Patent ID: 8487615

Claim:
Apparatus for MR imaging of a subject comprising a MR magnet with gradient coil operable to generate a variable magnetic field to be applied to the subject; an RF transmit arrangement for generating an RF pulse in a transmit stage to be applied to the subject to be imaged such that the subject generates an MR signal in response to the magnetic field and the RF pulse applied; a receive coil arrangement for acquiring the MR signal in a receive stage; and a signal processing system for receiving the MR signal for carrying out signal processing by which an image is generated; the receive coil arrangement comprising: a volume coil configured to at least partly surround the subject so as to receive the MR signal; at least one receive coil; said at least one receive coil having at least one signal communication cable connected to the signal processing system for transferring the MR signal therein to the signal processing system; said at least one receive coil and said volume coil being individually tuned to a common resonant frequency for receiving said MR signal; all coil loops of said volume coil and said at least one receive coil which act only in the receive stage and do not transmit the applied RF pulse in the transmit stage having therein an arrangement to halt current flow therein at the resonant frequency during the transmit stage so as to prevent the presence of said all coil loops from interfering with the RF pulse during the transmit stage; said volume coil being arranged to communicate the MR signal therein to the signal processing system through said at least one receive coil by inducing the MR signal onto said at least one receive coil; wherein said at least one receive coil is located at a spacing from said volume coil such that: the signal from said volume coil is induced onto said at least one receive coil at an efficiency of induction sufficient that the MR signal on said at least one receive coil is greater than the MR signal which would be generated in the absence of said volume coil; and mutual inductance between said volume coil and said at least one receive coil is insufficient to change the tuned common resonant frequency of the volume coil and the receive coil sufficiently to reduce the MR signal at said at least one receive coil to a value which is less than the MR signal which would be generated in the absence of said volume coil.