Abstract: A device receives during an RF receive cycle a magnetic resonance signal (250) from an area of interest of a patient (20) which is generated in response to a RF transmit signal (350) of an MRI system (100) during an RF transmit cycle. The device includes: an RF receive coil (301); a detector (330); and a first coupling (840) device adapted to couple to an input of the detector (330) a signal (350) which is proportional to a current flowing through the RF receive coil (301) during the RF transmit cycle. The detector (330) outputs a signal (350), which indicates the magnitude and/or phase of the current flowing through the RF receive coil (301) during the RF transmit cycle. The digital signal (350) may be used to stop MR scanning, and/or to notify a system (100) operator, before harm can occur to the patient (20) due to excessive current in the RF receive coil (301) during the RF transmit cycle.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance (MR) system includes an MR receive channel (20) including: an MR coil element (22) configured to receive MR signals in an MR frequency band; an electronic signal processing chain (24) configured to process the MR signals received by the MR coil element to produce processed MR signals, wherein the electronic signal processing chain includes an equalization filter (26); and a signal injector (8, 16, 28, 38, 38D) configured to input a reference radio frequency (RF) signal in the MR frequency band to the signal processing chain, wherein the signal processing chain processes the reference RF signal to generate a processed reference RF signal. Equalizer electronics (30) are configured to adjust the equalization filter based at least on the processed reference RF signal such that the MR receive channel has a flat frequency response over the MR frequency band.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance (MR) receive coil (18) includes at least one MR coil element (22) configured to receive MR signals excited in a subject disposed in an MR imaging device (10); an antenna (22, 28) comprising the at least one MR coil element (22) or another antenna (28) that is different from the at least one MR coil element; and electronics (24) configured to detect reception of an electromagnetic pulse of interest by the antenna and to perform a coil function based on the detection. The electromagnetic pulse of interest is a radio frequency (RF) pulse generated by the MR imaging device or a magnetic field gradient pulse generated by the MR imaging device.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance (MR) system includes an MR receive channel (20) including: an MR coil element (22) configured to receive MR signals in an MR frequency band; an electronic signal processing chain (24) configured to process the MR signals received by the MR coil element to produce processed MR signals, wherein the electronic signal processing chain includes an equalization filter (26); and a signal injector (8, 16, 28, 38, 38D) configured to input a reference radio frequency (RF) signal in the MR frequency band to the signal processing chain, wherein the signal processing chain processes the reference RF signal to generate a processed reference RF signal. Equalizer electronics (30) are configured to adjust the equalization filter based at least on the processed reference RF signal such that the MR receive channel has a flat frequency response over the MR frequency band.

Abstract: An electronic device (10) includes an electronic component (14); at least one electrically conductive loop or winding (18) disposed around the electronic component; and an electronic controller (24) configured to: obtain (102) a magnetic field direction from a received ambient magnetic field measurement signal; determine (104) at least one magnetic field shim current based on the obtained magnetic field direction; and energize (106) the at least one electrically conductive loop or winding to flow the determined at least one magnetic field shim current.

Abstract: An electronic device (10) includes an electronic component (14); at least one electrically conductive loop or winding (18) disposed around the electronic component; and an electronic controller (24) configured to: obtain (102) a magnetic field direction from a received ambient magnetic field measurement signal; determine (104) at least one magnetic field shim current based on the obtained magnetic field direction; and energize (106) the at least one electrically conductive loop or winding to flow the determined at least one magnetic field shim current.

Abstract: A wireless magnetic resonance (MR) signal receiving system comprises a wireless MR coil (20) and a base station (50). The wireless MR coil includes coil elements (22) tuned to receive an MR signal, and electronic modules (24) each including a transceiver (30) and a digital processor (32). Each electronic module is operatively connected to receive an MR signal from at least one coil element. The base station includes a base station transceiver (52) configured to wirelessly communicate with the transceivers of the electronic modules of the wireless MR coil, and a base station digital processor (54). The electronic modules form a configurable mesh network (60) to wirelessly transmit the MR signals received by the electronic modules to the base station. The base station digital processor is programmed to operate the base station transceiver to receive the MR signals wirelessly transmitted to the base station by the configurable mesh network.

