Patent ID: 6930481

Claim:
An RF coil unit used in a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus which receives magnetic resonance signals generated from an object to be examined which is placed in a static magnetic field and generates a magnetic resonance image, said RF coil unit comprising: a plurality of surface coils which are arrayed about a common imaged volume in three orthogonal directions, x, y, and z, there being at least two of said coils that are spatially distinct from each other being disposed along the direction z of the static magnetic field; at least two of said coils that are spatially distinct from each other disposed along the orthogonal direction x; and at least two of said coils that are spatially distinct from each other being disposed along the orthogonal direction y, wherein each one of said coils receives magnetic resonance signals in use, with the coils in at least one of said directions being disposed on opposite sides of the common image volume, whereby the RF coil unit is capable of being used for performing parallel imaging (PI) in all three orthogonal directions, x, y, and z.