The present disclosure provides techniques for using opto-isolator circuitry to control switching circuitry configured to be coupled to a radio-frequency (RF) coil of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. In some embodiments, opto-isolator circuitry described herein may be configured to galvanically isolate switch controllers of the MRI system from the switching circuitry and/or provide feedback across an isolation barrier. Some embodiments provide an apparatus including switching circuitry configured to be coupled to an RF coil of an MRI system and a drive circuit that includes opto-isolator circuitry configured to control the switching circuitry. Some embodiments provide an MRI system that includes an RF coil configured to, when operated, transmit and/or receive RF signals to and/or from a field of view of the MRI system, switching circuitry coupled to the RF coil, and a drive circuit that includes opto-isolator circuitry configured to control the switching circuitry.

A local coil for a magnetic resonance tomograph includes a transmitting antenna for emitting a pilot tone, and a receiving antenna for receiving the pilot tone. The local coil also has a decoupling device for decoupling the receiving antenna from the transmitting antenna.

A reconfigurable metamaterial is used to enhance the reception field of a radio frequency (“RF”) coil for use in magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”). In general, the metamaterial can be a metasurface, which may be flexible, having a periodic array of resonators. Each resonator in the periodic array can be defined as a unit cell of the metamaterial and/or metasurface. The unit cells include a first conductor and a second conductor separated by an insulator layer. The first conductor can be a solid conductor and the second conductor can be a conductive fluid (e.g., a liquid metal, a liquid metal alloy) contained within a microfluidic channel. Varying the volume of conductive fluid in each unit cell adjust the signal enhancement ratio of the metamaterial.

A magnetic resonance tomography system that includes a transmitter for generating an excitation signal and a body coil for emitting the excitation signal, and a method for operation of the magnetic resonance tomography system are provided. The magnetic resonance tomography system has a patient tunnel, in which the body coil is arranged. The magnetic resonance tomography system also has a first transmission interference suppression antenna that is arranged between the body coil and an opening in the patient tunnel. The first transmission interference suppression antenna is configured to provide a spatial transmission characteristic that may be compared with the body coil.

Disclosed is a magnetic resonance imaging radio-frequency coil assembly with high time-domain signal stability, mainly including a radio-frequency transmitting coil unit, a plurality of radio-frequency receiving coil units, and a housing structure. A plane area of the radio-frequency transmitting coil unit is larger than a sum of layout plane areas of all of the plurality of radio-frequency receiving coil units. The plurality of radio-frequency receiving coil units are arranged at an internal side of the radio-frequency transmitting coil unit. An overall size of an array formed by the plurality of radio-frequency receiving coil units is larger than a size of an imaging region. A circumference of each radio-frequency receiving coil unit is less than one tenth of a wavelength of a vacuum electromagnetic wave. Thermal noise from the load accounts for a small proportion in the radio-frequency receiving coil units.

A system for positioning of an RF surface coil to several imaging tables has a table coupling device with first and second sides and table engagement features. The first side has a planar surface to mate with a first imaging table. The second side has a contoured surface having a curvature to mate with a second imaging table. A coil coupling device selectively couples to each of the first and second sides of the table coupling device in respective first and second configurations. The coil coupling device selectively rotates about a rotation axis perpendicular to the first side, and selectively translates along a translation axis perpendicular to the rotation axis. The coil coupling device has one or more coil engagement features to selectively engage the RF surface coil in each of a horizontal position and vertical position of the RF surface coil with respect to the table coupling device.

According to some aspects, a portable magnetic resonance imaging system is provided, comprising a Bo magnet configured to produce a Bo magnetic field for an imaging region of the magnetic resonance imaging system, a noise reduction system configured to detect and suppress at least some electromagnetic noise in an operating environment of the portable magnetic resonance imaging system, and electromagnetic shielding provided to attenuate at least some of the electromagnetic noise in the operating environment of the portable magnetic resonance imaging system, the electromagnetic shielding arranged to shield a fraction of the imaging region of the portable magnetic resonance imaging system. According to some aspects, the electromagnetic shield comprises at least one electromagnetic shield structure adjustably coupled to the housing to provide electromagnetic shielding for the imaging region in an amount that can be varied. According to some aspects, substantially no shielding of the imaging region is provided.

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a T/R switch. The T/R switch includes a double sided microstripline based hybrid couplers with a top side and a bottom side each including two concentric microstripline based hybrid couplers. Each of the two concentric microstripline based hybrid couplers includes an inner microstripline based hybrid coupler and an outer microstripline based hybrid coupler. The inner microstripline based hybrid coupler forms an inner loop of the two concentric microstripline based hybrid couplers and the outer microstripline based hybrid coupler forms an outer loop. In a transmission mode, the inner microstripline based hybrid coupler and the outer microstripline based hybrid coupler at the top side of the dual-tuned T/R switch are activated. In a receiving mode the inner microstripline based hybrid coupler and the outer microstripline based hybrid coupler at the top side and at the bottom side of the dual-tuned T/R switch are activated.

An adjustable head coil system and methods for enhancing and/or optimizing magnetic resonance imaging, involving a housing, the housing having at least one portion, the at least one portion having a lower portion, an upper portion, and opposing side portions, each at least one portion optionally in movable relation to any other portion for facilitating adjustability, each at least one portion configured to accommodate at least one radio-frequency coil, and the upper and lower portions each optionally configured to overlap and engage the opposing side portions for facilitating decoupling the at least one radio-frequency coil, and a tongue portion optionally in movable relation to any other portion for facilitating adjustability, engageable with the lower portion, and fixably couple-able with a transporter.

Methods, systems, and techniques for a field modification device for modifying a transmission field (Tx) and/or a receive field (Rx) used by an MR system are provided. The field modification device comprises a plurality of resonator elements being inducible by the transmission field and/or the receive field to resonate, thereby modifying the transmission field and/or the receive field, respectively, wherein a respective resonance frequency and/or resonance phase of a respective resonator element and/or of a respective group of resonator elements is individually controllable. The field modification device further comprises a device controller configured to individually control the respective resonance frequency and/or resonance phase of the respective resonator element and/or of the respective group of resonator elements .