Method and device for checking body coil of magnetic resonance imaging system

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, comprising:

• a body coil that transmits and receives radio-frequency (RF) signals into and from an MRI measurement volume of the MRI system;
• a patient table that is movable into and out of said MRI measurement volume;
• a computer configured to operate said MRI system with said body coil under predetermined conditions that comprise tuning said body coil so as to put said body coil in a tuned state with said patient table outside of said MRI measurement volume, and with said MRI system in a predetermined frequency range between +400 kHz and −400 kHz;
• said computer being configured to receive, while said MRI system is operated under said predetermined conditions, acquiring a current value of a parameter, which represents operation of said body coil under said predetermined conditions, as a reflection coefficient and a coupling coefficient between at least two body coils of said MRI systems;
• said computer being configured to compare said current value of said parameter to a reference value of said parameter, said reference value being selected from the group consisting of a value of said parameter exhibited by said body coil at a time of installation of said MRI system, and a value of said parameter that is set after said time of installation, in order to obtain a comparison result;
• and
• said computer being configured to determine a state of said body coil dependent on a relationship of said comparison result to a threshold value, and to emit an electronic signal from the computer that represents the determined state of the body coil.