Patent ID: 6998843

Claim:
An RF coil unit used in a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus which receives magnetic resonance signals generated from a common imaged volume of an object to be examined which is placed in a static magnetic field and generates a magnetic resonance image, said RF coil unit comprising: a first unit including a plurality of surface coils which are arrayed, at least two of said surface coils being disposed along each of a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a second unit which is spaced apart from and arranged symmetrically opposite to the first unit in a third direction which is perpendicular to both of the first and second directions; said first and second units also including a plurality of at least two surface coils arranged in the third direction whereby there are at least two coils of the RF coil unit located in each of the first, second, and third directions, that each receive magnetic resonance signals; and a first cable configured to transmit the magnetic resonance signals received by said surface coils of said first unit to said second unit.