InsightMRI’s unique Coil Design and Implementation Solutions

Background

InsightMRI has provided innovative MRI coil solutions for imaging endeavors for more than 10 years. The InsightMRI team consists of advanced-degree professionals who are highly experienced and who possess the capabilities to convert our customers’ application-driven imaging needs into reliable, high performance solutions in the shortest time possible. We furthermore guarantee our products with unrivaled service agreements.

  • Our detailed coil design process for InsightMRI’s biomedical customers encompasses the following general steps:
  • Customer/ Clinician/ Researcher consultations to define the design specifications
  • Geometric/ Anatomic coil layout optimizations
  • Numerical modeling of coil performance characteristics
  • Determination of lumped-element circuit components
  • Computational analysis of proposed layout
  • Three dimensional modeling of coil enclosure and support
  • Rapid prototyping of coil units
  • Bench and MRI based-quality assurance
  • Full service and field replacement programs for coil support

Coil Simulation Capabilities

InsightMRI possesses a portfolio of powerful, proprietary, and unique modeling tools that allow for the virtual layout, testing, and optimization of any coil geometry or configuration. These tools have been used to design several FDA-approved RF transmit/receive coils, and countless related application-specific coils for InsightMRI’s clients. These tools provide the first step in our advanced and unique coil design program. The following example provides a flavor of our leading-edge 3D development programs.

Simulations help predict and optimize the performance characteristics of our coil designs. Upper left: Simulated tuning and matching in the Smith Chart of one of the four channels of a phased-array coil. Upper right: Absolute value of the surface current density over copper loops. Lower left: B1 magnetic flux density (in Tesla) of all four coil elements. Lower right: Induced B1 field in a biological load induced by one loop.

For our coil designs we routinely calculate the strength of the flux density, the unloaded and loaded quality factors, and the proportional signal-to-noise (SNR) ratios.

Electro-Mechanical Design

InsightMRI translates the optimized coil geometry, and all necessary components, into an electro-mechanical design. We possess powerful mechanical modeling tools for the layout and virtual stress testing of these designs. This ensures a robust implementation of the coil in the field. Drawing on years of manufacturing experience, InsightMRI can optimize the electro-mechanical design for manufacturability, reliability, strength, and compliance with international standards. A housing, from the simulated four-element coil above, is shown here as a reference.

Two views of the housing for the coil, showing the distal face.

Pilot Production

From the electro-mechanical design, InsightMRI has extensive experience of transferring the overall design into a rapidly produced prototype product for field testing or trials. An in-house 3D part printer and a fully equipped CNC machine shop allows for rapid production of functional units. Higher volume production is possible through a network of qualified suppliers; they have been carefully identified to provide prompt and precise components that can be quickly assembled into high-performance clinical coil devices.

Production

Since InsightMRI produces several FDA approved products the Insight facility is governed by a total quality system based on Good Manufacturing Principles and ISO standards. Insight also produces numerous non FDA regulated products, which are nonetheless produced with similar quality control rigor to provide our customers with the highest possible product consistency and reliability. Our company has produced several robust coil designs that are referenced in the product pages.

Finished coil product with cable assembly. The system was delivered to our customer within 10 weeks after project definition.

MRI Implementation

InsightMRI has relationships with all major MRI manufacturers and their suppliers in order to secure parts as well as cable assemblies for the interfacing of coils to various MRI platforms. Headquartered in central Massachusetts, InsightMRI has ready access to a host of different clinical scanner technologies covering all major OEMs and field strengths.