Magnetic resonance imaging receiver/transmitter coils

A coil system for use with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, said coil system comprising:

• (a) a first coil;
• (b) a second coil, said first and said second coils cooperating to form a phased array coil subsystem;
• and
• (c) an interface subsystem for linking said phased array coil subsystem to said MRI system, said interface subsystem controllable by said MRI system such that (i) in a transmit state, said interface subsystem processes radio frequency (RF) power received from said MRI system to apply through said phased array coil subsystem a substantially uniform magnetic field to said region of interest and (ii) in a receive state, said interface subsystem receives from said phased array coil subsystem a response of said region of interest to said magnetic field and conveys said response to said MRI system to form an image of said region of interest.

A coil system for use with a magnetic resonance (MR) system for ascertaining the spectra of a region of interest, said coil system comprising:

• (a) a first coil;
• (b) a second coil, said first and said second coils cooperating to form a phased array coil subsystem;
• and
• (c) an interface subsystem for linking said phased array coil subsystem to said MR system, said interface subsystem controllable by said MR system such that (i) in a transmit state, said interface subsystem processes radio frequency (RF) power received from said MR system to apply through said phased array coil subsystem a substantially uniform magnetic field to said region of interest and (ii) in a receive state, said interface subsystem receives from said phased array coil subsystem a response of said region of interest to said magnetic field and conveys said response to said MR system.

A coil system for use with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system to form images of a region of interest, the coil system comprising:

• (a) a first coil having at least one electrically conductive member;
• (b) a second coil having at least one electrically conductive member, said first and said second coils cooperating to form a phased array coil subsystem;
• and
• (c) an interface subsystem operably coupling said phased array coil subsystem to said MRI system, said interface subsystem operable (i) in a transmit state to process radio frequency (RF) power received from said MRI system to apply through said phased array coil subsystem a substantially uniform magnetic field to said region of interest and (ii) in a receive state to receive from said phased array coil subsystem a response of said region of interest to said magnetic field and to convey said response to said MRI system.

A coil system for use with a magnetic resonance (MR) system, the coil system comprising:

• (a) a volume coil;
• (b) a second coil, said volume and said second coils cooperating to form a phased array coil subsystem;
• and
• (c) an interface subsystem operably coupling said phased array coil subsystem to said MR system, said interface subsystem operable (i) in a transmit state to process radio frequency (RF) power received from said MR system to apply through said phased array coil subsystem a substantially uniform magnetic field to a region of interest and (ii) in a receive state to receive from said phased array coil subsystem a response of said region of interest to said magnetic field and to convey said response to said MR system.

A coil system for use with a magnetic resonance (MR) system, the coil system comprising:

• (a) a first volume coil;
• (b) a second volume coil, said first and said second volume coils cooperating to form a phased array coil subsystem;
• and
• (c) an interface subsystem operably coupling said phased array coil subsystem to said MR system, said interface subsystem operable (i) in a transmit state to process radio frequency (RF) power received from said MR system to apply through said phased array coil subsystem a substantially uniform magnetic field to a region of interest and (ii) in a receive state to receive from said phased array coil subsystem a response of said region of interest to said magnetic field and to convey said response to said MR system.

A phased array system for use with a magnetic resonance imaging system, the phased array system comprising:

• a first coil defining a first region;
• a second region, the first coil at least partially overlapping the second coil to define an overlap region formed by thc intersection of the first and second regions;
• and
• an interface subsystem operably connected to the first and second coils, the interface subsystem operable to process RF power from the magnetic resonance imaging system to apply through the first and second coils a substantially uniform magnetic field to the overlap region and at least a portion of the first and second regions.

A phased array RE coil system for use with a magnetic resonance imaging system, the phased array RF coil system comprising:

• a first RF coil defining a first region;
• a second RF coil defining a second region, the first RF coil partially overlapping the second RF coil to define an overlap region formed by the intersection of the first and second regions;
• and
• an interface subsystem operably connected wit the first and second RF coils, the interface subsystem comprising:
• a power splitter for splitting RF power for delivery to the first and second RF coils;
• and
• a phase compensator for adjusting the phase relationship of the RF power delivered to the first and second RF coils, such that a substantially uniform magnetic field is applied through the first and second RF coils to the overlap region and at least a portion of the first and second regions adjacent to said overlap region.

A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising:

• a first coil of a phased array system fanned of a first plurality of electrically-conductive members and defining a first volume;
• a second coil of the phased array system formed of a second plurality of electrically-conductive members and defining a second volume, said second coil disposed at least partially within the first coil to define an overlap volume formed by the intersection of the first and second volumes, said first and second coils cooperating to define a phased array coil subsystem;
• and
• a coil interface subsystem operably coupled to the phased array coil subsystem, said coil interface subsystem operable, in a first selectable state, to process RF power such that a substantially uniform magnetic field is applied through said first and second coils to the overlap volume and at least a portion of the first and second volumes, and, in a second selectable state, to receive a response of an anatomical structure to the applied magnetic field.