108 is released by the operator.

A further implementation of automatic retraction is shown in figure 5. The spring mechanism 107a is located inside the housing, the coil cables 102 being arranged in transverse loops (Quer-Schlaufe) which are each secured by an elastic band, for example a flexible rubber.

Finally, it is again pointed out that the magnetic resonance apparatus or the examination table cable unit described in detail above are merely embodiments which can be modified in different ways by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the use of the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude the possible presence of a plurality of the features referred to. Likewise, the term "unit" does not exclude that an element in question is composed of a plurality of interacting sub-elements, which may be spatially distributed.

Claims (16)

1. A magnetic resonance apparatus comprises

-a magnet unit for generating a magnetic field,

a patient table which is movable relative to the magnet unit,

an examination table cable unit comprising a cable guiding unit and at least one coil cable,

characterized in that the cable guide unit is arranged at an end face of the patient table and is designed for accommodating at least a part of the coil cable,

wherein at least a part of the coil cable can be pulled out from the cable guide unit.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that at least a part of the cable guide unit is fixedly arranged with respect to the patient table.

3. The magnetic resonance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the coil cable that can be pulled out from the cable guide unit has a coil-side end at which a connection member is arranged, the connection member being connectable with a corresponding connection member of the local coil.

4. A magnetic resonance apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a length of the coil cable drawn from the cable guide unit is adjustable.

5. The magnetic resonance apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the cable guide unit has a locking unit designed to fix a length of the coil cable drawn out from the cable guide unit.

6. A magnetic resonance apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the cable guide unit has a first extension which is oriented parallel to a normal of a support surface of a patient table,

wherein the magnet unit surrounds a cylindrical patient receiving area,

wherein the cable guide unit has a second extension which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical patient receiving region,

wherein the second extension is greater than the first extension.

7. The MR apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second extension is more than two times greater than the first extension.

8. The magnetic resonance apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cable guide unit includes a housing that covers a housed portion of the coil cable.

9. A magnetic resonance apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the cable guide unit comprises a spring unit which exerts a force on the coil cable which is oriented for pulling the pulled-out section of the coil cable towards the cable guide unit.

10. A magnetic resonance apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the portion of the coil cable accommodated by the cable guide unit is arranged in a ring shape.

11. The mr apparatus of claim 10 wherein the cable guide unit includes one or more elastic bands respectively disposed around loops of the coil cables.

12. A magnetic resonance apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cable guide unit comprises a drag chain in which a portion of a coil cable is arranged.

13. A magnetic resonance apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the end face of the patient table has an end face length parallel to the support surface of the patient table,

wherein the cable guide unit has a cable exit point at which the coil cable is led out from the cable guide unit,

wherein the cable exit point is more than one quarter of the length of the end face away from the midpoint of the end face.

14. A magnetic resonance apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the coil cable has a system-side end which is fixedly arranged with respect to a cable guide.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the system-side end is connected to a system cable unit, which is designed for balancing the movement of the patient table relative to the magnet unit of the magnetic resonance apparatus.

16. A magnetic resonance apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the magnetic resonance apparatus comprises at least one cable-free local coil, which can be connected with the table cable unit.

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