Patent ID: 8467847

Claim:
A hybrid magnetic resonance (MR) and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging system comprising: a PET scanning system having a PET scanning field of view; an MR scanning system having an MR scanning field of view overlapping at least a portion of the PET scanning field of view; a patient table having front and back ends, the table translatable from a first position outside the respective scanning fields to a second position wherein at least a portion of the table mediate the ends is inside the respective scanning fields; first and second MR local coil connectors coupled respectively to the table proximal the respective front and back ends outside the PET scanning field of view when the table is in the second position, the connectors adapted for connection to an MR local coil oriented on the table during an MR imaging scan; an MR local coil adapted for selective coupling to either of the first and second MR local coil connectors when performing an MR imaging scan; and first and second MR local coil cables coupled to the MR scanning system and respectively to the first and second MR local coil connectors; wherein both the MR local coil cables are oriented with respect to the imaging system so that: the first cable passes through the PET scanning field of view when the patient table is in the first position and is displaced outside the PET scanning field of view when the patient table is in the second position; and the second cable remains outside the PET scanning field in either patient table position.