JPH0332644A - Magnetic resonance imaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To visually inform residual time information, etc., of photographing to a person to be examined without exerting the influence on a tomographic image, and to reduce its pain by placing an information display part on the outside of a rack base, and placing a reflecting means of its display pattern in a position in which the person to be examined in the rack base can execute its visual observation. CONSTITUTION:A device 1 is provided with a top board 4 for laying a person P to be examined in a void space 3 whose cross section is circular of a rack base 2, and the top board can move freely between the void space and a bed 5. Also, the device is provided with a display part 6 which is attached to an outer wall of the rack base with a fitting piece 2a and displays the residual time of photographing in the left and right reverse pattern, and a reflecting mirror 7 which is placed in a position in which the person to be examined can execute a visual observation in the rack base and reflects a pattern of a display on the display part. According to this constitution, the person to be examined can know information such as the residual time of photographing, etc., and a pain in the course of photographing is lessened. Also, since the display part is placed on the outside of the rack base, it does not occur that the image quality of a tomographic image is deteriorated due to a driving pulse for driving this display part.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention is directed to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).
The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus that applies the phenomenon of magnetic resonance, and particularly to a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus equipped with a display device that provides information such as the remaining time for imaging to a subject.

(Prior Art) Nuclear magnetic resonance is a phenomenon in which atomic nuclei placed in a magnetic field resonate and absorb electromagnetic wave energy of a specific wavelength, and then emit this energy as electromagnetic waves. Devices that utilize this phenomenon to diagnose living organisms use the above-mentioned atomic nuclei, especially
A test subject that detects electromagnetic waves emitted from protons and processes the detected signals to reflect information such as nuclear (proton) density, longitudinal relaxation time T1, transverse relaxation time T2, flow, chemical shift, etc. Diagnostic information such as tomographic images can be obtained.

By the way, when making a diagnosis using a tomographic image of a subject using a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus that utilizes such a nuclear magnetic resonance phenomenon, it takes a certain amount of time to make an accurate diagnosis. Moreover, during this time, the subject must remain stationary within the cradle of the imaging apparatus, which is painful for the subject.

Moreover, the remaining time for imaging is displayed on a display device on a console located in a room separate from the mount of the magnetic resonance imaging system where the patient is lying, so that the operator can Although it was possible to know, the examinee was not informed of this, and this became a factor that exacerbated the examinee's suffering.

Incidentally, U.S. Patent No. 4,850,299 discloses a mirror having a first mirror fixed to the ceiling in the cavity of the gantry, and a second mirror fixed to the top plate on which the subject lies. A magnetic resonance imaging device with a viewing device is shown. This observation device allows the subject in the narrow space of the gantry to see the outside world, such as the observer's facial expressions.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention' There were inconveniences that encouraged this.

The object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic field that can visually inform the patient of information such as the remaining time of imaging without affecting the tomographic image, and can reduce the patient's pain. Joint I! Q
An object of the present invention is to provide an imaging device.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides a static magnetic field generating coil that generates a static magnetic field to be applied to a subject, and a method for obtaining positional information of a site where a magnetic resonance signal is induced. In a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a pedestal that houses a gradient magnetic field generating coil that generates a gradient magnetic field, and a top plate for allowing a subject to lie down in a space in the pedestal. The present invention is characterized by comprising a display device having a display section that displays the following information, and a reflecting means that is disposed within the mount at a position where the subject can see the information displayed on the display section and that reflects the information displayed on the display section. This is a magnetic resonance imaging device.

It is preferable that the display device of the present invention has a display section that displays characters, numbers, etc. in a left-right reversed pattern with respect to the reflecting means consisting of one reflecting mirror. That is, the left-right reversed display pattern displayed on the display unit is reflected by the reflecting mirror,
The test subject can recognize normal letters and numbers.

Further, the display device of the present invention includes an adjusting means for adjusting the position or angle of the reflecting means according to the physical condition such as the height of the subject.

Although an electric or mechanical display such as a liquid crystal display can be used for this display section, it is preferable to use a light emitting diode that is not easily affected by magnetic fields.

(Function) In the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of the present invention, a display section for displaying information such as the remaining time for imaging is arranged outside the mount, and a reflective means for reflecting the pattern displayed on the display section is arranged inside the mount. By arranging it in a position where the patient can see it, the patient can know information such as the remaining time for imaging, thereby alleviating pain during imaging. In addition to the remaining time for imaging, this display device can also convey operator instructions to the patient, which are difficult to convey by voice due to noise generated from coils such as static magnetic field generating coils during imaging. can.

