Apparatus and method for adjustable earpieces in an mri system

A method for imaging a patient in a magnetic-resonance imager (MRI) system, the method comprising:

• providing a first MRI-compatible coil-holding assembly, the coil-holding assembly assembly including a first rod that is connected to a frame by passing through a first lockable ball joint and a coil connected to a proximal end of the first rod by a second joint;
• positioning the first MRI-compatible coil-holding assembly to a selected one of a plurality of possible pitch-and-yaw-angle combinations of the rod relative to the first lockable ball joint and to a selected one of a plurality of insertion depths relative to the first lockable ball joint;
• and
• tightening the first ball joint to yieldably hold the first rod at the selected pitch angle, yaw angle, and insertion depth.

An apparatus for imaging a patient in a magnetic-resonance imager (MRI) system, the apparatus comprising:

• a frame configured to be positioned in a bore of an MRI magnet of the MRI system;
• and
• a first MRI-compatible coil-holding assembly, the first coil-holding assembly including
• an coil-holding positioner configured to be connected to a reference position on the frame;
• a first lockable joint on the positioner;
• and
• an coil connected to a proximal end of the positioner by a second joint on the positioner, wherein the first coil-holding is moveably positioned to a selected pitch angle and a selected yaw angle of a plurality of possible pitch-and-yaw-angle combinations of the coil-holding relative to the reference position on the frame and to a selected one of a plurality of distances relative to the reference position on the frame, and wherein the first lockable joint is configured to be tightened to yieldably hold the first coil-holding at the selected pitch angle, the selected yaw angle, and the selected one of the plurality of distances, relative to the reference position on the frame.