Rf receive coil assembly with individual digitizers and means for synchronization thereof

Method for MR imaging of at least a portion of a body placed in an examination zone of an MR device, the method comprising the following steps:

• exciting nuclear magnetization within the body by means of an MR imaging sequence comprising RF pulses and switched magnetic field gradients;
• acquiring MR signals from the body by means of a plurality of receiving units placed in or near the examination zone, which receiving units each comprise a receiving antenna and a digitizing means;
• sampling the received MR signals and transforming the signal samples into digital signals, wherein synchronization means are used for synchronizing the sampling of the MR signals;
• transmitting the digital signals to a central processing unit;
• and
• reconstructing an MR image from the digital signal samples.

Computer program for an MR device, with instructions for:

• generating an MR imaging sequence comprising RF pulses and switched magnetic field gradients by means of the MR device;
• synchronizing the sampling of MR signals by individual digitizing means of a plurality of receiving units of the MR device;
• processing sampled and digitized MR signals transmitted from the individual receiving units;
• reconstructing an MR image from the digital signal samples.