Abstract: The invention concerns to a radio frequency (RF) body coil (2), for use in a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system, comprising: an RF shield (6), an RF coil element (8), distantly arranged from the RF shield (6), and at least one distance setting element (10), arranged and designed in such a way that the relative distance (12) between the RF shield (6) and the RF coil element (8) is adjustable via the distance setting element (10) which may lead to locally deforming the RF coil element (8) and/or the RF shield (6). Thus, a radio frequency coil for use in an Magnetic Resonance Imaging system is provided that can be tuned to desired resonances in a comfortable and economic way.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system comprising a body coil (9) for magnetic resonance imaging and an RF amplifier connected to the body coil (9) for feeding the body coil (9) with an RF signal, wherein the body coil (9) comprises two different ports (21, 22) for feeding the RF signal into the body coil (9), the body coil (9) is provided with a switch for selectively activating only one single port (21, 22) for feeding the RF signal to the body coil (9) at a time, and the two ports (21, 22) are located at different locations of the body coil (9) such that the dependence of the reflected part of the RF signal fed into the body coil (9) from the weight of the examination object (1) to which the body coil (9) is applied is different for the two ports (21, 22).

Abstract: The invention provides for a metal detector (100, 300) with at least a first coil (102) for generating a first magnetic field (108) along a first direction (119). The first coil is a split coil with a first (104) and a second (106) portion (104). A coil power supply (110) separately supplying time varying electrical power to the coil portions. At least one electrical sensor (116, 118) measures electrical data (136) descriptive of the electrical power supplied to at least the first coil portion and the second coil portion. The coils are controlled such as to move a field-free region in a predetermined pattern within a measurement zone. If metal is detected, the pattern is modified for refining localisation of the metallic object.

Abstract: The invention relates to a magnetic resonance receive coil including a resonator for use in a magnetic resonance imaging system. The radio frequency receive coil according to the invention comprises a first conducting element of the resonator having a conductive loop wherein the received signal is induced in that loop, configured to form a primary resonant circuit tunable to at least one first resonance frequency and a second conducting element of the resonator configured to form an electric circuit electrically insulated from and reactively coupled to the primary resonant circuit, the electric circuit being adapted to detune the primary resonant circuit to at least one second resonance frequency. The second conducting element of the resonator has a conductive loop with a pair of ends connected to a preamplifier.

Abstract: A multi-channel transmit/receive radio frequency (RF) system for a magnetic resonance examination system with an RF antenna array includes multiple antenna elements and an RF power supply to supply electrical RF power to the antenna elements. Directional couplers are circuited between respective antenna elements and a power distributor. A monitoring module is configured to measure forward electrical wave amplitude(s) and reflected electrical wave amplitude(s) at individual directional couplers. An arithmetic module is configured to compute individual coil element currents on the basis of the measured forward and reflected electrical wave amplitudes.

Abstract: A radio frequency volume coil (136; 236) for use in a magnetic resonance examination system (10) includes a radio frequency shield (148; 248), and a pair of radio frequency conductive loop members (138; 238) spaced along a common longitudinal axis (140; 240), a plurality of axially arranged radio frequency conductive members electrically connected to at least one of the radio frequency conductive loop members (138; 238). At least two axially arranged loop coil interconnecting radio frequency conductive members (114; 244) electrically interconnect the radio frequency conductive loop members (138; 238). At least two of the axially arranged shield connecting radio frequency conductive members are axially arranged in an aligned manner at an azimuthal position within a range between azimuthal positions of the at least two loop coil interconnecting members (144; 244), and electrically serve and connect one of the two radio frequency conductive loop members (138; 238) to the radio frequency shield (148; 248).

Abstract: When predicting required component service in an imaging device such as a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging device (12), component parameters such as coil voltage, phase lock lost (PLL) events, etc. are sampled to monitor system components. Voltage samples are filtered according to their temporal proximity to coil plug-in and unplug events to generate a filtered data set that is analyzed by a processor (46) to determine whether to transmit a fault report. A service recommendation is received based on the transmitted report and includes a root cause diagnosis and service recommendation that is output to a user interface (50).

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system (10) comprising at least one magnetic resonance radio frequency antenna device (30) and at least one metal detector unit (38) for detecting metal within the subject of interest (20) including at least one metal detector coil (40), wherein the at least one magnetic resonance radio frequency antenna device (30) and the at least one metal detector coil (40) mechanically or electrically or spatially form an integral unit (34); and a method of operating, with regard to detecting metal-comprising implants (36) and selecting magnetic resonance pulse sequences, such magnetic resonance imaging system (10).

Abstract: The present invention provides a radio frequency (RF) shield device (124) for a magnetic resonance (MR) examination system (110), whereby the RF shield device (124) comprises a first shield (250) and a second shield (252), the first shield (250) and the second shield (252) are arranged with a common center axis (118), the first shield (250) has a shield structure (254) different from a shield structure (254) of the second shield (252), and the first shield (250) and the second shield (252) are designed in accordance with different modes of operation of a RF coil device (140).

Abstract: The invention provides for a magnetic resonance imaging system (100, 200). The magnetic resonance imaging system comprises a magnet assembly (102) for generating a main magnetic field within an imaging zone (108). The magnetic resonance imaging system further comprises a magnetic field gradient coil assembly (110) for generating a spatial gradient magnetic field within the imaging zone. The magnetic field gradient coil assembly comprises at least one structural support (122). Each of the at least one structural support comprises at least one coil element (500). The magnetic resonance imaging system further comprises a gradient coil power supply (112) for supplying current to the magnetic field gradient coil assembly. The gradient coil power supply is a switched mode power supply. The gradient coil power supply comprises a switch unit (126) for each of the at least one coil element. The gradient coil power supply further comprises a current charger (128) for supplying current to each switch unit.

