Patent ID: 7193418

Claim:
A resonator system for generating a radio frequency (RF) magnetic field in a volume under investigation of a magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus, the resonator system comprising: a number N of individual flat resonators containing superconducting materials, surrounding volume under investigation, and each being disposed on a flat dielectric substrate about and parallel to a z-axis, each individual resonator having a window through which one individual RF field is generated in the volume under investigation in single operation of the respective individual resonator, said individual resonators cooperating to generate a useful RF field in the volume under investigation, said resonators also generating an asymptotic, remote RF field far outside of the resonator system, wherein a spatial configuration of said individual resonators as well as a dependence of said useful RF field are substantially mirror-symmetrical relative to a first plane A which contains the z-axis, and a spatial distribution of said asymptotic remote RF field is also substantially mirror-symmetrical relative to said first plane A, said useful RF field extending substantially parallel to said first plane A in the volume under investigation, wherein said individual resonators only have 2-fold rotational symmetry about the z-axis, all substrate planes of said individual resonators differing within a partial region defined and subdivided by said first plane A, wherein a number of individual resonators N>4 and, during operation of the resonator system, a substrate plane of at least one individual resonator subtends an angle of more than 40° with respect to a direction of said useful RF field in the volume under investigation.