US006633161B1

(12) United States Patent

(10) Patent No.:

Vaughan, Jr.

US 6,633,161 B1

(45) Date of Patent:

Oct. 14, 2003

(54) RF COIL FOR IMAGING SYSTEM

4,812,761 A

3/1989 Vaughan, Jr.

(75) Inventor: J. Thomas Vaughan, Jr., Stillwater,

MN (US)
(73) Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation,

4,820,985
4,833,409
4,875,013
4,888,555

4/1989 Eash
5/1989 Eash

4,812,764 A * 3/1989 Bendall ...................... 324/318

Boston, MA (US)

(*) Notice:

4,916,418 A

:12, 21.

(51) Int. Cl." ~~~~ G01W 3/00

(52) U.S. Cl. ........................................ 324/318; 324/322

(58) Field of Search ................................. 324/318, 322,

324/312, 316, 300, 306, 307, 309

References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

4,439,733 A.

4.691,163 A

4,692,705 A
4,694,255 A
4,712,067 A
4,714,887. A
4,724,389 A
4,733,190 A
4,737,718 A
4,742,320 A
4,746,866 A
4,751,464 A *
4,792,760 A

4,799,016 A

7/1986 Butson

10/1999
11/2000

OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Tropp, James, Mutual inductance in the bird-cage resona
tor, Journal of Magnetic Resonance, 1997, vol. 126, pp.
917.

Vaughan et al., High frecuency volume coils for clinical

NMR imaging and spectroscopy, Magn Reson Med, 1994,

vol. 32, pp. 20618.
(List continued on next page.)
P.C.

(57)

ABSTRACT

An RF coil suitable for use in imaging systems is provided

7/1987 Edelstein et al.

8/1987 Chesneau et al.

9/1987 Hayes
Basset al............... 321sts

9/1987
9/1987
12/1987
12/1987
2/1988
3/1988
4/1988
5/1988
5/1988
6/1988

Hayes
Roschmann et al.
Meissner et al.
Hyde et al.
Dembinski
Kemner et al.
Pfizenmaier et al.
Roschmann
Bridges ...................... 324/318
12/1988 Jacob et al.
1/1989 Rezvani

which coil has a dielectric filled cavity formed by a sur

rounding conducting enclosure, the conducting enclosure

preferably being patterned to form continuous electrical

paths around the cavity, each of which paths may be tuned

to a selected resonant frequency. The patterning breaks up
any currents induced in the coil and shortens path lengths to
permit higher frequency, and thus higher field strength
operation. The invention also includes improved mecha
nisms for tuning the resonant frequency of the paths, for
selectively detuning the paths, for applying signal to the coil,
for shortening the length of the coil and for controlling the
field profile of the coil and the delivery of field to the object
to the image.
72 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets

2 10
B

RE====N B

20 B
B

10/1996

(74) Attorney, Agent, or FirmWolf, Greenfield & Sacks,

: ,

46sosas A
4,686,473 A

WO 99 54759 A1
WO 00/72033 A2

9/1992

12/1992

Primary ExaminerLouis Arana

3/1984 Hinshaw et al.

4,506,224. A * 3/1985 Krause ....................... 324/319

4,590,427 A
5/1986 Fukushima et al.

4,602,234. A

08257011 A

WO
WO

1999.

(56)

03032365. A

()4364003

JP

(60) Provisional application No. 60/135,269, filed on May 21,

4/1990 Rath

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

60128339
7/1985

JP
JP

May 22, 2000

Related U.S. Application Data

12/1989 Vaughan et al.

ti
d
(List continued
on nextt page.)-

JP

(21) Appl. No.: 09/575,384

10/1989 Murakami et al.

List

Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this

patent is extended or adjusted under 35
U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.

(22) Filed:

A
A
A
A

U.S. Patent

Oct. 14

S` R``

#
No.
#
IR
i
No.
i
No..
3

FIG. 3B

16]

U.S. Patent

Oct. 14, 2003

16!"

Sheet 3 of 6

US 6,633,161 B1

20 20

~
D
I
T
(2%() CD) (D2%() O, O, O 2%(OD O O2% (D2%() 2()% 2%O O() O O 2%CD)
2%

)|)

18 18

FIG. 3C

FIG. 3D

U.S. Patent

Sheet 4 of 6

Oct. 14, 2003

TO RX

FROM Tx

61
NSS

NS-SN

18

58

US 6,633,161 B1

U.S. Patent

Oct. 14, 2003

Sheet 5 of 6

US 6,633,161 B1

16O

FIG. 9A

16O

$2O

FIG. 9C
18

(O

Z ) %2 Z O|ZCYZ7

Ll Gj CD

?aevr! N
FIG. 9F

U.S. Patent

Oct. 14, 2003

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION
PATENT NO.

: 6,633,161 B1

Page 1 of 1

APPLICATION NO. : 09/575384

DATED

: October 14, 2003

INVENTOR(S)

: John T. Vaughan, Jr.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent is
hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 3, before the title Related Applications, insert the following paragraph
--This invention was made with Government support under Grant No. CA076535
awarded by the National Institutes of Health. The Government has certain rights in this
invention.--

Signed and Sealed this

Eighth Day of September, 2009

David J. Kappos
Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION
PATENT NO.

: 6,633,161 B1

APPLICATION NO.

: 09/575384

DATED

: October 14, 2003

INVENTOR(S)

: John T. Vaughan, Jr.

Page 1 of 1

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent is hereby corrected as shown below:

In the Specification
Column 1, line 3, before the title Related Applications, insert the following paragraph
--This invention was made with government support under CA076535 awarded by the National
Institutes of Health. The government has certain rights in the invention.--

Signed and Sealed this

Twenty-fourth Day of December, 2013

Margaret A. Focarino
Commissioner for Patents of the United States Patent and Trademark Office