Subject-loaded helical-antenna radio-frequency coil for magnetic resonance imaging

A method of MRI scanning, the method comprising:

• driving a magnet coil to create a primary magnetic field within a bore of an MRI scanning system along a longitudinal axis of the bore;
• driving a helical-antenna radio-frequency (RF) coil oriented along the bore with an RF signal to generate a circularly polarized (CP) RF magnetic field perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;
• detecting a response signal generated by tissues of a subject at least partially positioned in a volume defined by the helical-antenna RF coil in response to the CP RF magnetic field;
• and
• creating an image of the tissues of the subject based on the detected response signal.

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning system comprising:

• a structure defining a bore within which a subject is to be positioned for scanning, the bore defining a longitudinal axis;
• a magnet to generate a primary magnetic field within the bore parallel to the longitudinal axis;
• a helical-antenna radio-frequency (RF) coil oriented along the longitudinal axis to surround the subject when the subject is positioned within the bore for scanning, the helical-antenna RF coil comprising a plurality of interleaved helices;
• a conductive plate coupled to a first end of the helical-antenna RF coil;
• an RF signal generator to drive each of the plurality of helices at the first end to generate a circularly-polarized (CP) RF magnetic field perpendicular to the longitudinal axis within the bore;
• an RF detector to detect a response signal generated by tissues of the subject in response to the CP RF magnetic field;
• and
• a computing system to create an image of the tissues of the subject based on the detected response signal.