Local shim coil within a local coil for local b0 homogenization in an mrt examination

Abstract

A local coil for an imaging system, in particular an MRI scanner. The local coil is an MRI scanner local coil within which the head of a patient may be positioned, and that includes at least one shim coil.

1 . A local coil for an imaging system, the local coil comprising:
 a head coil comprising a housing, the head coil being configured so that the head of a patient is positionable in the head coil and the neck of the patient is positionable on a nape section of the housing; and   at least one shim coil, a conductor of a shim coil of the at least one shim coil being disposed in the nape section of the housing,   wherein a power supply, a controller, or the power supply and the controller of the at least one shim coil are arranged in the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The local coil of  claim 1 , wherein the head coil comprises one or more coils, the one or more coils being located in the local coil at a position anterior, a position posterior, or a position anterior and posterior of a position for the head, a position for the neck, or a position for the head and the neck, the one or more coils being located in the local coil encompassing a position for the head, a position for the neck, or a position for the head and the neck of the patient, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The local coil of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one shim coil comprises exactly one shim coil. 
     
     
         4 . The local coil of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one shim coil comprises two or more shim coils. 
     
     
         5 . The local coil of  claim 1 , wherein the local coil is configured for use with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, and the head coil is an MRI scanner head coil,
 wherein the at least one shim coil comprises a plurality of shim coils, and   wherein the head coil, the MRI scanner, or the head coil and the MRI scanner comprise a controller of shim current in the plurality of shim coils.   
     
     
         6 . The local coil of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of shim coils are spatially distributed in the local coil and are operable together, are operable alternately to each other, or are operable together and alternately to each other, by switching on or off, via the controller of the shim current in the shim coils, or by switching on or off and via the controller of the shim current in the shim coils. 
     
     
         7 . The local coil of  claim 1 , wherein a current source of the power supply comprises a protective circuit. 
     
     
         8 . The local coil of  claim 7 , wherein the imaging system is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, and
 wherein the protective circuit is operable to protect against an induction of high voltage fields through gradient fields of the MRI scanner.   
     
     
         9 . The local coil of  claim 1 , wherein the power supply comprises a diode bridge, a low-pass filter, or the diode bridge and the low pass filter, the low pass filter having a frequency in a DC source power pack of the power supply of less than 10 Hz. 
     
     
         10 . The local coil of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one shim coil comprises a plurality of shim coils, and
 wherein the plurality of shim coils are mechanically connected to the housing.   
     
     
         11 . The local coil of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one shim coil comprises a plurality of shim coils,
 wherein the shim coil is a first shim coil of the plurality of shim coils, and   wherein a conductor of a second shim coil of the plurality of shim coils is arranged in a region for a shoulder region, a vertebral body, or the shoulder region and the vertebral body of the patient.   
     
     
         12 . The local coil of  claim 1 , wherein a shim coil of the at least one shim coil includes a first conductor and a second conductor, and
 wherein, in at least a region of the local coil provided for positioning under the patient, current flows in mutually opposed directions in the first conductor and the second conductor.   
     
     
         13 . The local coil of  claim 1 , wherein a shim coil of the at least one shim coil comprises a conductor, and
 wherein the conductor is a conductor arrangement including a plurality of lines that run, are located, or run and are located side by side.   
     
     
         14 . The local coil of  claim 1 , wherein a shim coil of the at least one shim coil comprises two or more assemblies of conductors, and
 wherein a y spacing, a z spacing, or the y spacing and the z spacing of first conductors of the two or more assemblies of conductors from each other is greater or smaller, respectively, than a y spacing, a z spacing, or the y spacing and the z spacing of second conductors of the two or more assemblies of conductors from each other.   
     
     
         15 . The local coil of  claim 1 , further comprising a switching device operable to electrically switch on various conductor structures in the local coil,
 wherein the switching device is operable to switch on only first conductors of the various conductor structures for shimming, only second conductors of the various conductor structures for shimming, or the first conductors and the second conductors for shimming.   
     
     
         16 . A local coil for an imaging system, the local coil comprising:
 a head coil comprising a housing, the head coil being configured so that the head of a patient is positionable in the head coil and the neck of the patient is positionable on a nape section of the housing; and   two or more shim coils, a conductor of a shim coil of the two or more shim coils being disposed in the nape section of the housing.   
     
     
         17 . The local coil of  claim 16 , wherein the local coil is configured for use with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, and the head coil is an MRI scanner head coil,
 wherein the head coil, the MRI scanner, or the head coil and the MRI scanner comprise a controller of shim current in the two or more shim coils.   
     
     
         18 . The local coil of  claim 17 , wherein the two or more shim coils are spatially distributed in the local coil and are operable together, are operable alternately to each other, or are operable together and alternately to each other, by switching on or off, via the controller, or by switching on or off and via the controller. 
     
     
         19 . A local coil for an imaging system, the local coil comprising:
 a head coil comprising a housing, the head coil being configured so that the head of a patient is positionable in the head coil and the neck of the patient is positionable on a nape section of the housing; and   at least one shim coil, a conductor of a shim coil of the at least one shim coil being disposed in the nape section of the housing,   wherein the at least one shim coil comprises a power supply, a current source of the power supply being controllable, and   wherein the current source of the power supply comprises a protective circuit.   
     
     
         20 . The local coil of  claim 19 , wherein the imaging system is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, and
 wherein the protective circuit is operable to protect against an induction of high voltage fields through gradient fields of the MRI scanner.