US 11,835,604 B2
Method for ascertaining a position and/or an orientation of an MR local coil unit
Johann Sukkau, Herzogenaurach (DE); Volker Matschl, Bamberg (DE); and Steffen Schroeter, Fuerth (DE)
Assigned to Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen (DE)
Filed by Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen (DE)
Filed on Jul. 26, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/873,604.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2021 208 176.2 (DE), filed on Jul. 29, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0033812 A1, Feb. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. G01R 33/34 (2006.01); G01R 33/48 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 33/34084 (2013.01) [G01R 33/34007 (2013.01); G01R 33/481 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for ascertaining at least one of a position or an orientation of an MR local coil unit for arrangement inside a main magnetic field of a magnetic resonance tomography system, wherein the MR local coil unit has at least one coil element, a reference sensor system and at least one acceleration sensor spaced apart from the reference sensor system in a fixed relative position, the method comprising:
providing a first 3D relative position of the reference sensor system in relation to the main magnetic field;
receiving an acceleration vector from the at least one acceleration sensor;
retrieving a distance vector describing the fixed relative position as a function of the received acceleration vector;
calculating a second 3D relative position of the at least one acceleration sensor in relation to the main magnetic field based on the first 3D relative position and the retrieved distance vector; and
ascertaining the at least one of the position or the orientation of the MR local coil unit using the first 3D relative position and the second 3D relative position.