Patent ID: 8406853

Claim:
A method for stereotactically inserting a component into the brain of a patient attaching a stereotactic head frame to a patient's head; providing a stereotactic guide member mounted on the head frame for guiding an insertion into the head of the patient; providing a transmit/receive RF coil array for use in generating an MR image of a head of a patient; the coil array being mounted on the stereotactic head frame at respective positions on the frame so as to be located at positions around the head of the patient; the coil array comprising a plurality of coil elements each for generating an RF field; generating signals for supply to the individual coil elements to cooperate to generate a predetermined required RF field within the head of the patient for imaging of the head; with the coil array in place on the stereotactic head frame, using the predetermined required RF field to carry out a first imaging procedure of the head of the patient in an MR imaging system; selecting at least one of the coil elements to be removed from the frame to allow access to the brain by the stereotactic guide member; removing said at least one of the coil elements; generating signals for supply to the individual coil elements to generate the predetermined required RF field with said one or more the coil elements removed; and with the coil array in place on the stereotactic head frame, using the predetermined required RF field to carry out a second imaging procedure of the head of the patient in the MR imaging system.