# US 7,612,564 B1 · Tiled receiver coil array with improved spatial coverage > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,612,564 B1 - Document ID: US7612564B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 12/112,065 - Filed: 2008-04-30 - Published: 2009-11-05 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2008-04-30 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Inventors: Christopher Judson Hardy; Kenneth W. Rohling; Randy Otto John Giaquinto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7612564B1 ## CPC - G01R 33/3415: comprising arrays of sub-coils {, i.e. phased-array coils with flexible receiver channels} - G01R 33/365: {Decoupling of multiple RF coils wherein the multiple RF coils have the same function in MR, e.g. decoupling of a receive coil from another receive coil in a receive coil array, decoupling of a transmission coil from another transmission coil in a transmission coil array} - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract A phased array for a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging apparatus is disclosed that includes a plurality of receiver coils arranged to form a staggered hexagonal coil array, with the staggered hexagonal coil array being rectangular in shape. Included in the plurality of receiver coils are a plurality of standard coils and a plurality of filler coils differing in shape from the standard coils. The shape of the filler coils is such that no more than negligible mutual inductance between the filler coils and all adjacent overlapping standard coils is present. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A phased array for a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging apparatus comprising: a plurality of receiver coils arranged to form a staggered hexagonal coil array, the staggered hexagonal coil array being rectangular in shape; wherein the plurality of receiver coils comprises: a plurality of standard coils; and a plurality of filler coils differing in shape from the standard coils, wherein the shape of the filler coils provides no more than negligible mutual inductance between the filler coils and all adjacent overlapping standard coils. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The phased array of claim 1 wherein the plurality of receiver coils are arranged into a plurality of rows, each of the plurality of rows including a number of standard coils and a single filler coil. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The phased array of claim 2 wherein the filler coil is positioned at an end of the row of receiver coils, and wherein the filler coil is positioned at a first end of the row in a first row of receiver coils and the filler coil is positioned at a second end of the row in an adjacent row of receiver coils. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The phased array of claim 2 wherein the receiver coils in each of the plurality of rows are staggered with respect to the receiver coils in adjacent rows. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The phased array of claim 4 wherein the receiver coils in adjacent rows are staggered by half a width of a receiver coil. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The phased array of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of filler coils has a stepped configuration. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The phased array of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of filler coils has a height that is varied as a continuous function of horizontal position from one end of the filler coil to a second end of the filler coil. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The phased array of claim 1 wherein a width of the filler coil is greater than a width of the standard coil. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The phased array of claim 1 wherein the standard coils are rectangular in shape. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The phased array of claim 1 wherein corners on the standard coils are radiused or angled such that the standard coils are octagonal in shape. ### Claim 11 A magnetic resonance imaging MRI apparatus comprising: a plurality of gradient coils positioned about a bore of a magnet; and an RF transceiver system and an RF switch controlled by a pulse module to transmit RF signals to an RF coil assembly to acquire MR images, the RF coil assembly comprising: a plurality of receiver coils arranged into a plurality of rows, each of the plurality of rows having a first end and a second end, and wherein each row is shifted from adjacent rows such that the plurality of receiver coils are arranged to have a generally staggered hexagonal overlap pattern; and wherein the plurality of receiver coils includes a number of standard coils and a number of filler coils differing in shape from the standard coils, the standard coils and the filler coils forming a perimeter of the RF coil assembly such that the first end of the plurality of rows linearly align along a first side of the RF coil assembly and such that the second end of the plurality of rows linearly align along a second side of the RF coil assembly. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The MRI apparatus of claim 11 wherein the filler coils are configured to have no more than negligible mutual inductance with all neighboring overlapping standard coils. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The MRI apparatus of claim 11 wherein the filler coil has a stepped configuration. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The MRI apparatus of claim 11 wherein the filler coils are positioned at one of the first and second ends in each of the plurality of rows. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The MRI apparatus of claim 14 wherein a position of the filler coil is alternated between the first and second ends of the rows in successive rows of receiver coils. ### Claim 16 A phased array for a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging apparatus comprising: a first row of receiver coils arranged along a first axis; a second row of receiver coils arranged along the first axis and offset from the first row of receiver coils along the first axis and along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, the offset along the first and second axes being less than a width and a height of a receiver coil such that the first row of receiver coils overlaps the second row of receiver coils; and a third row of receiver coils arranged along the first axis and offset from the first and second rows of receiver coils along the second axis and aligned with the first row of receiver coils along the first axis, the third row of receiver coils overlapping the second row of receiver coils; wherein each of the first, second, and third rows of receiver coils includes an end coil that is stretched along the first axis such that ends of each of the first, second, and third rows of receiver coils are aligned along the second axis. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The phased array of claim 16 wherein the end coil in each of the first, second, and third rows of receiver coils is configured to have no more than negligible mutual inductance with all adjacently overlapping receiver coils. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The phased array of claim 16 wherein the end coil has a stepped configuration. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The phased array of claim 16 wherein the receiver coils are octagonal in shape. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The phased array of claim 16 wherein the offset along the first axis comprises half a width of one of the receiver coils. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The phased array of claim 16 further comprising at least one additional row of receiver coils, the at least one additional row of receiver coils being offset along the first and second axes from immediately adjacent rows of receiver coils.