MRI RF coil systems having detachable, relocatable, and or interchangeable sections and MRI imaging systems and methods employing the same

An RF coil system for magnetic resonance imaging one or more regions of a subject, comprising:

• a first coil section comprising one or more conductive coils in a first nonconductive housing;
• a second coil section comprising one or more conductive coils in a second nonconductive housing, the first and second coil sections being configured to be inherently decoupled;
• and
• a fastener system removably and slidingly engaging the housings of the first and second coil sections, sliding engagement between the first and second coil sections enabling the housing to be attached over a range of slidingly offset relationships.

An RF coil system for magnetic resonance imaging one or more regions of a subject, comprising:

• a first coil section comprising one or more conductive coils in a first nonconductive housing;
• a second coil section comprising one or more conductive coils in a second nonconductive housing, the first and second coil sections being configured to be inherently decoupled;
• and
• a fastener system including strips of a hook and loop fastener extending along opposite edges of the housings for removably and movably joining the housings of the first and second coil sections over a range of longitudinally and rotationally offset orientations.

An RF coil system for magnetic resonance imaging one or more regions of a subject, comprising:

• a first coil section comprising one or more conductive coils in a first nonconductive housing;
• a second coil section comprising one or more conductive coils in a second nonconductive housing, the first and second coil sections being configured to be inherently decoupled, the second coil section being operable to image a region of the subject in the absence of the first coil section without retuning the second coil section;
• and
• a fastener system removably and movably joining the housings of the first and second coil sections.

An RF coil system for magnetic resonance imaging one or more regions of a subject, comprising:

• a plurality of interchangeable first coil sections including sections with single and multi-coil element coils each in a nonconductive housing;
• a second coil section comprising one or more conductive coils in a second nonconductive housing, the second coil section being configured to be inherently decoupled to each of the plurality of first coil sections;
• and
• a fastener system removably and movably joining the housings of the first and second coil sections.

A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising:

• a main field magnet for generating a temporally constant polarizing magnetic field along a main field axis;
• and
• an RF coil system including:
• a first linear coil section configured for maximum sensitivity along a first axis perpendicular to the main magnetic field axis;
• a second linear coil section configured for maximum sensitivity along a second axis perpendicular to both the first axis and the main magnetic field axis;
• and
• a fastening system for selectively fastening the first and second coil sections on opposite sides of a region of interest for quadrature reception of resonance signals emanating from the region of interest.

A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising:

• a main field magnet for generating a temporally constant magnetic field along a main field axis;
• and
• an RF coil system including:
• a first coil section configured for maximum sensitivity along a first axis perpendicular to the main magnetic field axis;
• a second coil section configured for maximum sensitivity along a second axis perpendicular to the first and main magnetic field axes;
• a third coil section of a different configuration from the first coil section;
• a fastening system selectively fastening the first and third coil sections to the second coil section on opposite sides of a region of interest for quadrature reception of resonance signals emanating from the region of interest.

A magnetic resonance method comprising:

• establishing a polarizing magnetic field in a first region of interest;
• exciting resonance of selected dipoles in the first region of interest to generate magnetic resonance signals;
• and
• concurrently receiving the magnetic resonance on one side of the first region of interest with a first linear coil having a maximum sensitivity along a first axis orthogonal to the polarizing magnetic field and on an opposite side of the first region of interest with a second linear coil having a maximum sensitivity along a second axis orthogonal to both the polarizing magnetic field and the first axis.