Patent ID: 8704520

Claim:
A radio frequency (RF) coil for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, the RF coil comprising: a first end ring; a second end ring; and a plurality of rungs electrically coupled between the first and second end rings, each rung including a first rung portion and a second rung portion, the first rung portion comprising a multi-conductor assembly including plural wire conductors, the wire conductors individually encased along a length by a first portion of electrical insulation material wherein the wire conductors are electrically insulated from each other, the second rung portion formed from a single solid conductor and coupled in electrical series with the first rung portion; wherein each rung further comprises a third rung portion formed from a plurality of wire conductors, the second rung portion being coupled in electrical series between the first and third rung portions, the wire conductors of the third rung portion individually encased along a length by a second portion of electrical insulation material wherein the wire conductors are electrically insulated from each other.