Patent ID: 7868614

Claim:
A magnetic resonance system, comprising a static magnetic field generation system, an RF transmitter which transmits a nuclear magnetic signal to an object placed in the static magnetic field, an RF receiver which receives a nuclear magnetic resonance signal from said object, and a signal processing system which generates an image and/or spectrum of said object using the nuclear magnetic resonance signal received by said RF receiver, wherein: said RF receiver comprises multiple receive units and at least one array of multiple coils which overlap without forming any gaps therebetween, and the multiple coils are grouped into multiple coil sets connected to each of said multiple receive units, and wherein: each coil set comprises multiple RF coils and is disposed in a position which does not spatially interfere with at least one RF coil of the respectively adjacent coil sets of said multiple RF coils, and further comprises a switch controller which controls ON-OFF of said RF coils to sequentially switch one of the multiple RF coils forming each coil set to ON, a coil switch which selectively connects one of said multiple RF coils to said receive unit, and a coil controller which controls said switch controller and said coil switch.