Mri system with wireless identification capability

A method of magnetic resonance comprising:

• generating a main magnetic field through an imaging region;
• overlaying gradient magnetic fields onto the main magnetic field;
• exciting magnetic resonance in selected dipoles of at least a portion of a subject located in the imaging region;
• receiving and demodulating the magnetic resonance;
• and
• interrogating at least one radio frequency transponder to indicate a location of a physical object with which it is associated.

A magnetic resonance apparatus comprising:

• a main magnetic field generating assembly for generating a main magnetic field in an imaging region;
• a gradient field assembly for imposing spatially variant gradient fields onto the main magnetic field;
• a radio frequency transmit/receive assembly for exciting magnetic resonance in selected dipoles within the imaging region;
• at least one local radio frequency receive coil located within a bore of the magnetic resonance apparatus, the coil having an electrical connection to the magnetic resonance apparatus;
• a radio frequency identification transponder attached to the receive coil that carries at least the identity of the receive coil in an on-board memory;
• a connection interrogator that determines identities of coils electrically connected to the apparatus;
• a transponder reader/writer that determines identities of coils physically present inside the bore;
• a comparitor that detects discrepancies between the identities of the coils electrically connected to the apparatus and those physically present inside the bore.