An array coil for sensing signals in magnetic resonance experiments
incorporates the traditional loop-butterfly array elements at spaced
positions along an axis of the sample with additional stacked twisted
loops and/or twisted butterfly elements. The twisted loop and twisted
butterfly elements are centered along between the standard loop-butterfly
array elements. The twisted array elements are naturally isolated from
both the loop and butterfly. Alternatively, for a two dimensional mesh
array of loop elements, additional twisted loop array elements are added
with both longitudinal and transverse orientations, again centered
between loop elements. The goal is to allow separation of loop and/or
butterfly elements of linear (Spine), 2D planar arrays (Cardiac) or
cylindrical arrays of curved array elements (Head), for improved parallel
MRI capabilities such as the SENSE or SMASH techniques, but to recover
the SNR lost in between the elements and improve the g-factor of the
total array with additional orthogonal array elements.