Patent ID: 8188742

Claim:
An MRI apparatus comprising: a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system having a plurality of gradient coils positioned about a bore of a magnet, an RF shield formed about an RF space, and an RF transceiver system and an RF switch controlled by a pulse module to transmit RF signals to an RF coil assembly positioned within the RF space and about a patient bore so as to acquire MR images; and a cooling system positioned within the RF space and including a plurality of cooling modules configured to reduce an operating temperature of the MRI system, wherein each of the plurality of cooling modules comprises: a thermoelectric cooler thermally coupled to the RF coil; and a heat sink thermally coupled to the thermoelectric cooler and mounted on a side of the thermoelectric cooler facing away from the RF coil; wherein the thermoelectric cooler is configured to extract heat from the RF coil when a current is applied to the thermoelectric cooler.