Abstract: In accordance with certain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, provided herein are apparatus, systems and methods for, e.g., facilitating signal excitation and/or reception in a magnetic resonance system, such as, e.g., a system configured for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or spectroscopy. For example, exemplary embodiments of a method for traveling wave imaging in an MRI system can include, e.g., a circular conductive structure lying in a transverse plane within the scanner bore. The exemplary structure can be concentric with the center of the scanner RF shield. The structure can be arranged to have a resonant mode at the MR frequency characterized by a current pattern which can be configured to excite and receive an exemplary waveguide mode. The exemplary current pattern can be further configured to facilitate traveling wave imaging, for example.

Abstract: In accordance with certain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, provided herein are apparatus, systems and methods for, e.g., faciliatating signal excitation and/or reception in a magnetic resonance system, such as, e.g., a system configured for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or spectroscopy. For example, exemplary embodiments of a method for traveling wave imaging in an MRI system can include, e.g., a circular conductive structure lying in a transverse plane within the scanner bore. The exemplary structure can be concentric with the center of the scanner RF shield. The structure can be arranged to have a resonant mode at the MR frequency characterized by a current pattern which can be configured to excite and receive an exemplary waveguide mode. The exemplary current pattern can be further configured to facilitate traveling wave imaging, for example.

Abstract: An MRI rf coil array is comprised of a large number of separate coil elements that are supported on a substrate that is shaped to the contour of the anatomy being imaged. The coil elements overlap each other to reduce mutual inductance and their location is determined by tiling the surface of the substrate with regular, substantially same sized polygons. The center of each coil element is aligned with the center of a polygon. By using a mixture of different polygons, such as hexagons and pentagons, an arrangement of coil elements may be formed that cover a surface with non-zero Gaussian curvature where each coil is overlapped with its neighbors such that their mutual inductance is nulled.