Radio frequency receiver array coil for magnetic resonance imaging system, method of use of the coil, and MRI system comprising the coil

A method, comprising:

• producing a magnetic field;
• during a radio frequency (RF) transmit cycle applying an RF transmit signal to at least a portion of a patient which is being imaged, and perturbing an alignment of the magnetic field;
• sensing with an RF receive antenna device having at least one RF receive coil a magnetic resonance signal emitted from an area of interest of the patient during an RF receive cycle in response to the RF transmit signal;
• coupling to an input of a detector a first signal which is proportional to a current flowing through the at least one RF receive coil during at least the RF transmit cycle;
• outputting from the detector to a processor a digital signal, wherein the digital signal indicates a magnitude and/or phase of the current flowing through the at least one RF receive coil during at least the RF transmit cycle;
• discontinuing the RF transmit signal when the digital signal indicates that the magnitude and/or phase of the current flowing through the at least one RF receive coil during the RF transmit cycle is greater than a threshold;
• coupling to the input of the detector a second signal which is proportional to a current flowing through the at least one RF receive coil during the RF receive cycle, wherein the digital signal indicates the magnitude and/or phase of the current flowing through the at least one RF receive coil during the RF receive cycle and during the RF transmit cycle;
• and
• generating a magnetic resonance image of the area of interest based at least in part on the digital signal during the RF receive cycle.

A device configured to receive during a radio frequency (RF) receive cycle a magnetic resonance signal from an area of interest of a patient which is generated in response to a RF transmit signal during an RF transmit cycle of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, the device comprising:

• at least one RF receive coil element;
• a detector configured to communicate with a main controller of the MRI system;
• and
• a first coupling device adapted to couple to an input of the detector a first signal that is proportional to a current flowing through the at least one RF receive coil element during at least the RF transmit cycle, wherein:
• the detector has an output for providing a signal;
• the signal indicates a magnitude and/or phase of the current flowing through the at least one RF receive coil element during at least the RF transmit cycle;
• a second signal is coupled to the input of the detector, the second signal being proportional to a current flowing through the at least one RF receive coil element during the RF receive cycle;
• a digital signal output by the detector indicates the magnitude and/or phase of the current flowing through the at least one RF receive coil during the RF receive cycle and during the RF transmit cycle;
• and a magnetic resonance image of the area of interest is generated by the main controller based at least in part on the digital signal during the RF receive cycle.