Abstract: A clocked electronic device, such as a wireless magnetic resonance (MR) receive coil (20), comprises a wireless receiver or transceiver (30) configured to receive a propagation-delayed wireless clock synchronization signal (54) comprising first and second propagation-delayed carrier signals at respective first and second carrier frequencies separated by a frequency difference, a clock (60) comprising a local oscillator (62) driving a digital counter (64), and at least one electronic signal processing component (66) configured to perform clock synchronization. This includes determining a wrap count (k) from a phase difference (?1) between phases of the first and second propagation-delayed carrier signals, unwrapping a wrapped phase (?2,wrapped) of the propagation-delayed wireless clock synchronization signal using the wrap count to generate an unwrapped phase (?2,wrapped), and synchronizing the clock using the unwrapped phase.

Abstract: A base station operating with a system clock includes a transmitter, a receiver, a phase error detector and a controller. The transmitter sends a first RF signal modulated onto a first RF carrier having a first phase over a first channel having a first variable phase delay to a mobile station. The mobile station recovers the first RF carrier, generates a second RF carrier, and synchronizes a local clock using the recovered first RF carrier and/or the second RF carrier. The receiver receives a second RF signal modulated onto the second RF carrier having a second phase over a second channel having a second variable phase delay. The phase error detector determines a phase error signal based on the first and second phases, and the controller generates a control signal based on the phase error signal. The control signal is applied to first and second inverse channel models.

Abstract: In MRI system, acquired MR signals that will have a greater impact on the quality of the final reconstructed MRI image if a data link error occurs are encoded with a higher, or more robust, level of encoding prior to being transmitted over a data communications link. Conversely, acquired MR signals that will have a lesser impact on the quality of the final reconstructed MRI image if a data link error occurs are encoded with a lower, or less robust, level of encoding prior to being transmitted over the data communications link. The overall result is improved data link robustness and efficiency for data being sent over the data link.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) device for receiving or exciting a magnetic resonance (MR) signal includes an MR coil (22, 32) tuned to an MR frequency band, a digital signal processing chain (40, 44, 58, 70) at least partly tuned to operate at baseband, an analog signal processing chain (48, 50, 54, 60) operatively connected with the MR coil and at least partly tuned to operate at the MR frequency band, and an analog to digital (A/D) or digital-to-analog (D/A) converter (46, 56) connecting the digital signal processing chain and the analog signal processing chain. The analog signal processing chain includes an analog dispersive delay line (50, 60) tuned to impose a frequency-dependent signal delay (52, 62) that is monotonically increasing or monotonically decreasing over the MR frequency band. In more specific embodiments, the RF device may comprise an MR transmit chain (20), or an MR receive chain (30).

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system (100, 200, 300, 400) includes a wireless communication station (600) which: receives via a receive antenna element (630) at least one first clock signal among two or more first clock signals which are synchronized with a first clock (510); transmits two or more second clock signals from two or more transmit antenna elements (620-1) of a phased array antenna (620); transmits data representing a sensed magnetic resonance signal from at least two of the transmit antenna elements; outputs a clock synchronization signal in response to the received first clock signal(s); and synchronizes a second clock (610) to the first clock signal in response to the clock synchronization signal. The first clock signals are transmitted by a phased array antenna (520) of another wireless communication station (500).

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) device for receiving or exciting a magnetic resonance (MR) signal includes an MR coil (22, 32) tuned to an MR frequency band, a digital signal processing chain (40, 44, 58, 70) at least partly tuned to operate at baseband, an analog signal processing chain (48, 50, 54, 60) operatively connected with the MR coil and at least partly tuned to operate at the MR frequency band, and an analog to digital (A/D) or digital-to-analog (D/A) converter (46, 56) connecting the digital signal processing chain and the analog signal processing chain. The analog signal processing chain includes an analog dispersive delay line (50, 60) tuned to impose a frequency-dependent signal delay (52, 62) that is monotonically increasing or monotonically decreasing over the MR frequency band. In more specific embodiments, the RF device may comprise an MR transmit chain (20), or an MR receive chain (30).

