Patent ID: 7212004

Claim:
A method for designing a high field, compact superconducting magnet for clinical MRI, the magnet producing a substantially homogeneous magnetic field within an investigational volume, the method comprising the steps of: a) defining a coil space for the magnet; b) defining a superconducting coil block region within the coil space; c) defining a turns balancing condition for coils within the coil block; d) defining a geometrical extent of the investigational volume; e) defining a magnetic field strength within the investigational volume; f) defining an acceptable field homogeneity within the investigational volume; g) defining a stray field limitation; h) constraining a peak magnetic field within the coils; i) limiting a stress value within the coils; j) splitting the coil space into a first and a second sub-space which are parallel to each other to define a first and a second radially adjacent coil layer; k) calculating a preliminary design for coils within the first and second coil layers; l) comparing results of step k) to the requirements of steps d) through i); m) splitting the coil space to create an additional coil layer parallel to the first and the second layers; n) repeating steps k) through m) until conditions d) through i) are satisfied.