Unified coil (unic) systems and method for next generation magnetic resonance coils

Abstract

A unified coil assembly for magnetic resonance imaging is disclosed. The coil assembly includes an RF coil element and a shim coil array with a shim coil element. The shim coil element is physically separated or partially separated from the RF coil element. The shim coil element includes a DC current loop having a DC power supply connection to allow DC current to generate a local BO magnetic field. The unified coil array assembly is configured to simultaneously provide an RF mode for at least one of transmit or receive and a direct current mode to generate a local BO magnetic field for BO shimming. Larger number of shim coils relative to the RF coil element provides superior shimming performance. The mutual inductance between the shim coil element and the RF coil element is minimized by proposed geometrical decoupling methods in order to minimize the RF interaction between the two.

1 . A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system, comprising:
 a unified coil array system including:
 an RF coil element operative in an RF mode for at least one of transmit or receive; 
 a separate shim coil array having at least one shim coil element operative in a direct current (DC) mode with DC current flow in the shim coil element generating local B0 magnetic fields for B0 shimming; 
 wherein at least part of the RF coil element and separate shim coil array overlap each other and are geometrically decoupled from each other; 
   a magnet bore of a MRI scanner holding a target object, the RF coil element and separate shim array positioned about the target object;   a DC power supply in communication with the shim coil array to supply DC current to the at least one shim coil element of the shim coil array;   a shim coil circuit in communication with the shim coil array configured to direct the DC power supply to supply the DC current to the shim coil element to generate the local B0 magnetic fields for B0 shimming; and   an RF circuit in communication with the RF coil element configured to receive an MR signal from the object for RF receive or transmit RF pulses to the object for RF transmit.   
     
     
         2 - 44 . (canceled)