System of electric coils for transmitting and receiving radio-frequency magnetic fields in a magnetic-resonance imaging apparatus, and magnetic-resonance imaging apparatus provided with such a system of electric coils

Abstract

The invention relates to a magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus comprising an electrical coil system () for transmitting and receiving a radio-frequency (RF) magnetic field from an examination volume () of the MRI apparatus. The electrical coil system () comprises at least one surface coil () which extends substantially in a plane. The surface coil is used for transmitting and/or receiving a RF magnetic field which is oriented substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the surface coil (). The surface coil () has a main coil axis (). When the MRI apparatus is in use, the main coil axis () extends substantially parallel to a main magnetic field in the examination volume () of the MRI apparatus. On both sides of the main coil axis (), the surface coil () comprises an electrically conducting element () which extends substantially parallel to the main coil axis (). To provide a surface coil () which transmits more homogeneous RF magnetic fields and/or has a more homogeneous sensitivity for received RF magnetic fields than known surface coils, at least one of the electrically conducting elements () of the surface coil () comprises at least two electric conductors (). With respect to their distance to the main coil axis (), these electric conductors () are positioned at a relatively short distance from each other. In the plane of the surface coil (), the electric conductors ()extend substantially parallel to the main coil axis () of the surface coil ().