Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/0033—Features or image-related aspects of imaging apparatus, e.g. for MRI, optical tomography or impedance tomography apparatus; Arrangements of imaging apparatus in a room
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
  • G01R33/00—Arrangements or instruments for measuring magnetic variables
  • G01R33/20—Arrangements or instruments for measuring magnetic variables involving magnetic resonance
  • G01R33/28—Details of apparatus provided for in groups G01R33/44 - G01R33/64
  • G01R33/38—Systems for generation, homogenisation or stabilisation of the main or gradient magnetic field
  • G01R33/3808—Magnet assemblies for single-sided MR wherein the magnet assembly is located on one side of a subject only; Magnet assemblies for inside-out MR, e.g. for MR in a borehole or in a blood vessel, or magnet assemblies for fringe-field MR
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/70—Means for positioning the patient in relation to the detecting, measuring or recording means
  • A61B5/702—Posture restraints
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
  • G01R33/00—Arrangements or instruments for measuring magnetic variables
  • G01R33/20—Arrangements or instruments for measuring magnetic variables involving magnetic resonance
  • G01R33/28—Details of apparatus provided for in groups G01R33/44 - G01R33/64
  • G01R33/32—Excitation or detection systems, e.g. using radio frequency signals
  • G01R33/34—Constructional details, e.g. resonators, specially adapted to MR
  • G01R33/341—Constructional details, e.g. resonators, specially adapted to MR comprising surface coils
  • G01R33/3415—Constructional details, e.g. resonators, specially adapted to MR comprising surface coils comprising arrays of sub-coils, i.e. phased-array coils with flexible receiver channels
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
  • G01R33/00—Arrangements or instruments for measuring magnetic variables
  • G01R33/20—Arrangements or instruments for measuring magnetic variables involving magnetic resonance
  • G01R33/28—Details of apparatus provided for in groups G01R33/44 - G01R33/64
  • G01R33/38—Systems for generation, homogenisation or stabilisation of the main or gradient magnetic field
  • G01R33/381—Systems for generation, homogenisation or stabilisation of the main or gradient magnetic field using electromagnets
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/45—For evaluating or diagnosing the musculoskeletal system or teeth
  • A61B5/4538—Evaluating a particular part of the muscoloskeletal system or a particular medical condition
  • A61B5/4571—Evaluating the hip
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
  • G01R33/00—Arrangements or instruments for measuring magnetic variables
  • G01R33/20—Arrangements or instruments for measuring magnetic variables involving magnetic resonance
  • G01R33/28—Details of apparatus provided for in groups G01R33/44 - G01R33/64
  • G01R33/38—Systems for generation, homogenisation or stabilisation of the main or gradient magnetic field
  • G01R33/383—Systems for generation, homogenisation or stabilisation of the main or gradient magnetic field using permanent magnets

Definitions

• Disclosed embodiments provide a method and apparatus for clinical imaging or therapy of living beings or examination of inanimate objects.
• MRI Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• the magnetic field used to generate the image is created by a device that is located around the subject.
• the term "subject” is understood to be a human or other animal with or without illness.
• a super conducting clinical MRI usually consists of a superconducting solenoid whose bore becomes the imaging volume. The subject, or patient, is guided into the bore where all imaging is conducted.
• these MRI systems restrict patient mobility and can inhibit the permissible patient body sizes that can be imaged.
• MRI systems To enable greater patient mobility and flexibility, open MRI systems have been developed. These typically consist of bi-planar magnetic field generating components which create a magnetic field within the gap of the two planes. The patient is again imaged within the gap. Typically, the gap distance in these systems is larger than the solenoid configuration of superconducting magnets, but the patient is still enclosed by the MR system.
• Disclosed embodiments provide a new imaging apparatus and methodologies to image a subject using an MRI, wherein the imaging apparatus contains only a single sided device for the purposes of imaging structures in the subject.
• the terms "single sided device” and “single-sided device” are understood to mean a device placed less than 360 degrees around a subject in order to operate. For example, a conventional cylindrical MRI bore would not be considered a single-sided device.
• such an apparatus and corresponding methodologies may be used to image, for example, the pelvic region of a subject.
• the subject's mobility is less restricted compared to conventional MRI scanners.
