Magnetic resonance imaging system

A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising:

• static field applying means for applying a static field to an object to be examined;
• gradient field applying means for applying a static field pulses to the object;
• a homogeneous coil for transmitting/receiving an RF magnetic field, said homogeneous coil being arranged to correspond to a desired imaging region of the object and having RF magnetic field distribution characteristics within a predetermined region;
• transmitting means for applying an RF magnetic field to the object through said homogeneous coil;
• a plurality of surface coils arranged inside said homogeneous coil;
• signal detecting means for detecting magnetic resonance signals generated in the object through said homogeneous coil and said plurality of surface coils;
• image processing means for performing image processing includes image reconstruction of the magnetic resonance signals detected by said signal detecting means and respectively corresponding to said homogeneous coil and said plurality of surface coils, and generating image data for a plurality of channels respectively corresponding to said homogeneous coil and said plurality of surface coils;
• weighting function detecting means for obtaining a weighting function as a pixel position function for at least each of said plurality of surface coils by using the image data of the plurality of channels corresponding to said homogeneous coil and said plurality of surface coils;
• and
• synthesizing means for obtaining an image of the desired region using the weighting functions by performing weighting/adding operations of pixel data corresponding to the image data of the plurality of channels which correspond to at least said surface coils.

A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising:

• magnetic field applying means for applying a static field, gradient field pulses, and an RF magnetic field to an object to be examined so as to cause magnetic resonance in an imaging region of the object;
• signal detecting means, including a plurality of surface coils which are arranged such that linked magnetic field of the RF magnetic fields generated by at least adjacent coils of said surface coils amount to zero in intensity, and decoupling is performed between at least said adjacent coils, for detecting magnetic resonance signals from the object through sad surface coils, each of said surface coils being constituted by a differential coil having a pair of identical coils which are arranged to be substantially coaxial and are connected to cause currents to flow in opposite directions;
• inverse Fourier transforming means for inverse Fourier transforming a plurality of weighting functions which are defined by each of said plurality of surface coils as a plurality of spatial position function;
• convolution integration means for performing convolution integration of the magnetic resonance signals respectively detected by said plurality of signal detecting means and results of said inverse Fourier transforming means;
• synthesizing means for additively synthesizing convolution integration results obtained by said convolution integration means;
• and
• imaging means for obtaining an image of the imaging region by performing Fourier transform of data obtained by said synthesizing means.

A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising:

• magnetic field applying means for applying a static field, gradient field pulses, and an RF magnetic field to an object to be examined so as to cause magnetic resonance in an imaging region of the object;
• a plurality of signal detecting means, including a plurality of surface coils, for detecting magnetic resonance signals from the object through said surface coils;
• a figure-8-shaped coil which is arranged to overlap at least adjacent coils of said plurality of surface coils, for decoupling said adjacent coils so as to cancel a coupled magnetic flux;
• inverse Fourier transforming means for inverse Fourier transforming a plurality of weighting functions which are defined for each of said plurality of surface coils as a plurality of spatial position functions;
• convolution integration means for performing convolution integration of the magnetic resonance signals respectively detected by said plurality of signal detecting means and results of said inverse Fourier transforming means;
• synthesizing means for additively synthesizing convolution integration results obtained by said convolution integration means;
• and
• imaging means for obtaining an image of the imaging region by performing Fourier transform of data obtained by said synthesizing means.

A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising:

• magnetic field applying means for applying a static field, gradient field pulses, and an RF magnetic field to an object to be examined so as to cause magnetic resonance in an imaging region of the object;
• a plurality of signal detecting means, including a plurality of surface coils, for detecting magnetic resonance signals from the object through said surface coils;
• a loop-like coil which is arranged to overlap at least adjacent coils of said plurality of surface coils, for decoupling said adjacent coils so as to cancel a magnetic flux coupled;
• inverse Fourier transforming means for inverse Fourier transforming a plurality of weighting functions which are defined for each of said plurality of surface coils as a plurality of spatial position functions;
• convolution integration means for performing convolution integration of the magnetic resonance signals respectively detected by said plurality of signal detecting means and results of said inverse Fourier transforming means;
• synthesizing means for additively synthesizing convolution integration results obtained by said convolution integration means and corresponding to said plurality of signal detecting means;
• and
• imaging means for obtaining an image of the imaging region by performing Fourier transform of data obtained by said synthesizing means.