A coil design termed as broadside-coupled loop (BCL) coil and based on the broadside-coupled split ring resonator (BC-SRR) is proposed as an alternative to a conventional loop design at 7T. The BCL coil has an inherent uniform current which assures the rotational symmetry of the radio-frequency field around the coil axis. A comparative analysis of the signal-to-noise ratio provided by BCL coils and conventional coils has been carried out by means of numerical simulations and experiments in a 7T whole body system.

In this brief review, we present the fundamentals of bulk resonant ring metamaterial (RRM) theory. Metamaterials made of resonant rings are discussed, and some basic design rules are provided. Homogenization (including spatial dispersion) of 3-D resonant ring latices is reviewed, with emphasis in isotropic designs. Edge effects in finite size metamaterial samples are discussed. Finally, possible applications and future trends are briefly reviewed.