Patent ID: 7268550

Claim:
An antenna element configured for magnetic resonance applications comprising: an antenna element sub-section extending along a section axis; an auxiliary circuit disposed adjacent to said antenna element sub-section, said auxiliary circuit comprising a coupling section and an auxiliary circuit section; said auxiliary circuit being inductively coupled to said antenna element sub-section by said coupling section, and said auxiliary circuit section proceeding parallel to said antenna element sub-section at a distance from said section axis than said coupling section; and said auxiliary circuit comprising controllable tuning elements, connected between said auxiliary circuit section and said coupling section, having respective non-coinciding first, second and third control states, the respective control states being selectively controllable to cause a radio frequency excitation current distribution flowing in said antenna element sub-section along said section axis to produce an auxiliary current in said auxiliary current section that leads said excitation current when said tuning elements are in said first control state, and an auxiliary current in said auxiliary current section that lags said excitation, current when said tuning elements are in said second control state and no auxiliary current in said auxiliary circuit section when said tuning elements are in said third control state.