• a single-sided MRI system that includes access apertures through which interventions on the subject can be made.
• intervention is understood to be a biopsy or method of treatment involving physical access to a part of the subject.
• Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the disclosed invention, in which a magnet field generating apparatus is placed in proximity to a region of interest.
• Figure 2 shows an example of a composition of one layer of a magnetic field generating apparatus composed of layers of magnets in accordance with a disclosed embodiment.
• a single-sided MRI system that includes access apertures through which interventions on the subject can be made.
• Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of the invention wherein a magnet field generating apparatus 100 is placed in proximity to a region of interest 110. As shown in Fig. 1, there exists an access aperture 120 that is perpendicular to the face of the magnet assembly 100 that is near to the region of interest 110.
• Disclosed embodiments utilize a magnetic field generating apparatus 100 and a radio frequency generating and recording device 130 positioned on one face of the device.
• the magnetic field generating apparatus 100 may be positioned near to only a single face of the region of interest 110.
• the geometrical configuration of the apparatus 100 may include one or more apertures or access holes 120. This configuration enables intervention with the subject, e.g., a human or animal patient/subject can be easily repositioned. Additionally, the one or more apertures or access holes 120 enable increased access to one or more structures in the subject to be imaged.
• the magnetic field generating apparatus 100 may be composed of layers of magnets, one layer of which being composed as illustrated in Figure 2.
• the layer 200 contains magnets 210 and 220, which are oriented in directions so as to provide magnetic fields opposing the magnetic field provided by a magnet in the same or other layers.
• magnet 210 may be oriented in a position so as to provide a magnetic field opposing the magnetic field produced by magnet 220 in the same layer.
• the aperture is illustrated as aperture 230 in Fig. 2.
• the magnetic field generating device 100 may include one or more arrays of magnetic components, examples of which being 210 and 220 in one or more layers (an example of which being 200).
• These layers may generate a desired magnetic profile that is either uniform in magnetic field strength to a certain degree of homogeneity, or with a built in magnetic field gradient that varies linearly in space, or with another well characterized magnetic field profile shape suitable for imaging over a region 110.
• the magnetic profile in region 110 may be uniform.
• the magnetic profile in region 110 may not be uniform, in which case an appropriate algorithm for reconstruction may be used to generate an image.
• An example of such an algorithm was provided by Dominic Holland et al. published in the journal Neuroimage volume 50, pages 175-183 in 2010, entitled “Efficient correction of inhomogeneous static magnetic field-induced distortion in Echo Planar Imaging” (incorporated by reference in its entirety).
• the imaging system 130 may include electrical coils and/or electro-permanent magnets, in which the electro-permanent magnets that are magnetized by a transient current flowing through electrical coils and stay activated until the magnetization is removed by other transient currents flowing through electrical coils. Radiofrequency, gradient, pre-polarizing and/or shimming coils that may be needed to form an image may also be included.
• ultra-fast and high-magnitude gradient pulses as described by Irving Weinberg in US Patent 8154286, entitled “APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DECREASING BIO-EFFECTS OF MAGNETIC FIELDS," and related patents and patent applications (related by priority claims), all being incorporated by reference, may be used to collect many sets of data points in order to achieve high spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio, without causing uncomfortable nerve stimulation.
• Such high magnetic gradient field magnitude may be 400 mT or higher, with rise-times of 10 microseconds or less.
• the gradient pulses may be so rapid as to permit acquisition in a very short time, for example 10 seconds or less, so that there is little motion of the breast during acquisition, thereby reducing resolution loss from "motion- unsharpness.”
• pre-polarizing coils may be activated in order to improve signal-to-noise ratio, as taught in US Patent application 12/488,105 by Weinberg, entitled “RADIOMETAL-LABELED AMINO ACID ANALOGS, IMAGING AND THERAPEUTIC AGENTS INCORPORATING THE SAME, AND METHODS USING THE SAME" (incorporated by reference).
• one or more coils or electro- permanent magnets within the MRI system may be fabricated with additive manufacturing, as taught by Urdaneta et al in the 2011 IEEE Medical Imaging Proceedings entitled “Good-bye Wires and formers: 3-D Additive Manufacturing and Fractal Cooling Applied to Gradient Coils".