Abstract: An image acquisition system (100, 500, 600, 700). The image acquisition system may include at least one processor (110, 502-2, 610, 710) configured to control: a transmitter (112, 612) to form packets for transmission over a high-data-rate (HDR) wireless communication link (HDR-WCL) (124, 624), an image acquisition device (120, 631) to acquire image data and form HDR data, and a scheduler (114, 614) to acquire control information for controlling at least one function of the image acquisition system during the image acquisition, determine a restricted packet size for the packets of the HDR-WCL in accordance with at least deterministic timing requirements of the system, and determine a schedule for transmitting the control information in a corresponding packet of the packets in accordance with the deterministic timing requirements of the image acquisition system and the restricted packet size.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system (100, 400, 500) includes a wireless RF station (20, 320, 420, 520, 620) which is associated with one or more RF coils which sense the magnetic resonance (MR) signal emitted from a subject under MRI examination. The wireless RF station communicates digital data representing the sensed MR signal to an MRI controller (124) for further processing, which may include display. An internal clock (2202, 3202) in the wireless RF station is precisely synchronized with the MRI controller clock (108, 2101, 3101), with carrier phase synchronization and code phase tracking of a predefined code sequence such as a pseudo random number (PRN) sequence.

Abstract: A clocked electronic device, such as a wireless magnetic resonance (MR) receive coil (20), comprises a wireless receiver or transceiver (30) configured to receive a propagation-delayed wireless clock synchronization signal (54) comprising first and second propagation-delayed carrier signals at respective first and second carrier frequencies separated by a frequency difference, a clock (60) comprising a local oscillator (62) driving a digital counter (64), and at least one electronic signal processing component (66) configured to perform clock synchronization. This includes determining a wrap count (k) from a phase difference (?1) between phases of the first and second propagation-delayed carrier signals, unwrapping a wrapped phase (?2,wrapped) of the propagation-delayed wireless clock synchronization signal using the wrap count to generate an unwrapped phase (?2,wrapped), and synchronizing the clock using the unwrapped phase.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance (MR) system, including at least one wireless radio-frequency (RF) coil comprising antennas for receiving induced MR signals and an antenna array comprising transmission and reception antennas; a base transmitter system (BTS) having an antenna array comprising a plurality of transmission and reception antennas configured to communicate with the RF coil using a selected spatial diversity (SD) method; and at least one controller to control the BTS and the RF coil to determine a number of transmission and/or reception antennas available, couple the transmission and reception antennas to form corresponding antenna pairings, and determine signal characteristic information (SCI) of the antenna pairings, select an SD transmission method based upon the determined number of antennas and the determined SCI for communication between the BTS and the RF coil, and establish a communication channel between the BTS and the RF coil in accordance with the selected SD transmission method.

Abstract: A wireless magnetic resonance (MR) signal receiving system comprises a wireless MR coil (20) and a base station (50). The wireless MR coil includes coil elements (22) tuned to receive an MR signal, and electronic modules (24) each including a transceiver (30) and a digital processor (32). Each electronic module is operatively connected to receive an MR signal from at least one coil element. The base station includes a base station transceiver (52) configured to wirelessly communicate with the transceivers of the electronic modules of the wireless MR coil, and a base station digital processor (54). The electronic modules form a configurable mesh network (60) to wirelessly transmit the MR signals received by the electronic modules to the base station. The base station digital processor is programmed to operate the base station transceiver to receive the MR signals wirelessly transmitted to the base station by the configurable mesh network.

Abstract: A base station operating with a system clock includes a transmitter, a receiver, a phase error detector and a controller. The transmitter sends a first RF signal modulated onto a first RF carrier having a first phase over a first channel having a first variable phase delay to a mobile station. The mobile station recovers the first RF carrier, generates a second RF carrier, and synchronizes a local clock using the recovered first RF carrier and/or the second RF carrier. The receiver receives a second RF signal modulated onto the second RF carrier having a second phase over a second channel having a second variable phase delay. The phase error detector determines a phase error signal based on the first and second phases, and the controller generates a control signal based on the phase error signal. The control signal is applied to first and second inverse channel models.

Abstract: An image acquisition system (100, 500, 600, 700). The image acquisition system may include at least one processor (110, 502-2, 610, 710) configured to control: a transmitter (112, 612) to form packets for transmission over a high-data-rate (HDR) wireless communication link (HDR-WCL) (124, 624), an image acquisition device (120, 631) to acquire image data and form HDR data, and a scheduler (114, 614) to acquire control information for controlling at least one function of the image acquisition system during the image acquisition, determine a restricted packet size for the packets of the HDR-WCL in accordance with at least deterministic timing requirements of the system, and determine a schedule for transmitting the control information in a corresponding packet of the packets in accordance with the deterministic timing requirements of the image acquisition system and the restricted packet size.