Abstract: A coil support unit for use in a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus provided with a top board for placing thereon a subject, and a radio frequency coil provided on an upper surface of the top board, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus imaging the subject utilizing the radio frequency coil, the coil support unit includes a port configured to electrically connect the radio frequency coil to a signal cable, the signal cable transmitting at least one of a transmission signal supplied to the radio frequency coil, and a magnetic resonance signal detected by the radio frequency coil, and a support member provided on the upper surface of the top board and including a guide groove formed therein, the guide groove permitting the port to slide therein.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus has at least one RF coil and a data processing control unit. The RF coil that generates unique information, receives a nuclear magnetic resonance signal, and wirelessly transmits the received nuclear magnetic resonance signal and the unique information. The data processing control unit receives the wirelessly transmitted nuclear magnetic resonance signal and the unique information, and generates image data based on the nuclear magnetic resonance signal in accordance with the unique information.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance apparatus in which magnetic metal pieces are accommodated in an accommodation section so as to correct uniformity in a main magnetic field, includes an acquisition unit which acquires temperature information related to at least one of a temperature of the magnetic metal pieces accommodated in the accommodation section, a temperature of the accommodation section, and a temperature of a position in the vicinity of the accommodation section, and a temperature adjustment unit which adjusts the temperature of the magnetic metal pieces to a target temperature by preheating the magnetic metal pieces on the basis of the temperature information acquired by the acquisition unit.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a top plate on which an patient to be imaged is disposed, a plurality of positioning units that determines setting positions of RF coils detachable from the top plate in a plurality of different positions, and a detecting unit that detects the setting positions of the RF coils based on one of the positioning units that is used in order to determine the setting positions of the RF coils.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a top plate on which an patient to be imaged is disposed, a plurality of positioning units that determines setting positions of RF coils detachable from the top plate in a plurality of different positions, and a detecting unit that detects the setting positions of the RF coils based on one of the positioning units that is used in order to determine the setting positions of the RF coils.

Abstract: A coil support unit for use in a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus provided with a top board for placing thereon a subject, and a radio frequency coil provided on an upper surface of the top board, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus imaging the subject utilizing the radio frequency coil, the coil support unit includes a port configured to electrically connect the radio frequency coil to a signal cable, the signal cable transmitting at least one of a transmission signal supplied to the radio frequency coil, and a magnetic resonance signal detected by the radio frequency coil, and a support member provided on the upper surface of the top board and including a guide groove formed therein, the guide groove permitting the port to slide therein.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus generates an MR signal from an object to be examined by applying a gradient field pulse generated by a gradient field coil and a high-frequency magnetic field pulse generated by a high-frequency coil onto the object in a static field generated by a static field magnet, and reconstructs an image on the basis of the MR signal. The gradient field coil is housed in a sealed vessel. A cable extending from an external power supply and connected to the gradient field coil has predetermined flexibility.

Abstract: An RF coil system for MRI comprises a coil unit for producing an exciting RF magnetic field or receiving an MR signal. A distributed constant line is connected to the coil unit and is formed into a length less than n.multidot.(.lambda./4) (n is a positive integer of one or more), where .lambda. is an wavelength of the RF signal or MR signal. A lumped constant circuit is connected in series to the distributed constant line and virtually forming the length of n.multidot.(.lambda./4) in cooperation operatively with the distributed constant line.

