Abstract: A radio frequency receive coil for receiving a magnetic resonance signal includes a radio frequency antenna. The radio frequency antenna includes one or more electrical conductors (72, 74, 76, 78, 172, 173, 176, 180, 252, 254), at least one of which is a substantially hollow conductor (72, 78, 172, 252, 254). At least one electrical component (100, 110, 110?, 110?, 140, 160, 200) is mounted to be shielded from interfering with the MR signal by disposing it inside the substantially hollow conductor. The at least one electrical component can be, for example, a battery (100, 160, 200), a storage capacitor (140), or coil electronics (110, 110?,110?).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging system (1) comprising a plurality of RF coils (4) forming a multi-coil array and furthermore to a magnetic resonance imaging method for such a system. In order to provide an MR imaging system and method in which a desired excitation pattern is achieved in a simple way, it is suggested to utilize an analytical procedure how to combine the single coil elements to obtain the most homogeneous B1 excitation possible with a given coil array. In other words, the homogeneity of the B1 field is improved in a very simple way. The sensitivity of each RF coil (4) of the coil array is scaled or weighted by a complex factor, i.e. phase and amplitude of each coil drive signal is adjusted accordingly. These complex factors are determined analytically utilizing the sensitivities S(8) of the coil elements (4) and the desired excitation pattern P (IO, 11). The invention allows an optimized control of the field distribution (RF shimming) for arbitrary RF coil arrays.

Abstract: A radio frequency coil system (38) for magnetic resonance imaging includes a plurality of parallel spaced apart rungs (60) which each includes rung capacitors (68). An end cap (64) is disposed at a closed end (66) of the coil system (38). An RF shield (62) is connected to the end cap (64) and surrounds the rungs (60), extending in a direction substantially parallel to rungs (60). The RF coil system (38) may be used as birdcage, TEM, hybrid, combination birdcage and TEM, or other.

Abstract: A radio frequency receive coil for receiving a magnetic resonance signal includes a radio frequency antenna. The radio frequency antenna includes one or more electrical conductors (72, 74, 76, 78, 172, 173, 176, 180, 252, 254), at least one of which is a substantially hollow conductor (72, 78, 172, 252, 254). At least one electrical component (100, 110, 110?, 110?, 140, 160, 200) is mounted to be shielded from interfering with the MR signal by disposing it inside the substantially hollow conductor. The at least one electrical component can be, for example, a battery (100, 160, 200), a storage capacitor (140), or coil electronics (110, 110?,110?).

Abstract: Methods and circuit arrangements for operating multi-channel transmit/receive antenna devices or arrangements especially for use in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems are disclosed, by which a fully independent control of complete multi-channel RF transmit and receive chains can be conducted in a flexible way and new options like RF shimming, transmit sensitivity encoding (TransmitSENSE), RF encoding, determination of S- or Z-matrix prior to spin echo measurements, calibration, SAR (specific absorption rate) reduction etc. can be utilized or improved.

Abstract: A radio frequency coil system (38) for magnetic resonance imaging includes a plurality of parallel spaced apart rungs (60) which each includes rung capacitors (68). An end cap (64) is disposed at a closed end (66) of the coil system (38). An RF shield (62) is connected to the end cap (64) and surrounds the rungs (60), extending in a direction substantially parallel to rungs (60). The RF coil system (38) may be used as birdcage, TEM, hybrid, combination birdcage and TEM, or other.

Abstract: A device for the transmission and/or reception of RF signals for magnetic resonance imaging (RF coil system) is constructed as an RF coil (body coil) which is permanently mounted in a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus or as a so-called dedicated RF coil (that is, as a separate RF coil which is to be arranged on or around a region to be examined, for example, a head coil, a shoulder coil, a flexible surface coil etc.). A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes an RF coil system of this kind. The RF coil system includes a plurality of resonant conductor elements (201, 202, . . . , 208; 211, 212, . . . , 218), notably ?/4 monopole elements. In comparison with known RF coil systems of the same length, a substantially larger field of view as well as a constant variation and a steeper drop of the field characteristic are thus achieved at the edges of the RF coil system while the construction remains comparatively simple and economical nevertheless.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the transmission and/or reception of RF signals for magnetic resonance imaging (RF coil system) which is constructed as an RF coil (body coil) which is permanently mounted in a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus or as a so-called dedicated RF coil (that is, as a separate RF coil which is to be arranged on or around a region to be examined, for example, a head coil, a shoulder coil, a flexible surface coil etc.), as well as to a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus which comprises an RF coil system of this kind. The RF coil system is characterized in that it consists of a plurality of resonant conductor elements (201, 202, . . . , 208; 211, 212, . . . , 218), notably ¼ monopole elements.

Abstract: The invention relates to an MR apparatus that is provided with an open magnet system and a quadrature coil system that includes a resonator that is tuned by tuning capacitors on at least one of the two sides of the steady magnetic field, said resonator including two large-area electrical conductors that are situated at a distance from one another and are connected to one another in a number of connection points that are distributed along the circumference, and are also provided with at least two terminals that are distributed along the circumference in order to receive or generate RF magnetic fields that are mutually offset in phase. The invention also relates to a corresponding quadrature coil system.

Abstract: The invention relates to an MR apparatus that is provided with an open magnet system and a quadrature coil system that includes a resonator that is tuned by tuning capacitors on at least one of the two sides of the steady magnetic field, said resonator including two large-area electrical conductors that are situated at a distance from one another and are connected to one another in a number of connection points that are distributed along the circumference, and are also provided with at least two terminals that are distributed along the circumference in order to receive or generate RF magnetic fields that are mutually offset in phase. The invention also relates to a corresponding quadrature coil system.