4: Instrumentation of MRI Flashcards
Faraday’s law of Electromagnetism
If you pass a current of electricity through a coiled wire, the result will be a magnetic field.
In Faraday’s law, the direction of the magnetic field is determined by…
the direction in which the electric current is flowing, north vs. south
Faraday’s law: Right hand rule:
provides a visual correlation to explain the direction of current vs the direction of the magnetic field.
Curled fingers = magnetic field
Thumb = electric current.
Two Main type of magnets
Permanent Magnets and Electromagnetics
Permanent Magnets:
Constructed with many small permanent magnets surrounded a solid iron core. Vertical fields commonly used in open, low-field magnets.
Permanent magnet advantages:
- Less power consumption
- provides a consistent and reliable magnetic field
- inherently weak fringe field
Permanent magnet disadvantages:
- Always on, can not be turned off via quench
- Presence would call for dismantling of many pieces
- Weak magnetic field strength ~ 0.4T
Electromagnets:
Constructed with multiple loops of copper wiring with a constant power source of electricity. The standard for imaging and incorporate a horizontal magnetic field.
Electromagnet advantages:
- High magnetic field strength, high quality imaging
- Ability to quench in emergency situations
Electromagnetic disadvantages:
- High power consumption
- Costly maintenance
Two types of Electromagnets:
- Resistive
- Superconducting
Resistive electromagnets:
Constructed using an iron core encased in copper wiring. Can be either vertical or horizontal magnetic fields. Mostly vertical.
Resistive electromagnet advantages:
- Can be quickly turned off by power switch, doesn’t need to be quenched.
- Weak fringe field
Resistive electromagnet disadvantages:
- high power cost
- strict water cooling requirements
- weak magnetic field - 0.7 - 1.2 T
Superconducting electromagnets:
Standard for high quality. Need to be stored in a liquid helium bath with a temperature of -269 C / 4 K. Constructed with low resistance coils which allows higher amounts of current to pass resulting in the ability to reach higher gradient amplitudes. Horizontal.
Superconducting electromagnet advantages:
- Consumes the least amount of power
- Higher magnetic fields (1.5T +)
- Creates a stable, consistent field homogeneity
- Ability to turn off via quench for emergency situations
Superconducting electromagnet disadvantages:
- Stronger fringe field
- Requires costly routine cryogen and service maintenances
Fringe Fields:
The external magnetic attraction extending in a perimeter. Directly related to the strength of the magnet.
Higher magnet strength = Stronger fringe field
Closer to the magnet = stronger fringe field
Gauss:
The unit of measurement to calculate fringe field strength
10,000 Gauss = 1 Tesla
2 Types of Magnetic Shielding:
- Passive
- Active
Passive Shielding:
Installed during installation of MRI scanner. Achieved by encasing the magnet with an iron shell, thus absorbing majority of the fringe field
Active Shielding:
Installed during installation of MRI scanner. Corporates an additional Shielding coil that works by employing an opposite current value to reduce the range of the fringe field. The LOWEST fringe field and is used on all modern MRI units
Which type of shielding gives the lowest Fringe Field?
Active
Which type of shielding is the standard of most modern MRI units?
Active
Radiofrequency,
high or low energy?
ionizing or nonionizing?
Low energy, non-ionizing type of radiation
Transmit coil is located…
Located perpendicular to the main magnetic field B0, the transmit RF pulse is termed B1
In the relation to the x, y, z gradient coils and the physical magnet, the transmitter RF coil is located DEEPEST within the MRI structural layers, right outside where the patient is laying down. Similar location to Mylar in CT
B1
transmit RF pulse
Transmit coil purpose:
transmits radiofrequency pulses to specific area of the body at the precessional frequency of tissue
The main biological effect of the radiofrequency pulses of the transmit coil:
the chance of tissue heating. Therefore, proper padding between the patient and inner bore is highly recommended. ( Elbow padding )
The FDA limits RF absorption in regards to a core body temperature of:
1 degree Celsius
Receive Coil is located…
manually selected an attached to the exam table by the MRI technologist. Receive coil selection depends on the body part being examined.
Receive coil purpose:
to receive the MR signal echo being emitted from the patient due to a process called relaxation.