Patent ID: 7345481

Claim:
A radio frequency coil for a magnetic resonance imaging system, the radio frequency coil comprising: a birdcage section including a plurality of parallel spaced apart conductors and one or more end conductors aligned generally transverse to the spaced apart conductors, the birdcage section resonating at a birdcage resonant frequency; a TEM section including a plurality of parallel spaced apart conductors and a radio frequency screen, the TEM section resonating at a TEM resonant frequency, wherein the birdcage resonant frequency equals the TEM resonant frequency, the birdcage section and the TEM section being relatively disposed with the parallel spaced apart conductors of each section aligned, the birdcage section and the TEM section cooperatively defining a subject receiving region; and couplings between the birdcage section and the TEM section, the couplings cooperating with the birdcage section and the TEM section to define a volume resonator.