Remote body arrays for high-performance magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy

A method for acquiring magnetic resonance data comprising the steps of:

• inserting a subject in a cylindrical bore of a magnetic resonant scanner and acquiring magnetic resonance data from the examination subject in the bore, said scanner housing having an interior wall defining said bore and an exterior wall of the scanner that is radially spaced from said inner wall;
• completely encircling the examination subject in the bore with an array of RF coils located between said inner wall and said exterior wall;
• and
• during acquisition of said magnetic resonance data, operating at least some of the individual RF coils in the array to cause a same individual coil, at non-coinciding times, to both irradiate the subject with RF pulses and to receive magnetic resonance signals from the subject.

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising:

• a magnetic resonant scanner comprising a scanner housing having a cylindrical bore therein configured to receive an examination subject to acquire magnetic resonance data from the examination subject, said scanner housing having an interior wall defining said bore and an exterior wall of the scanner that is radially spaced from said inner wall;
• a plurality of radio frequency coils in an array that completely encircles said examination subject in said bore, said coils in said array being spaced from, and out of contact with, the examination subject in said bore;
• and
• said coils having respective current paths that include current elements other than magnetic dipole current elements.

A method for acquiring magnetic resonance data comprising the steps of:

• inserting a subject in a cylindrical bore of a magnetic resonant scanner and acquiring magnetic resonance data from the examination subject in the bore, said scanner housing having an interior wall defining said bore and an exterior wall of the scanner that is radially spaced from said inner wall;
• during acquisition of said magnetic resonance data, irradiating the subject with RF pulses emitted by, or receiving magnetic resonance signals from the subject with, a plurality of radio frequency coils in an array that completely encircles said examination subject in said bore, and orienting said coils in said array to be spaced from, and out of contact with, the examination subject in said bore;
• and
• configuring said coils to have respective current paths that include current elements other than magnetic dipole current elements.

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising:

• a magnetic resonant scanner comprising a scanner housing having a cylindrical bore therein configured to receive an examination subject to acquire magnetic resonance data from the examination subject, said scanner housing having an interior wall defining said bore and an exterior wall of the scanner that is radially spaced from said inner wall;
• a plurality of radio frequency coils in an array that completely encircles said examination subject in said bore, said coils in said array being spaced from, and out of contact with, the examination subject in said bore;
• and
• a control unit that operates at least some of the individual coils in said array to cause a same individual coil to operate in both a transmit mode and a reception mode at non-coinciding times.