A radio frequency coil for transmitting or receiving signals at a magnetic resonance frequency, the coil comprising: an arrangement of substantially parallel rungs (70, 70', 70"), at least one generally annular strip-type end-ring (78, 78', 78", 80) connected with and disposed generally transverse to the rungs (70, 70', 70"), and a radio frequency shield substantially surrounding the arrangement of substantially parallel rungs (70, 70', 70"), characterized in that: the end-ring is a strip-type transmission line end-ring (78, 78', 78", 80) defining a closed-loop transmission line having a length between adjacent rungs that is greater than a circumferential arc length between the adjacent rungs (70, 70', 70") to provide a selected transmission delay, and the strip-type transmission line end-ring (78, 78', 78", 80) includes at least two conductor layers (82, 82', 82", 84, 84', 84", 86, 88) separated by a dielectric layer (72, 72a, 72b), and at least one of the conductor layers (82, 82', 82", 84, 84', 84", 86, 88) of each end-ring (78, 78', 78", 80) is connected with the radio frequency shield, and an electrically non-conductive generally cylindrical substrate defines the separating dielectric layers of the one or more end-rings (78, 78', 78", 80), the substantially parallel rungs (70, 70', 70") being disposed on or in the generally cylindrical substrate oriented substantially parallel to a cylinder axis of the generally cylindrical substrate. an arrangement of substantially parallel rungs (70, 70', 70"), at least one generally annular strip-type end-ring (78, 78', 78", 80) connected with and disposed generally transverse to the rungs (70, 70', 70"), and a radio frequency shield substantially surrounding the arrangement of substantially parallel rungs (70, 70', 70"), characterized in that: the end-ring is a strip-type transmission line end-ring (78, 78', 78", 80) defining a closed-loop transmission line having a length between adjacent rungs that is greater than a circumferential arc length between the adjacent rungs (70, 70', 70") to provide a selected transmission delay, and the strip-type transmission line end-ring (78, 78', 78", 80) includes at least two conductor layers (82, 82', 82", 84, 84', 84", 86, 88) separated by a dielectric layer (72, 72a, 72b), and at least one of the conductor layers (82, 82', 82", 84, 84', 84", 86, 88) of each end-ring (78, 78', 78", 80) is connected with the radio frequency shield, and an electrically non-conductive generally cylindrical substrate defines the separating dielectric layers of the one or more end-rings (78, 78', 78", 80), the substantially parallel rungs (70, 70', 70") being disposed on or in the generally cylindrical substrate oriented substantially parallel to a cylinder axis of the generally cylindrical substrate. the end-ring is a strip-type transmission line end-ring (78, 78', 78", 80) defining a closed-loop transmission line having a length between adjacent rungs that is greater than a circumferential arc length between the adjacent rungs (70, 70', 70") to provide a selected transmission delay, and the strip-type transmission line end-ring (78, 78', 78", 80) includes at least two conductor layers (82, 82', 82", 84, 84', 84", 86, 88) separated by a dielectric layer (72, 72a, 72b), and at least one of the conductor layers (82, 82', 82", 84, 84', 84", 86, 88) of each end-ring (78, 78', 78", 80) is connected with the radio frequency shield, and an electrically non-conductive generally cylindrical substrate defines the separating dielectric layers of the one or more end-rings (78, 78', 78", 80), the substantially parallel rungs (70, 70', 70") being disposed on or in the generally cylindrical substrate oriented substantially parallel to a cylinder axis of the generally cylindrical substrate.