• Magnetic component 210 may be a permanent magnet or may be an electromagnet or may be an electropermanent magnet. Magnetic component 210 may be a discrete magnet or may be a portion of magnetizable material that has been deposited through additive manufacturing and which has been magnetized during or after deposition.
• an electropermanent magnet may be defined as a combination of hard and soft magnetic material with one or more current-carrying coils, in which the electrical current running through the one or more coils magnetizes the soft magnetic component, as disclosed in US Patent Application number 15/427,426 by Weinberg and Nacev, entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANIPULATING ELECTRO-PERMANENT MAGNETS FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING AND IMAGE GUIDED THERAPY” (incorporated by reference).
• hard magnetic material and “soft magnetic material” are used to describe material with varying levels of magnetic coercivity, with the hard magnetic material having a higher magnetic coercivity than the soft magnetic material.
• soft magnetic materials e.g. Alnico
• hard magnetic material for purposes of this specification might be considered as “hard magnetic materials” in comparison to some other materials (for example, Permalloy) by certain authorities. Therefore, the terms “hard magnetic material” and “soft magnetic material” are used to illustrate generally many different materials, without specific limitation as to whether the material is universally considered as being “hard” or “soft”.
• opposite orientation means an orientation that is not parallel to another orientation. It is understood that the invention can be used in conjunction with other components, for example a generator of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, to create magnetic resonance images of subjects or structures in a region of interest 110. It is understood that some or all of those subjects or structures may be part or all of a living animal or person or inanimate object. It is understood that interventions such as biopsy or therapy may be carried out in part or wholly using the aperture 120.
• device 100 may be used in conjunction with other components, for example a computer and/or a power supply and/or coils for generating magnetic and/or electromagnetic fields, in order to attain a desired result of a meaningful image.
• image may use principles of proton magnetic resonance imaging, or magnetic resonance imaging of other particles (for example electrons or sodium atoms) or other imaging principles (for example magnetic particle imaging, or impedance imaging).
• the apparatus may be used to deliver therapy by manipulating magnetizable materials with the magnetic field produced by the device. It is understood that said manipulation may be performed at one time, and that imaging may be performed at another time, in order to guide said manipulation.
• the term imaging includes imaging technology that utilize components to form an image using magnetic resonance or magnetic particle imaging. It should be understood that such components include coils or magnets (or electro-permanent magnets) that polarize protons or other nuclei or electrons in one or more structures to be imaged, wherein gradient and/or radiofrequency coils form an image.
• the disclosed embodiments may be used in conjunction with a support structure that may hold an imaging system and may contain other components needed to operate or move the imaging system, for example, wheels and/or batteries.
• disclosed embodiments may image one or more structures for segments of the one or more structure at a time, since it may be difficult in a single-sided MRI to obtain very good uniformity over the entirety of a structure to be imaged. It should be understood that the spatial resolution of certain portions of one or more structures to be imaged, e.g., breast tissues, may be different than in other portions, depending on the gradient applied at the time of image acquisition, which may be useful in order to better characterize certain regions of tissues.
• control and cooperation of the above- described components may be provided using software instructions that may be stored in a tangible, non-transitory storage device such as a non-transitory computer readable storage device storing instructions which, when executed on one or more programmed processors, carry out the above-described method operations and resulting functionality.
• a tangible, non-transitory storage device such as a non-transitory computer readable storage device storing instructions which, when executed on one or more programmed processors, carry out the above-described method operations and resulting functionality.
• non- transitory is intended to preclude transmitted signals and propagating waves, but not storage devices that are erasable or dependent upon power sources to retain information.

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• 2018
  • 2018-06-08 SG SG11201911699PA patent/SG11201911699PA/en unknown
  • 2018-06-08 US US16/003,585 patent/US11686793B2/en active Active
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  • 2018-06-08 EP EP18812673.4A patent/EP3634235B1/en active Active
  • 2018-06-08 KR KR1020197038970A patent/KR102516329B1/ko active Active
  • 2018-06-08 CN CN201880038263.8A patent/CN110719753B/zh active Active
  • 2018-06-08 JP JP2020517768A patent/JP2020523172A/ja active Pending
  • 2018-06-08 WO PCT/US2018/036686 patent/WO2018227108A1/en not_active Ceased
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• 2023
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