Patent ID: 8102177

Claim:
A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising: a radio frequency coil having a plurality of conductive coil elements; control circuitry configured to determine a plurality of forward voltages using an unloaded measurement of scattering parameters and a loaded measurement of scattering parameters, wherein the unloaded measurement of scattering parameters is obtained when an object is not in the magnetic resonance imaging system and the loaded measurement of scattering parameters is obtained when the object is in the magnetic resonance imaging system, and wherein the plurality of forward voltages cause a deposition of power into the object when the forward voltages are applied respectively to the plurality of coil elements, wherein the deposition of power is within a predetermined specific absorption rate; and a radio frequency coil amplifier configured to apply the determined plurality of forward voltages respectively to the plurality of coil elements in order to cause the deposition of power into the object.