Picker International, Inc.

James W Kristoff

David A Molyneaux

William O Braum

Robert G Henderson

A multimode radio frequency coil (50.sub.1) receives resonance signals from a region of interest while allowing arbitrary placement of the coil. A peripheral electrical conductor (62) is divided into four symmetric segments by capacitors (76), (78), (80), (82). A pair of crossing conductors (64, 66) are connected between 90.degree. offset diagonally opposite portions of the peripheral loop (62). The crossing conductors include capacitors (68, 70) when not connected and include capacitors (68, 70, 86, 88) when connected at their midpoints. With this configuration, the coil supports orthogonal modes (72, 74) within the plane of the coil and, additionally, a third orthogonal mode (84) perpendicular to the plane of the coil. To image an extended region, a plurality of coils are overlapped to minimize mutual inductance relative to a first mode. An adjustable capacitor (90) across one of the coils adjusts mutual inductance relative to the second mode. A pair of half wavelength conductors (94, 96) are connected diagonally across the coils and are interconnected by an adjustable capacitor (98) for adjusting the third mode.

Arbitrary placement multimode coil system for MR imaging

A resonance exciting coil (C) disposed in an image region in which a main magnetic field and transverse gradients have been produced. A flexible receiving coil (D) includes a flexible plastic sheet (40) on which an electrically continuous flexible foil strip (36) is adhered to receive signals from the resonating nuclei. The coil also includes components (24), mounted on the flexible plastic sheet (40), which may amplify the received signals before they are transmitted along a cable (22). A first soft material layer (44) is mounted on the flexible plastic sheet (40) for providing comfort to the patient. A flexible mechanical structure (50) on which two flexible receiving coils (F, G) adjusts an overlap between the coils (F, G) as the coils are flexed to adjust interaction properties of the coils (FIGS. 4 A, 4B). Pivotal rods (56) of a fixed length which connect two flexible coils (F, G) cause the spacing of the coils to vary in accordance to a flex applied to the coils to adjust the relative interactive properties with flexing (FIGS. 5 A, 5B). Flexible coils (D) in modular components provide identification points on each modular component which connect to similar identification points on other flexible coil modular components (FIGS. 9 A-9C).

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Lyndhurst, OH, United States of America

James W Kristoff