Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system includes a local coil assembly (30) which is disposed in an examination region (14) electrically isolated from the scanner. The coil assembly includes a plurality of coils (34) each with an electronics module. The received resonance signals that are digitized by an analog to digital converter (92) clocked by timing signals received optically from a scan controller (58). The digital resonance signals are converted (74) into optical signals. The optical signals from each of the plurality of coil modules (36) are communicated to a corresponding optical receiver/transmitter (1001, . . . , 100N) located on the scanner which converts the optical signals to electrical signals for transmission to a reconstruction processor (50) and the electrical signals from the scan controller (58) to optical control and timing signals for transmission to the corresponding coil module.

Abstract: A radio frequency receiving coil (50) is disposed in an examination region (10) of a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus. The radio frequency coil assembly includes a first loop coil (70) and a second loop coil (72) disposed parallel and coaxially to each other. The loop coils are disposed parallel to a main magnetic field (Bo) of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus with the common axis perpendicular to the main magnetic field. The first and second loop coils are interconnected with a decoupling assembly (74). The inductive decoupling assembly includes a pair of loop coils (80, 82) which are inductively coupled to each other with an inductive coupling which is equal and opposite to the inherent inductive coupling between the first and second loop coils. The decoupling coils are interconnected with the first and second loop coils such that the net inductive coupling is nulled. In a quadrature embodiment, a second pair of loop coils (90, 92) is disposed perpendicular to the first pair of loop coils.