A novel type of surface coil suitable for human magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is described. The radio frequency receiving unit consists of a coaxial transmission line resonator (TLR). Its high filling factor and loaded Q-value of about 140 result in a high signal-to-noise ratio and thus a high-quality image. The coaxial Faraday shield eliminates di-electric losses and capacitive detuning of conductive samples. The stabilizing effect of the TLR makes it unnecessary to tune the coil between imaging of patients. The TLR can be immediately adapted to the individual body contours of a patient. Regions of the body traditionally difficult to image (e.g., throat) are easily examined due to the flexibility of the coaxial cables. These advantages coupled with ease of handling and shorter preparation time have made the TLR a proved tool that has been successfully used in many areas of diagnostic MR imaging.