Patent ID: 8111067

Claim:
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for imaging a patient's body, the apparatus comprising: (a) a static field magnet having electromagnet coils without ferromagnetic poles, said electromagnet coils held spaced apart from one another along a substantially horizontal polar axis, said coils being substantially coaxial with said polar axis and being disposed on opposite sides of a patient-receiving space; (b) a patient support adapted to hold the patient's body, said patient support being movable over a range of dispositions within the patient-receiving space which includes a range of rotational positions about at least one pivot axis so that within at least some dispositions within said range of dispositions, at least parts of the patient's body supported on said patient support is disposed within said patient-receiving space, said patient support being adapted to constrain at least the parts of the patient's body positioned within said patient-receiving space against movement relative to one another; (c) a drive mechanism mechanically linked to said patient support, said drive mechanism being operative to move said patient support within said range of dispositions; and (d) a support controller connected to said drive mechanism, said support controller being operative to actuate said drive mechanism to bring said patient support to a pre-selected sequence of different rotational positions within said range of rotational positions while the patient's body is supported on said patient support so as to bring the patient's body to a plurality of different orientations relative to gravity.