Local coil for magnetic resonance angiography

An MRI coil for angiographic imaging of the lower trunk and legs compromising:

• a base sized to fit against a table of an MRI machine and extending along a longitudinal axis;
• an upstanding divider extending vertically from the base and horizontally along the longitudinal axis, the divider being sized so as to fit between and align the legs of a supine patient lying on the base;
• an NMR receiving antenna having a region of sensitivity encompassing both legs of the patient when the patient is supine on the base with the patient's legs straddling the upstanding divider;
• a cover unit attached to the top of the upstanding divider to oppose the base and wherein the NMR antenna is supported by the base, the upstanding divider, and cover unit;
• and
• wherein the upstanding divider detaches from one of the base and cover and wherein the NMR antenna includes electrical connectors to permit separation of the portions of the NMR antenna supported by the cover from the portions supported by the base to permit separation of the base and cover for ingress and egress by the patient.

An MRI coil for angiographic imaging of the lower trunk and legs comprising:

• a base sized to fit against a table of an MRI machine and extending along a longitudinal axis;
• an upstanding divider extending vertically from the base and horizontally along the longitudinal axis, the divider being sized so as to fit between and align the legs of a supine patient lying on the base;
• an NMR receiving antenna supported by the base and divider to have a region of sensitivity encompassing both legs of a patient when a patient is supine on the base with the patients legs straddling the upstanding divider;
• and
• first and second upstanding flanking rails attached to transverse edges of the central portion of the base wherein the NMR antenna is supported by the base, the upstanding divider and the first and second upstanding flanking rails.

An MRI quadrature coil comprising:

• a first loop conductor having consecutive, first, second, third and fourth sides the first loop conductor having a first gap at the first side, the ends of the loop at the gap forming a first and second terminal;
• a second loop conductor opposed to the first loop conductor about an imaging volume also having consecutive first, second, third and fourth sides, the second loop conductor having a second gap at the first side, the ends of the second gap forming a third and a fourth terminal;
• a first conductor joining the first terminal to the third terminal;
• a second conductor joining the second terminal to the fourth terminal;
• a third conductor joining the first loop conductor at a point diametrically opposed to the first gap, to the second loop conductor at a point diametrically opposed to the second gap;
• wherein, in a first resonant mode, current flows in the same direction in the second sides of the first and second coils and current flows in the same direction in the fourth sides of the first and second coils to be sensitive to changing magnetic vector along a first axis;
• and
• wherein, in a second resonant mode, current flows in the opposite direction in the second sides of the first and second coils and current flows in the opposite direction in the fourth sides of the first and second coils to be sensitive to changing magnetic vector along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis.

An MRI quadrature coil comprising:

• a first loop conductor having consecutive first, second, third and fourth sides, the first loop conductor having a first gap at the first side, the ends of the loop at the gap forming a first and second terminal;
• a second loop conductor opposed to the first loop conductor about an imaging volume also having consecutive first, second, third and fourth sides, the second loop conductor having a second gap at the first side, the ends of the second loop at the gap forming a third and fourth terminal;
• a first conductor joining the first terminal to the third terminal;
• a second conductor joining the second terminal to the fourth terminal;
• and
• a third loop conductor positioned between the first and second loop conductors in opposition to the first and second loop conductors to bifurcate the imaging volume;
• wherein the first and second loops have a resonant mode sensitive to changing magnetic vector along a first axis;
• and
• wherein the third loop conductor has a resonant mode sensitive to a changing magnetic vector along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis.