A new, fully versatile surface coil for MRI.

To enable surface coils to be adapted to a wide variety of examinations and anatomical features, the authors present a flexible detector coupled with an auto tuning device. The conductive loop, which is a flexible mercury filled tube, can be used to obtain various shapes, such as a single flat 22-cm diameter loop or an 11-cm diameter two-turn coil. Tuning is carried out at 21 MHz (0.5 T field) by a microprocessor controlled varactor. Studies conducted on a phantom are used to evaluate the signal/noise ratio and the spatial sensitivity of the coil according to different geometrical arrangements (saddle-shaped and two-turn). The results are compared with those obtained with the constructor's spine coil. The studies of patients described show good image resolution, even in the case of short sequences with thin slices and restricted fields of view. The clinical results and those obtained on the phantom demonstrate the feasibility and value of the device, particularly in examining anatomical regions of different forms.