General Electric Company

Yoon-Won Kang

Thomas K Foo

Kenneth W Belt

Cecil E Hayes

Matthew G Eash

A radio frequency coil for use in MR imaging applications includes a series of conducting segments aligned with the longitudinal, static magnetic field of the MR magnet. A hybrid power splitter/combiner feeds to and receives from each axial segment a phased signal to generate or receive a transverse circularly polarized magnetic field. The power splitter combiner isolates the axial segments to reduce magnetic field distortions produced by capacitive coupling between the imaged object and the radio frequency coil. Each segment may be disabled by an associated solid state switch so as to isolate the radio frequency coil from other radio frequency coils that may be used in conjunction with it either for specialized transmitting or receiving functions.

NMR radio frequency coil with disable circuit

A radio frequency coil for use in MR imaging applications includes a series of conducting segments aligned with the longitudinal, static magnetic field of the MR magnet. A hybrid power splitter/combiner feeds each axial segment with a phased signal to generate a transverse circularly polarized magnetic field. The power splitter combiner isolates the axial segments to reduce magnetic field distortions produced by capacitive coupling between the imaged object and the radio frequency coil. The axial segments are tuned to series resonance to further reduce capacitive coupling. A stepped shield design permits separation of the power splitter combiner from the axial segments without piercing the bore tube.

Radio frequency field coil and power splitter for NMR

An RF coil assembly for an NMR instrument includes a cylindrical coil surrounded by a cylindrical shield. The annular space between the coil and the shield is filled with a dielectric material having a relative permittivity selected to improve the RF field homogeneity in the radial direction.

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Plainsboro, NJ, United States of America

Yoon-Won Kang