US 12,282,078 B2
Multi-resonance broadband transmit/receive switches without tuning used in magnetic resonance imaging
Gameel Saleh Mohammed Saleh, Dammam (SA); and Ashraf Abuelhaija, Amman (JO)
Assigned to Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam (SA)
Filed by Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam (SA)
Filed on Aug. 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/882,075.
Prior Publication US 2024/0045007 A1, Feb. 8, 2024
Int. Cl. G01R 33/36 (2006.01); H04B 1/44 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 33/3614 (2013.01) [H04B 1/44 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, comprising:
a multi-resonance transmit/receive (T/R) switch, comprising:
a microstripline based hybrid coupler having a top plane at a top side and a bottom plane at a bottom side;
a first pin diode;
a second pin diode;
four vertical transmission lines arranged in a bended manner and six horizontal transmission lines arranged in a bended manner on the top plane of the microstripline based hybrid coupler; and
four vertical transmission lines arranged in a bended manner and six horizontal transmission lines arranged in a bended manner on the bottom plane of the microstripline based hybrid coupler;
wherein the top plane of the microstripline based hybrid coupler is associated with a first port and a second port, and electrically connected to an anode of the first pin diode and an anode of the second pin diode, the first port being coupled to a radio frequency (RF) amplifier, the second port being coupled to an MRI RF coil;
wherein the bottom plane is associated with a third port and a fourth port, and the bottom plane is electrically connected with the anode of the first pin diode and the anode of the second pin diode, the third port being coupled to an RF terminator, the fourth port being coupled to a pre-amplifier;
wherein a cathode of the first pin diode and a cathode of the second pin diode are electrically connected to ground;
wherein the multi-resonance transmit/receive (T/R) switch is configured to, during a transmit mode, place the first and second pin diodes in a forward biased state, such that RF pulses of different frequencies received from the RF amplifier coupled to the first port are directed to the MRI RF coil coupled to the second port, wherein the different frequencies are received concurrently and without tuning by the multi-resonance transmit/receive (T/R) switch from the MRI RF coil; and
wherein the multi-resonance transmit/receive (T/R) switch is configured to, during a receive mode, place the first and second pin diodes in a reverse biased state, such that RF signals detected by the MRI RF coil coupled to the second port are directed to the pre-amplifier coupled to the fourth port.