Abstract: Disclosed herein is an RF probe for use with a medical imaging apparatus, the probe comprising an intracorporeal self-tuned resonator coil for receiving a signal indicative of an image of an interior portion of a body. The resonator coil is preferably coupled to a transmission medium having a characteristic impedance such that the resonator coil is substantially self-matching with the transmission medium's characteristic impedance. Preferably the resonator coil comprises an open wound conductor having a plurality of turns. The length of the resonator coil can be used to tune the resonator coil to a desired frequency, such as the Larmour frequency. Further, a return lead of the transmission medium is preferably coupled to an end of the conductor, and a signal lead of the transmission medium is preferably coupled to a point on the winding, thereby defining a turns ratio for the resonator coil.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an RF probe for use with a medical imaging apparatus, the probe comprising an intracorporeal self-tuned resonator coil for receiving a signal indicative of an image of an interior portion of a body. The resonator coil is preferably coupled to a transmission medium having a characteristic impedance such that the resonator coil is substantially self-matching with the transmission medium's characteristic impedance. Preferably the resonator coil comprises an open wound conductor having a plurality of turns. The length of the resonator coil can be used to tune the resonator coil to a desired frequency, such as the Larmour frequency. Further, a return lead of the transmission medium is preferably coupled to an end of the conductor, and a signal lead of the transmission medium is preferably coupled to a point on the winding, thereby defining a turns ratio for the resonator coil.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an RF probe for use with a medical imaging apparatus, the probe comprising an intracorporeal self-tuned resonator coil for receiving a signal indicative of an image of an interior portion of a body. The resonator coil is preferably self-tuned to a desired frequency according to one of its geometric parameters. According to one embodiment, the resonator coil comprises a base coil having a plurality of turns and an antenna in circuit with the base coil and extending axially outward therefrom, the antenna having a length such that the resonator coil is self-tuned to a desired frequency. The antenna is preferably a monopole. The resonator coil is also preferably self-matching with respect to a transmission medium coupled thereto. Because the preferred resonator coil of the present invention is self-tuning and self-matching, it avoids the use of bulky and relatively expensive tuning and matching circuits.