US 11,921,176 B2
Magnetic resonance imaging device with a curved field generation unit
Andreas Krug, Fürth (DE); and Michael Mallett, Faringdon (GB)
Assigned to Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen (DE)
Filed by Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen (DE)
Filed on Mar. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/705,871.
Claims priority of application No. 21165607 (EP), filed on Mar. 29, 2021; and application No. 21182676 (EP), filed on Jun. 30, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0308139 A1, Sep. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. G01R 33/38 (2006.01); G01R 33/34 (2006.01); G01R 33/3815 (2006.01); G01R 33/383 (2006.01); G01R 33/385 (2006.01); G01R 33/421 (2006.01); G01R 33/483 (2006.01); G01R 33/56 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 33/3806 (2013.01) [G01R 33/34 (2013.01); G01R 33/34023 (2013.01); G01R 33/3815 (2013.01); G01R 33/383 (2013.01); G01R 33/385 (2013.01); G01R 33/4215 (2013.01); G01R 33/4835 (2013.01); G01R 33/56 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device comprising:
a field generator configured to provide a magnetic field in an imaging volume of the MRI device, the field generator including at least one magnet that confines the imaging volume in at least one spatial direction, wherein:
the at least one magnet is curved such that a perpendicular distance between a line oriented along a direction of access to the imaging volume and a surface directed towards the imaging volume of the at least one magnet varies in the direction of access to the imaging volume,
the at least one magnet is configured to enclose at least a part of the imaging volume along at least a part of the line oriented along the direction of access to the imaging volume, the direction of access to the imaging volume being oriented in parallel to a main direction of magnetic field lines within the imaging volume, and
the at least one magnet is arranged such that a minimum perpendicular distance between the line oriented along the direction of access to the imaging volume and the surface directed towards the imaging volume of the at least one magnet is located at a center of the imaging volume.