Patent ID: 7715895

Claim:
A magnetic resonance imaging method for imaging human breasts, the method comprising placing a patient within a magnetic resonance imaging system comprising a main magnet providing a static magnetic field; a gradient coil insert received within an internal bore of the main magnet, the gradient coil insert comprising gradient coils providing a spatially varying magnetic field; a patient support table configured to support the patient within the patient opening, the patient support table comprising a patient support member with a patient support surface on which the patient is supported and placing a breast of the patient so that the breast extends through a breast opening sized and positioned so that in use the patient's breast extends through the opening and is accessible below the patient support member; providing an RF transmitter coil mounted below the patient support surface in the vicinity of the breast opening, providing an RF receiver coil separate from the RF transmitter coil and mounted below the patient support surface in the vicinity of the breast opening, wherein the RF transmitter coil is configured to serve for RF transmitting, and the RF receiver coil is configured to serve for RF reception; and exciting molecules of the patient's breast by transmitting RF signals using the RF transmitter coil; and detecting the response of the molecules of the patient's breast by receiving RF signals using the RF receiver coil.