Abstract: The invention relates to a treatment room (7) suitable for recording images of a human or animal body on the basis of a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique, the walls (7a), the ceiling (7b) and the floor (7c) of the treatment room forming an electromagnetic shield for a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system (1) arranged in the treatment room, which MR imaging system comprises at least a target area (5) in which a human or animal body can be placed, a housing (2, 3, 4) comprising at least one main magnetic unit and at least one gradient magnetic unit for generating one or more magnetic fields in the target area (5), and at least one radio-frequency (RF) pulse unit (6) for generating an electromagnetic RF pulse in the target area (5).

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system including a gradient coil system. The gradient coil system comprises an inner coil configuration (1,2,3) and an outer coil configuration (4,5,6) positioned substantially coaxially with said inner coil configuration (1,2,3). Both coil configurations are attached to a tubular body (7) located between said two coil configurations (1,2,3;4,5,6) and extending substantially coaxially with both said coil configurations. The tubular body (7) comprises stainless steel rods (10) positioned substantially in axial direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a gradient coil system for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems and to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system comprising such a gradient coil system. Magnetic resonance imaging systems comprise at least a main magnet system, a gradient coil system, a RF system and a signal processing system.

Abstract: The invention relates to an MRI system (1) for nuclear magnetic resonance imaging which comprises a plurality of transmit coils (11, 12). Each coil receives a coil drive signal (SD1, SD2). The respective coil drive signals have the same shape, but may have a different amplitude and phase, controlled by a controller (103) on the basis of characteristic information in a memory (104) as well as user input information. The controller is designed to set the respective amplitudes and phases in such a way that the resultant overall B1 field is as homogeneous as possible in a volume of interest.

Abstract: A novel magnetic resonance imaging method is described, which is provided for planning a small Field-of-View for a surface coil (3, 5) at the region of interest of a patient lying on a support movable through the bore of a main magnet. A magnetic resonance signal is generated in an examination zone by means of an RF pulse (7). This magnetic resonance signal is subsequently detected by means of the surface coil and under the influence of magnetic field gradients. A non-selective RF-pulse (7) and a first gradient pulse (8) having a linearly independent spatial direction are generated in temporal succession, so that the position of the surface coil (3, 5) in said spatial direction with respect to the isocenter of the main magnet can be determined by the center of gravity of the Fourier transformed response signals detected by the surface coil.

Abstract: The invention relates to an MRI system (1) comprising an examination volume (11), a main magnet system (13) for generating a main magnetic (field (B0) in the examination volume, a gradient magnet system (19) for generating gradients of the main magnetic field, and an anti-vibration system (39) for reducing vibrations of the gradient magnet system. According to the invention the anti-vibration system comprises a gyroscope (41) which is mounted to the gradient magnet system. As a result of the gyroscopic effect of the gyroscope, the vibrations of the gradient magnet system are effectively reduced. In an open type MRI system (1) according to the invention, a separate gyroscope (41, 43) is mounted to each of the two portions (21, 23) of the gradient magnet system (19), and each gyroscope has an axis of rotation (61) parallel to the main direction (Z) of the main magnetic field (B0).

Abstract: The invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system comprising an examination volume (9), a main magnet system (17) for generating a main magnetic field (Bo) in the examination volume, a gradient magnet system (25) for generating gradients of the main magnetic field, and a control system (37) for compensating disturbances of the magnetic field caused by mechanical vibrations of the MRI system. According to the invention, the control system is a feed-forward control system which determines a necessary compensation for said disturbances in dependence on an electric current in the gradient magnet system according to a predetermined response relation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system (1) comprising an examination volume (11), a main magnet system (17) for generating a magnetic field (B0) in the examination volume, and a gradient magnet system (25) for generating altering gradients of the magnetic field in the examination volume. The gradient magnet system is accommodated in a housing (31) having a main wall (33) facing the examination volume and a substantially conical wall (35) facing away from the examination volume. The main wall and the conical wall enclose a substantially angular tip portion (47) of the housing. In order to limit the level of the acoustic vibrations in and around the MRI system (1) caused by mechanical vibrations of the angular tip portion (47), the MRI system comprises a plurality of acoustic resonators (55) which each comprise an elongate resonance volume (57) with an open end (59) and a closed end (61) and a length (L) between the open end and the closed end.