Abstract: The invention concerns to a radio frequency (RF) body coil (2), for use in a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system, comprising: an RF shield (6), an RF coil element (8), distantly arranged from the RF shield (6), and at least one distance setting element (10), arranged and designed in such a way that the relative distance (12) between the RF shield (6) and the RF coil element (8) is adjustable via the distance setting element (10) which may lead to locally deforming the RF coil element (8) and/or the RF shield (6). Thus, a radio frequency coil for use in an Magnetic Resonance Imaging system is provided that can be tuned to desired resonances in a comfortable and economic way.

Abstract: An RF antenna system (100, 1014, 1014?) transmits RF excitation signals into and/or receives MR signals from an MR imaging system's (1000, 1100, 1200) imaging volume (1015). The magnetic resonance imaging antenna includes a coil former (100, 1014, 1014?) adjacent to the imaging volume (1015); and a resonator (400, 500, 600) attached to the coil former and tuned to at least one resonant frequency formed from electrical connections (304), between multiple capacitors (302). The multiple capacitors are distributed in a periodic pattern (300, 700, 800, 900) about and along the coil former.

Abstract: The radio frequency (RF) antenna assembly has sets of antenna conductors that leave an opening between the sets. A radiotherapy beam path may pass through the opening so that the antenna conductors are at most minimally exposed to the radiation. Each set of antenna conductors has a surface conductor loop and a transverse conductor loop. The surface conductor loop is arranged on cylindrical surface and generates an RF field mostly in its axial range. The transverse conductor loop extends radially and generates an RF field in the axial range of the opening. In this way a homogeneous RF field within the RF antenna assembly.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) antenna device (140) applies an RF field to an examination space (116) of a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system (110). The RF antenna device (140) has a tubular body and is segmented in its longitudinal direction (154). Each segment (162, 164) has at least one activation port. The result is that each mode, corresponding to an activation port, may be controlled individually. Accordingly, the inhomogeneity of the subject of interest in the longitudinal direction of the RF antenna device can directly be addressed. There are different ways to build up a z-segmented RF antenna device.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system (10) comprising at least one magnetic resonance radio frequency antenna device (30) and at least one metal detector unit (38) for detecting metal within the subject of interest (20) including at least one metal detector coil (40), wherein the at least one magnetic resonance radio frequency antenna device (30) and the at least one metal detector coil (40) mechanically or electrically or spatially form an integral unit (34); and a method of operating, with regard to detecting metal-comprising implants (36) and selecting magnetic resonance pulse sequences, such magnetic resonance imaging system (10).

Abstract: A multi-channel transmit/receive radio frequency (RF) system for a magnetic resonance examination system with an RF antenna array including multiple antenna elements and an RF power supply to supply electrical RF power to the antenna elements. Directional couplers are circuited between respective antenna elements and the power distributor. A monitoring module is configured to measure forward electrical wave amplitude(s) and reflected electrical wave amplitude(s) at individual directional couplers and an arithmetic module is configured to compute the individual coil element currents on the basis of the measured forward and reflected electrical wave amplitudes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a radio frequency (RF) coil (140) for applying an RF field to an examination space (116) of a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system (110) and/or for receiving MR signals from the examination space (116), whereby the RF coil (140) is provided having a tubular body (142), the RF coil (140) is segmented in a longitudinal direction (154) of the tubular body (142) into two coil segments (146), and the two coil segments (146) are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction (144) of the tubular body (142), whereby a gap (148) is formed between the two coil segments (146). The present invention further provides a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system (110) comprising at least one radio frequency (RF) coil (140) as specified above.

Abstract: The invention provides for a metal detector (100, 300) with at least a first coil (102) for generating a first magnetic field (108) along a first direction (119). The first coil is a split coil with a first (104) and a second (106) portion (104). A coil power supply (110) separately supplying time varying electrical power to the coil portions. At least one electrical sensor (116, 118) measures electrical data (136) descriptive of the electrical power supplied to at least the first coil portion and the second coil portion. The coils are controlled such as to move a field-free region in a predetermined pattern within a measurement zone. If metal is detected, the pattern is modified for refining localisation of the metallic object.

Abstract: The Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system includes a radio-frequency transmitter with multiple transmit channels. The MRI system includes an impedance matching network (320, 1402, 1502, 1602) for matching the radio-frequency transmitter to a remotely adjustable radio-frequency antenna (310, 1504, 1602) with multiple antenna elements (312, 314, 316, 318, 1404). The MRI system includes a processor (336) for controlling the MRI system. The execution of the instructions by the processor causes it to: measure (100, 200) a set of radio-frequency properties (352) of the radio-frequency antenna, calculate (102, 202) a matching network command (354) using the set of radio-frequency properties and a radio frequency model (366), and adjust (104, 204) the impedance matching network by sending the matching network command to the impedance matching network, thereby enabling automatic remote impedance matching.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance method of electric properties tomography imaging of an object includes applying an excitation RF field to the object via a coil at a first spatial coil position (402), acquiring resulting magnetic resonance signals via a receiving channel from the object, determining from the acquired magnetic resonance signals a first phase distribution and a first amplitude of a given magnetic field component of the excitation RF field of the coil at the first coil position (402), repeating these steps with a coil at a second different spatial coil position (404), to obtain a second phase distribution, determining a phase difference between the first and second phase distribution, determining a first and a second complex permittivity of the object, the first complex permittivity comprising the first amplitude of the given magnetic field component and the second complex permittivity comprising the second amplitude of the given magnetic field component and the phase difference, equating the first complex