Abstract: An RF coil system, used for a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and adapted to perform at least one of application of an excitation high-frequency magnetic field and detection of magnetic resonance signals, comprises a plurality of coil elements arranged at regularly spaced intervals without overlap therebetween, an RF circuit for putting at least one of the coil elements into an operative state or an inoperative state, a neutralizing circuit for neutralizing inductive coupling between the coil elements, a tuning circuit for tuning at least one of the coil elements to a given frequency, an adder circuit for adding an output signal of the tuning circuit and conductors for electrically connecting the coil elements, the RF circuit, the neutralizing circuit and the adder circuit.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system includes a static magnetic field generating section, a gradient magnetic field applying section, an RF pulse applying section, a sequence control section, a receiving section, and an imaging processing section. The sequence control section causes an RF pulse to excite magnetic resonance, causes at least one of the RF pulse and the gradient field to produce an initial magnetic resonance echo, applies a read gradient field to the imaging volume upon reception of the magnetic resonance echo, and inverts the read gradient field at least once to produce at least one magnetic resonance echo in addition to the initial magnetic resonance echo. The receiving section adds and averages data of a plurality of such magnetic resonance echoes or performs an addition or subtraction of the magnetic resonance echoes.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system which includes a main shield member arranged in the cylindrical housing; and a sub shield member which is electrically connected to the main shield member and is arranged outside the housing to cover a region where the object under examination is placed. Thus, a magnetic resonance signal can be prevented from being electromagnetically mixed with the disturbance electromagnetic wave, and an MRI image can be accurately formed. The sub shield member covers only a desired region of a patient. For this reason, the patient can satisfactorily receive external light, the feeling of oppression can be greatly eliminated, and the shield member can be rendered compact. The sub shield member includes a lid shield member which is detachably attached to the main shield member, and a cover shield member which covers a portion extending from the main shield member.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system includes a static magnetic field generating section, a gradient magnetic field applying section, an RF pulse applying section, a sequence control section, a receiving section, and an imaging processing section. The sequence control section controls a sequence so as to generate a 180.degree. pulse at a timing at which a peak of the 180.degree. pulse appears at t=TE'/2, assuming that TE'=TE-n.tau.c (where TE is the echo time for a proton, .tau.c is the period in which phases of spins of water and fat match with each other and which is obtained on the basis of a chemical shift amount of protons of water and fat, and n is an integer of 1 or more), and a peak of a 90.degree. pulse appears at t=0, generate a read gradient magnetic field Gr whose strength condition is set to cause an echo peak to appear at t=TE=TE'+n.tau.c, and generate a slicing gradient magnetic field Gs whose strength condition is set to obtain a predetermined view angle .theta.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system includes a static magnetic field generating section, a gradient magnetic field applying section, an RF pulse applying section, a sequence control section, a receiving section, and an imaging processing section. The sequence control section controls a sequence so as to generate a 180.degree. pulse at a timing at which a peak of the 180.degree. pulse appears at t=TE'/2, assuming that TE'=TE-n.tau.c (where TE is the echo time for a proton, .tau.c is the period in which phases of spins of water and fat match with each other and which is obtained on the basis of a chemical shift amount of protons of water and fat, and n is an integer of 1 or more), and a peak of a 90.degree. pulse appears at t-0, generate a read gradient magnetic field Gr whose strength condition is set to cause an echo peak to appear at t=TE=TE'+n.tau.c, and generate a second 180.degree. pulse at T.pi.2 for an echo time TE2' for a second MR echo signalT.pi.2=(TE2'-TE1)/2.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system includes a static field generating section, a gradient field applying section, high-frequency pulse applying section, a sequence control section, a receiving section and an imaging processing section. The sequence control section generates a 180.degree. pulse at a timing at which a center of the 180.degree. pulse appears at time t=TE'/2 when a center of a 90.degree. pulse appears at time t=0 under the condition TE'=TE-N.tau.c (where TE is an echo time with respect to a proton, .tau.c is a period in which phases of spins of the proton and fat match with each other and which is obtained on the basis of a chemical shift of protons of water and the fat, and n is an integer not less than 1), and generates a read gradient field Gr such that its intensity is set to allow an echo peak to appear at time t=TE=TE'+n.tau.c.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system includes a field generation section, an excitation section, an excitation control section, a resonance data acquisition section, and an image generation section. The field generation section generates a static magnetic field, a gradient magnetic field, and a selective excitation pulse. The excitation section controls the field generation section to apply the static field, the gradient field, and the pulse to an object, at a predetermined timing, to selectively excite a magnetic resonance phenomenon in a specific slice of the object. The excitation control section controls the excitation section to excite a plurality of slices. The excitation control section causes the excitation section to excite a certain slice of the object, and causes the excitation section to excite another slice, separated from the previous slice at least by a thickness of the slice determined by the selective excitation pulse, within an excitation-repeating time.

Abstract: In a method of setting the intensity of a high-frequency magnetic field, in order to adjust and set a field intensity of the high-frequency magnetic field in a magnetic resonance imaging system, an amplitude of an excitation high-frequency magnetic field pulse is sequentially changed; magnetic resonance excitation and reading of a magnetic resonance signal are repeatedly performed; and the amplitude of the high-frequency magnetic field pulse, which corresponds to a maximum or minimum value of the magnetic resonance signal of the signals obtained by a plurality of excitation cycles, is used as a reference to set the intensity of the high-frequency magnetic field. An opposite phase high-frequency magnetic field pulse, having the same amplitude as that of the excitation high-frequency magnetic field pulse, and having a carrier wave which is 180.degree.