In the display device having the display section and the reflecting means, the display section is disposed outside the pedestal, so that the image quality of the tomographic image is not degraded by the drive pulses that drive the display section.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1st
The figure is a side view showing the configuration of a nuclear magnetic resonance imaging apparatus used in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, this device (1) includes a static magnetic field generating coil that generates a static magnetic field to be applied to a subject (P), and a coil that generates a static magnetic field to be applied to a subject (P), and a coil that generates a static magnetic field to be applied to a subject (P). The device (1) has a pedestal (2) that houses a gradient magnetic field generating coil for generating a gradient magnetic field and is surrounded by a cover made of reinforced carbon fiber. Blank space (3)
A top plate (4) on which the subject (P) lies is placed inside. This top plate (4) can be freely moved between the empty space (3>) and the bed (5) for placing the subject (P) on the top plate (4). 〉, the examiner (P) is on the top plate (
4) When riding on the test subject (P), the height can be changed by hydraulic pressure depending on the physique of the subject (P).

This device (+) has a mounting piece (2a) attached to the outer wall of the pedestal (2).
A display section (8) that displays the remaining time of imaging in a reverse left-right pattern, and a display section (6) that is mounted in a position within the pedestal (2) that can be seen by the subject (P). One reflector that reflects the pattern displayed on the screen (7)
has. This display section (6) is made of a light emitting diode and displays numbers and letters in a left-right reversed pattern.The reflector (7) is made of an acrylic substrate with aluminum vapor-deposited on the surface. There is. Furthermore, this reflector (
7> is disposed within the pedestal (2), so it is desirable that the substrate is not made of metal so as not to have an adverse effect on the resonance signal or magnetic field.

This reflection m(7) is shown in Fig. 2(a) and Fig. 2(b).
The adjusting device (9), as shown in its side and top views,
According to the physique of the subject (P), the movement is adjusted to a position where the subject (P) can visually see the subject (P). This adjustment device (9)
are a pair of guide rods (10a), (10
b) and a connecting rod (11>, i.e., a reflecting mirror (7)
) has a locking piece (12a) on a pair of guide rods (10a) and (10b) extending in the length direction of the space (3) of the frame (2).
), (12b) are suspended while maintaining a predetermined angle. In addition, connecting rods (11) whose one end is fixed approximately in the middle of the width of this reflecting mirror (7) and whose other ends are located outside the space (3) are guide rods (10a) and (10b). arranged in parallel.

In such a magnetic imaging device (1),
As shown in Fig. 1, the subject (P) lying down on the top plate (4) during tomographic imaging is guided along the left and right directions displayed on the display (6) as shown in the optical path <8>. The remaining time for reverse shooting is reflected on the reflector (7
), you can get the correct information.

Note that a display section that displays a left-right reversed pattern can be easily obtained by changing the connections of the segments arranged in the shape of a letter forming characters in an existing light-emitting diode display.

The adjusting device for adjusting the position of the reflecting mirror according to the physique of the subject moves the position of the reflection LvL in the second embodiment, but it may be one that adjusts the angle of the reflecting mirror. That is, as shown in the side view in FIG. 3(a) and the plan view in FIG.
), a reflector (7) rotatably suspended on (21b)
An arm (2
2) and a disk (24) to which the other end of this arm (22) is rotatably attached and rotatable about a shaft (23).
Consisting of The arms (22) have substantially equal lengths, and are rotatably connected to each other.
2V)). In addition, this first arm (22a)
is defined by a guide piece (25) so as to move approximately linearly. Further, the circumferential surface of the disc (24) is marked with a scale corresponding to the inclination angle of the reflecting mirror.

In such an adjustment device (20), the angle of the reflector (7>) is adjusted by rotating the P1 plate (24) according to the physique of the subject (P). The position can be adjusted.

In the above embodiment, a display device having a display section that displays numbers such as the remaining time of imaging has been described, but a display device having a dot matrix type display section that displays characters such as operator instructions may also be used. .

[Effect of four shots] As described above, according to the present invention, information such as the remaining time for imaging can be visually informed to the subject without affecting the tomographic image. A magnetic imaging device that can reduce patient pain can be provided.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing the configuration of a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2(a) is a side view showing an adjustment device used in this embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 3(a) is a side view showing the adjusting device used in another embodiment; FIG. 3(b) is the adjusting device shown in FIG. 3(a). FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the plane of the device. 1... Magnetic resonance imaging device, 2... Mount,
4...Top plate, 6...Display section, 7...Reflector, 9...Adjustment device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A pedestal for housing a static magnetic field generating coil that generates a static magnetic field to be applied to a subject and a gradient magnetic field generating coil that generates a gradient magnetic field for obtaining positional information of a region where a magnetic resonance signal is induced; In a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising a top plate for allowing a subject to lie down in a vacant space, a display unit located outside the pedestal and displaying information;
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising: a display device disposed within the gantry at a position visible to a subject and having a reflecting means for reflecting information displayed on the display section.