# US 7,746,073 B2 · Magnetic resonance imaging system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,746,073 B2 - Document ID: US7746073B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/046,209 - Filed: 2008-03-11 - Published: 2008-12-18 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 2007-06-18 - Assignees: Gachon University of Medicine & Science Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation - Inventors: Zang Hee Cho; Young Bo Kim; Kyoung Nam Kim; Suk Min Hong - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7746073B2 ## CPC - G01R 33/34046: {Volume type coils, e.g. bird-cage coils; Quadrature bird-cage coils; Circularly polarised coils} - G01R 33/34069: {Saddle coils} - G01R 33/3415: comprising arrays of sub-coils {, i.e. phased-array coils with flexible receiver channels} - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract A magnetic resonance imaging system is provided, which can provide the homogeneous magnetic field to obtain a head anatomic image with a high resolution and high SNR by coaxially disposing a receive-only phased array antenna inside a transmit-only antenna with a predetermined gap, and thereby a detailed and accurate image of a man's head can be obtained. In the present invention, the system comprises: a transmit-only antenna comprising at least two saddle quadrature antennas connected with each other to form a ring shape, one of the connections being a joint and the remaining connections being formed in an overlapping fashion; and a receive-only phased array antenna comprising a plurality of receive-only antennas connected with each other to form a ring shape, one of the connections being a joint and the remaining connections being formed in an overlapping fashion, wherein an inner diameter of the receive-only phased array antenna is shorter than that of the transmit-only antenna, and the receive-only phased array antenna is coaxially disposed inside the transmit-only antenna with a predetermined gap. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising: a transmit-only antenna comprising at least two saddle quadrature antennas connected with each other to form a ring shape, one of the connections being a joint and the remaining connections being formed in an overlapping fashion; and a receive-only phased array antenna comprising a plurality of receive-only antennas connected with each other to form a ring shape, one of the connections being a joint and the remaining connections being formed in an overlapping fashion, wherein an inner diameter of the receive-only phased array antenna is shorter than that of the transmit-only antenna, and the receive-only phased array antenna is coaxially disposed inside the transmit-only antenna with a predetermined gap, wherein each pair of the saddle quadrature antennas are overlapped with each other so that the phase difference between said pair becomes 90°. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 1, further comprising: a radio-frequency amplifier; a coupler connected to the radio-frequency amplifier; two ground breakers connected to the coupler; and two coaxial cables each being connected to each of the ground breakers and a respective one of the saddle quadrature antennas, wherein the coupler is operable to direct radio energy outputted from the radio-frequency amplifier to the two ground breakers, wherein each of the two ground breakers is operable to remove noise from the radio energy so that the noise-removed radio energy is transferred to the saddle quadrature antennas through the two coaxial cables. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 2, wherein the coupler is operable to divide and direct the radio energy outputted from the radio-frequency amplifier to the two ground breakers, so that the radio energy at one of the two ground breakers differs in phase by 90° from that at the other of the two ground breakers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 2, wherein a length of each of the two ground breakers and the two coaxial cables is 25 cm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 1, the number of the plurality of receive-only antennas is 12. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of impedance matching circuits, each being connected to a respective one of the plurality of receive-only antennas; a plurality of ground breakers, each being connected to a respective one of the plurality of impedance matching circuits; and a plurality of preamplifiers, each being connected to a respective one of the plurality of ground breakers, wherein each of the plurality of ground breakers removes noise from signals provided from the respective one of the plurality of receive-only antennas, and each of the plurality of preamplifiers is operable to amplify the noise-removed signals. ### Claim 7 A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising: a transmit-only antenna having a ring shape and comprising at least two transmitting antennas; and a receive-only phased array antenna having a ring shape and comprising a plurality of receive-only antennas, wherein an inner diameter of the receive-only phased array antenna is shorter than that of the transmit-only antenna, and the receive-only phased array antenna is coaxially disposed inside the transmit-only antenna with a predetermined gap, wherein each pair of the transmitting antennas are overlapped with each other so that the phase difference between said pair becomes 90°. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The magnetic resonance imaging system of claim 7, wherein the receive-only phased array antenna comprises 12 receive-only antennas.