Abstract: An MR loop coil design incorporates a balun into the loop coil. With this approach, some components of the coil may be simultaneously part of the imaging coil and the balun. Further, with this approach the number of components used to build an MR coil may be reduced, which may result in a reduction in cost, weight and size. This MR loop coil design may also be used to build phased array coils from the smaller loop size. Such an approach may use small feeder circuit boards oriented generally perpendicular to the coil elements to reduce interactions between the feeder boards and the coils. Such feeder boards may also be made smaller than conventional feeder circuits because the integrated balun coil design may reduce the number of components needed to create balanced coils in the array.

Abstract: An MR loop coil design incorporates a balun into the loop coil. With this approach, some components of the coil may be simultaneously part of the imaging coil and the balun. Further, with this approach the number of components used to build an MR coil may be reduced, which may result in a reduction in cost, weight and size. This MR loop coil design may also be used to build phased array coils from the smaller loop size. Such an approach may use small feeder circuit boards oriented generally perpendicular to the coil elements to reduce interactions between the feeder boards and the coils. Such feeder boards may also be made smaller than conventional feeder circuits because the integrated balun coil design may reduce the number of components needed to create balanced coils in the array.

Abstract: An RF coil assembly for use in a multiple receive-channel MRI system is provided. The RF coil assembly is configured as a multi-turn-element RF coil assembly 200 to operate as a surface-coil array in cooperation with the MRI system 100 which is configured to operate in a multiple-channel receive mode.

Abstract: One or more flexible magnetic Resonance (MR) receive coils are constructed of a flexible material and connected to a flexible base to produce a module. Each module has the coils overlapping by a predetermined amount to minimize coupling between the coils. The modules may be connected by attachment means placed at predefined locations to cause overlap of adjacent coils such that the coupling is minimized. Balanced-unbalanced ("baluns") may be used to couple each receive coil to its lead cable connecting it to the MR imaging electronics. The baluns effectively isolate the coils from the cables and each other to optimize signal-to-noise ratio of the received signal.