Patent ID: 7230427

Claim:
A magnetic resonance apparatus having a data acquisition region, and comprising: an RF antenna unit; a gradient coil unit disposed relative to said RF antenna unit with a side of said gradient coil unit facing said RF antenna unit, said gradient coil unit comprising conductors and including a primary gradient coil and a secondary gradient coil, said conductors occupying a region; an RF shield disposed between said RF antenna unit and said gradient coil unit, said RF shield having conductors that are independent of the conductors of the gradient coil unit; said RF antenna unit and said gradient coil unit defining a first RF field return volume therebetween for closing RF magnetic field lines of the RF antenna unit, said first RF field return volume being bordered by said RF shield at said side of said gradient coil unit facing said RF antenna unit; said gradient coil unit having a conductor-free region being at least partially surrounded by said region occupied by the conductors of the gradient coil unit at said side facing said RF antenna unit, between said primary gradient coil and said secondary gradient coil, said conductor-free region forming a second RF field return volume communicating with said first RF field return volume, with said RF shield proceeding between said first and second RF field return volumes and said conductors of said gradient coil unit; and said RF antenna unit being disposed closer to said data acquisition region than said gradient coil unit.