An MRI apparatus suitable for realizing selective excitation utilizing
multiple RF transmitting coils (parallel transmission) is provided. This
MRI apparatus is provided with, as an RF receiving coil or RF
transmitting coil, an RF transmitting coil 104 comprising a loop coil
210, primary differential coil 220 and secondary differential coil 230
having a common central axis 201. Upon imaging, the coils 210, 220 and
230 constituting the RF transmitting coil 104 are simultaneously driven
by RF signals with the same phase, and only the differential coils 220
and 230 are driven in the second half of irradiation time with phases
different by 180.degree. from the phases for the first half.
Alternatively, two times of measurements are performed as a pair, in
which, in the first measurement, the coils 210, 220 and 230 are
simultaneously driven with RF signals of the same phase, then in the
second measurement, only the differential coils 220 and 230 are driven
with phases inverse to the phases for the first measurement, and the
signals measured respectively are added. Such imaging or addition of the
results of two times of the measurement provides a profile for exciting a
local region. This enables selective excitation of only a desired region
without using any RF pulse for signal suppression.