Apparatus for producing magnetic resonance (MR) images of a subject over a limited volume, including a patient table, and a shielded unit housed under the patient table, the shielded unit including an RF pulse generator module, a magnet assembly for producing a static magnetic field in magnetic structure including a shaped magnetic "C" core, a gradient field generating assembly for generating magnetic field gradients in two orthogonal planes for producing MR images, a radiofrequency (RF) coil assembly for transmitting a broad band radiofrequency pulse and a RF field matching structure to simulate an infinite volume to the RF coil assembly, wherein the RF coil assembly detects a plurality of MR signals induced from a subject in response to RF pulses from the RF pulse generator.