Radio frequency (RF) coils and peripheral devices are key to the optimal operation of MRI systems. A well equipped MR system may typically rely on a dozen or more RF coils serving for the optimal collection of data in application specific experiments. This may include anatomically specific locations and/or different animal species. The CFMM has a long history in hardware and RF coil development and, since the establishment of the centre in 1996, have been designing and building purpose built RF coils for a wide variety of experiments.

The RF laboratory is situated in the heart of the CFMM serving both the 3T/7T and 9.4 T MRI suites. The lab itself is well equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation making RF device development, construction and servicing convenient. The equipment housed in the lab include frequency or spectrum analyzers (both desktop and handheld versions for in situ testing), digital oscilloscopes, frequency generators, power supplies and a myriad of tools necessary for any sophisticated RF project. An NC mill lab and machine shop, housed in the basement of the facility, serves as an extension to the RF lab giving us complete electro-mechanical capability in RF coil production.