Positioning of a magnetic resonance imaging antenna within the homogeneous field zone

Abstract

The invention provides for a magnetic resonance imaging system () comprising: a magnet () for generating a main magnetic field with a homogeneous field zone (); an antenna () with an imaging zone () that has a fixed geometric relationship with portion () of a subject (); a radio frequency system () for generating a radio frequency pulse (); a magnetic gradient field system (); and a patient support () for automatically moving the antenna and the portion of the subject from outside of the homogeneous field zone to within the homogeneous field zone along a movement axis. Machine executable instructions () cause a processor () controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system to: move the antenna and the portion from outside of the homogeneous field zone to within the homogeneous field zone along the movement axis; control () the radio frequency system to repeatedly generate a radio frequency pulse; control () the magnetic gradient field system to generate a gradient magnetic field during movement of the subject support only along the movement axis; control () the radio frequency system to repeatedly measure the radio frequency signal from the portion of the subject using the antenna; determine () a current location () of the antenna or of the imaging zone using the radio frequency signal; and control () the patient support to decelerate and halt at a predetermined location () within the homogeneous field zone using the current location.