PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus which can image the different sites (typically the spine and the belly) of a subject with little trouble to exchange receiving high-frequency coils for the sites, and can collect magnetic resonance signals with optimal sensitivities for each of the sites.SOLUTION: The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a plurality of high-frequency coil assemblies and imaging means, wherein the plurality of high-frequency coil assemblies have a plurality of their respective surface coils for receiving high-frequency magnetic resonance signals generated in the subjects to according to the inclined magnetic pulses and the high-frequency magnetic pulses loaded on the subject put in a static magnetic field according to a given sequence and the imaging means can exchange a first imaging processing and a second imaging processing to according to the imaged sites of the subject, wherein the first imaging processing bases on the magnetic resonance signal output from each of the plurality of high-frequency coil assemblies, and the second imaging processing bases on the magnetic resonance signal output from one of the plurality of high-frequency coil assemblies.COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT【課題】被験者の異なる部位(典型的には、脊椎と腹部)を撮像する場合でも、受信用高周波コイルを入れ替える手間が少なくなり、かつ、各々の部位に最適な感度で磁気共鳴信号を収集することができるようにする。【解決手段】実施形態の磁気共鳴撮像装置は、静磁場に置かれた被験者に所定のシーケンスに従って印加される傾斜磁場パルス及び高周波磁場パルスに応じて当該被験者に生じる高周波の磁気共鳴信号を受信する複数の表面コイルを夫々が有する複数の高周波コイルアセンブリと、前記複数の高周波コイルアセンブリの夫々から出力される磁気共鳴信号に基づく第1の画像化処理と、前記複数の高周波コイルアセンブリのうちの1つの高周波コイルアセンブリから出力される磁気共鳴信号に基づく第2の画像化処理とを、前記被験者の撮像部位に応じて切り換え切能な画像化手段とを備えたことを特徴とする。【選択図】 図9
