Patent ID: 7777491

Claim:
A modular coil system for use with a magnetic resonance imaging device, comprising: a radio frequency cryogenic coil that excites magnetic resonance in nuclei and receives a magnetic resonance signal from excited nuclei, wherein the radio frequency cryogenic coil is operated at a cryogenic temperature during the excitation of the magnetic resonance in the nuclei and the reception of the magnetic resonance signals; a sample receiving region that supports a sample being imaged during the magnetic resonance procedure; and a cooling system that maintains a temperature of the radio frequency cryogenic coil within a cryogenic temperature range wherein the cooling system includes a cold head and the radio frequency cryogenic coil is disposed on a coil holder contacting the cold head such that the radio frequency cryogenic coil is in thermal communication with the cold head; wherein the radio frequency cryogenic coil and the sample receiving region are selectively removeably assembleable to form the modular coil system.