High temperature superconductor receiver coil magnetic resonance imaging systems and methods compatible with an infant incubator

A system comprising:

• a high temperature superconductor (HTS) receiver coil, wherein the HTS receiver coil comprises a multi-coil Helmholtz coil configuration, wherein the coils of the HTS receiver coil are adapted for low field strength imaging of a small volume subject;
• a cryostat adapted to incarcerate each coil of the HTS receiver coil in a cold media and to maintain the coils at a desired operating temperature during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of a subject, wherein the cryostat and HTS receiver coil are adapted for disposing in an infant incubator;
• and
• coil circuitry coupled to coils of the HTS receiver coil and adapted to interface the HTS receiver coil to a MRI host system, wherein the coil circuitry comprises decoupling circuitry adapted to decouple the coils of the HTS receiver coil.

A method comprising:

• disposing a plurality of high temperature super conductor (HTS) receiver coils within an infant incubator into which a subject is to be placed for operating a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) host system;
• disposing the subject in a position relative to the plurality of HTS receiver coils to facilitate MRI of the subject using the HTS receiver coils, wherein the HTS receiver coils are coupled to coil circuitry adapted to provide an interface between the HTS receiver coils and a MRI host system, and wherein the subject comprises an infant;
• placing the HTS receiver coils and subject in the magnetic field of a MRI host system;
• and
• operating the MRI host system at a very low field strength and receive signals from the HTS receiver coils through the coil circuitry for generating an image of at least a portion of the subject.

A method comprising:

• attaching a plurality of high temperature superconductor (HTS) receiver coils indirectly to a surface of an infant incubator into which a subject is to be placed for operating a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) host system;
• disposing the subject in a position relative to the HTS receiver coils to facilitate MRI of the subject using the HTS receiver coils, wherein the HTS receiver coils are coupled to coil circuitry adapted to provide an interface between the HTS receiver coils and a MRI host system, wherein the subject comprises an infant;
• placing the HTS receiver coils and subject in the magnetic field of the MRI host system;
• and
• operating the MRI host system at a very low field strength and receive signals from the HTS receiver coils through the coil circuitry for generating an image of at least a portion of the subject.