Apparatus and method for C-arm MRI with electropermanent magnets
Inventors
Weinberg, Irving N. • UDALOV, Oleg
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12210078-B2
Publication Date
2025-01-28
Expiration Date
Abstract
A method and apparatus for accessing and imaging at least one body part of interest may position a subject in an imaging system to partially encloses the subject and partially expose the subject, and access at least one body part of the subject that is exposed outside the imaging system for a procedure. The at least one exposed body part is positioned to be imaged by the imaging system.
Core Innovation
The invention provides an imaging system that partially encloses a subject within a volume having a boundary defined by a minimum surface of all coils or magnetizable material of the imaging system, while the subject is partially exposed outside the minimum surface. At least one body part of the subject is exposed outside the minimum surface and is accessed for a procedure and imaged by the imaging system. The body part is accessed and imaged without moving the subject between the procedure and imaging.
The described approach uses electropermanent magnets together with magnet arrays to generate quasi-static magnetic fields and magnetic gradients for MRI. The imaging system includes at least three magnet arrays that generate the imaging field and gradients in a field of view containing the body part to be accessed. Magnet orientation and/or actuation provides multiple magnetic field configurations while maintaining the boundary defined by the minimum surface of the coils or magnetizable material.
The system is implemented as a C-arm or mobile imaging arrangement that defines a minimum surface boundary formed by the magnet-generating components, enabling the body part of interest to remain outside that minimum surface for procedure access. A supporting table arrangement extends outside a C-shaped arm to expose the body part for access. The method positions the subject partially in the imaging system, actuates the electropermanent magnets to collect MRI data under different configurations, and can optionally image removed tissues or specimens.
Claims Coverage
The document includes two independent claims that cover both an apparatus and a method for accessing and imaging at least one body part. Across the independent claims, the coverage centers on the minimum-surface partial enclosure concept and accessing and imaging without moving the subject, with multiple dependent claim features further defining magnet types, field behavior, magnet-array architecture, and table/C-arm structural arrangements.
Minimum-surface partial enclosure with exposed procedural access
An imaging system that partially encloses a subject within a volume having a boundary defined by a minimum surface of all coils or magnetizable material and partially exposes the subject outside the minimum surface, wherein at least one body part is exposed outside the minimum surface while being accessed for a procedure and while being imaged by the imaging system without moving the subject.
Accessing and imaging without moving the subject
Positioning a subject in an imaging system to partially enclose the subject within a volume having a boundary defined by a minimum surface of all coils or magnetizable material and partially expose the subject outside the minimum surface, and accessing at least one body part exposed outside the minimum surface for a procedure, wherein the at least one body part is exposed outside minimum surface while imaged by the imaging system and wherein the at least one body part is accessed and imaged without moving the subject.
Overall, the independent claim set is directed to partial enclosure using a minimum-surface boundary defined by the imaging system’s coils or magnetizable material, enabling a body part to be accessed for a procedure while simultaneously being imaged, without moving the subject. Dependent claims refine the imaging hardware and magnet/structural configurations, including the use of electropermanent magnets and associated gradient and quasi-static field generation.
Stated Advantages
Enables accessing a body part for a procedure while imaging, without moving the subject.
Documented Applications
Accessing and imaging at least one body part of interest exposed outside a minimum surface during a procedure using the described imaging system.
Imaging removed tissues or specimens after an intervention.
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