US 12,078,698 B2
Magnetic resonance imaging receive antenna
Filips Van Liere, Best (NL)
Assigned to Koninklijke Philips N.V., Eindhoven (NL)
Appl. No. 17/766,747
Filed by KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V., Eindhoven (NL)
PCT Filed Sep. 24, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/076642
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 6, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/069217, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 15, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 19202384 (EP), filed on Oct. 10, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0085503 A1, Mar. 14, 2024
Int. Cl. G01R 33/36 (2006.01); G01R 33/54 (2006.01); G01R 33/561 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 33/3621 (2013.01) [G01R 33/3692 (2013.01); G01R 33/543 (2013.01); G01R 33/5611 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A magnetic resonance imaging receive antenna array comprising:
multiple antenna elements each configured to receive a magnetic resonance imaging radio-frequency signal;
a radio-frequency receiver integrated with a set of multiple antenna elements, connected to each of the multiple antenna elements, wherein the radio-frequency receiver is configured to receive the magnetic resonance imaging radio frequency signal and to convert the radio frequency signal to digital magnetic resonance data;
a digital combiner integrated with the set of multiple antenna elements, wherein the digital combiner is configured to combine a weighted combination of the digital magnetic resonance data from each of the radio frequency signal into a chosen number of digital virtual magnetic resonance channels using a set of weighting factors; and
a first digital communication transceiver integrated with the set of multiple antenna elements, configured to transmit the digital virtual magnetic resonance channels via a digital communication channel;
a second intermediate digital communication transceiver configured t form the digital communication channel with the first digital communication transceiver, wherein the magnetic resonance imaging system is configured to receive the digital virtual magnetic resonance channels via the digital communication channel:
a memory configured to store machine executable instructions; and
a processor configured to control the medical instrument; wherein execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor to:
control the magnetic resonance imaging system to measure coil sensitivity data for each of the multiple antenna elements by controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system with coil sensitivity pulse sequence commands, wherein the coil sensitivity data is received via the digital communication channel;
determine a coil sensitivity profile for each of the multiple antenna elements using the coil sensitivity data;
receive a chosen field of view, a chosen pulse sequence commands for controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system to acquire the digital magnetic resonance data, and an available bandwidth limit of the digital communication channel;
determine the chosen number of digital virtual magnetic resonance channels using the chosen field of view, the chosen pulse sequence, and the available bandwidth limit;
determine a set of calculated weighting factors using the chosen number of digital virtual magnetic resonance channels and the coil sensitivity profile for each of the multiple antenna elements to construct a set of virtual magnetic resonance channels; and
transmit the set of calculated weighting factors to the magnetic resonance imaging receive antenna using the digital communication channel, wherein the magnetic resonance imaging receive antenna is configured to set the set of calculated weighting factors as the set of weighting factors upon receipt via the digital communication channel.