JPH0536405Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea] [Industrial application field]

This invention relates to an antenna coil in an MRI apparatus that uses nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to take cross-sectional images of various parts of the human body, and particularly relates to an antenna coil for imaging the neck.

[Conventional technology]

BACKGROUND ART Cervical spine coils and corset coils are conventionally known as antenna coils for photographing the neck.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, the cervical spine coil
It is not a saddle-type or solenoid-type coil, so sufficient performance in terms of sensitivity and uniformity cannot be obtained. Further, the corset coil is not shaped to fit around the neck of the human body, and there is a problem in that it gives a feeling of pressure to the subject. This design is an antenna coil for MRI equipment for neck imaging, which has a shape that fits around the neck of the human body and does not give a feeling of pressure to the subject, and has a saddle-shaped coil that provides excellent sensitivity and uniformity. The purpose is to provide

[Means to solve the problem]

The antenna coil of the MRI device based on this idea is
It consists of a coil holder and a coil held by this coil holder.
The shape is like a cylinder cut diagonally, and a part of the circumference is open, and the open part is not connected and is always kept open in a C-shape, and the size of this open part is The coil comprises a saddle-shaped coil disposed along the coil holder, the coil being at least partially made of a deformable material so as to be variable in position.

[Function] The coil holder is shaped like a cylinder cut diagonally, so it fits very well around the neck of the human body. Moreover, the coil holder, which is shaped like a cylinder cut diagonally, is formed in a C-shape so that a part of the circumference is open and the open part is not connected and always remains open. At least part of it is made of a deformable material so that the size of the opening can be changed, so when wearing it, the opening can be deformed so that it becomes larger, and then the opening is narrowed. Moreover, when removing it, it is only necessary to deform it so that the opening becomes larger, so it is extremely easy to attach and detach it from the neck. Furthermore, since the saddle-shaped coil is arranged along this coil holder, the sensitivity and uniformity are excellent.

【Example】

An antenna coil for photographing the neck according to an embodiment of this invention has an appearance as shown in FIG. That is, the antenna coil 2 consists of a coil holder 3 and a coil wire 4 as shown in FIG. 3 held by the coil holder 3. The coil holder 3 is made of an elastic material such as a molded product of closed cell polyethylene, and has a shape like a cylinder cut diagonally, and a part of the circumference is opened to form an open part 9. It is formed into a C-shape (see Fig. 2). This open portion 9 is always kept open without being connected. A coil wire 4 made of, for example, a Teflon-coated annealed copper wire is embedded along this shaped coil holder 3 in a saddle shape as shown in FIG. A tuner box 5 is attached to the coil holder 3, and both ends of the coil wire 4 are connected to the tuner box 5. A cable 6 is drawn out from the tuner box 5 and is connected to a preamplifier or the like through a connector 7. This antenna coil 2 is attached to the neck 11 of the subject 1 as shown in FIG. 4, but when attaching it, the coil holder 3 is deformed and opened as shown by the dotted line 3' in FIG. Expand part 9. Since the coil holder 3 is made of an elastic body as described above, such deformation is easy, and therefore the neck 1 of the subject 1 is
1 and the antenna coil 2 can be easily set. If the restoring force of the coil holder 3 is made larger than the rigidity of the coil wire 4, the coil holder 3 will automatically return to its original shape after being set on the neck 11, and the open portion 9 will become narrower. The coil holder 3 is provided with a notch 8 on the opposite side of the open part 9, which means that when the coil holder 3 is set on the neck 11 as shown in FIG. This is to prevent it from hitting your shoulders. Generally, when performing an examination using an MRI machine, the subject usually lies on his or her back on a bed. At this time, the line connecting the depression between the back of the subject's head and back and the depression between the chin and chest becomes oblique (see Figure 4). Therefore, if the coil holder 3 is shaped like a cylinder cut diagonally as described above, it will fit the neck 11 very well. Further, since the coil wire 4 built into the coil holder 3 also runs along the holder 3, it conforms to the shape of the neck 11.
Generally, the smaller the shape of the saddle-shaped coil, the better the sensitivity, so by forming the saddle-shaped coil to match the shape of the neck 11 as described above, it can be made as small as possible, making it even more Clear MR images can be obtained. In addition, since the antenna coil 2 is small and fits the neck 11 in this way, it comes into contact with the neck 11, but since the coil holder 3 is made of foamed polyethylene, the subject 1 may feel uncomfortable. Never give up. Note that the antenna coil 2 described above can be attached not only to the neck 11 but also to the joints of the arms, the joints of the legs, and the like. Further, although the saddle-shaped coil formed by the coil wire 4 forms a magnetic field in the vertical direction in the above embodiment, the arrangement may be rotated by 90 degrees so that the magnetic field is formed in the left-right direction. Furthermore, although the saddle-shaped coil is formed by one turn of the coil wire 4, a larger number of turns may be used, and the cylindrical coil holder 3 may be a perfect circle or an ellipse.

[Effect of the idea]

Although the antenna coil of the MRI device of this invention is a small saddle-shaped coil, it is shaped to fit around the neck of the human body, causing less pressure and discomfort to the subject. Moreover, since it is a saddle type coil, it has good sensitivity and uniformity. Furthermore, the holding body of this antenna coil is formed into a C-shape with a part of the circumference open, and the open part is not connected and always remains open, so it is easy to prevent human body from touching the antenna coil. When attaching and detaching from the neck, it is only necessary to widen or narrow the opening, making it easy to attach and detach.

[Brief description of the drawings]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of an antenna coil according to an embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 is a front view of the same embodiment, Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the built-in coil, and Fig. 4 is the actual appearance. FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Subject, 11... Neck, 2... Antenna coil, 3... Coil holder, 4... Coil wire, 5... Tuner box, 6... Cable, 7... Connector, 8... ...notch part, 9...open part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] The shape is like a cylinder cut diagonally, and a part of the circumference is open, and the open part is not connected and is always kept open in a C-shape, and the size of this open part is An antenna coil for an MRI apparatus, comprising a coil holder made of a material at least partially deformable so as to change its position, and a saddle-shaped coil arranged along the coil holder.