高场磁共振成像1H/31P双调谐射频线圈研究进展

在众多可产生磁共振现象的原子核中,¹H核凭借其在生物体中含量高、磁共振信号强的优势,成为磁共振成像的主要研究对象．但其它杂核在生命科学相关研究中同样具有不可替代的独特性,如³¹P核广泛参与了生物体内的能量代谢过程,是非质子成像研究领域的重要内容．MRI向更高场强的发展使得杂核成像逐渐普及,其核心部件是高质量的¹H/³¹P双调谐射频线圈．本文总结了与¹H/³¹P双调谐射频线圈相关的研究与应用,展示了9.4 T下小鼠脑的质子磁共振成像及磁共振磷谱,并讨论了高场¹H/³¹P双调谐射频线圈的潜在应用价值．     

Transceiver-Phased Arrays for Human Brain Studies at 7 T

The paper describes technological advances in high-field (7 T) transceiver-phased arrays developed for magnetic resonance imaging of the human brain. The first part of this work describes an 8-element inductively decoupled split elliptical transceiver-phased array with selectable geometry, which provides an easy and efficient way of compensating for changes in mutual inductive coupling associated with difference in loading due to variability in head shape and size. The second part of the work describes a double-row 16-element (2 × 8) transceiver array to extend the homogeneous transmit B ₁ profile in the longitudinal direction. Multiplexing eight transmit channels between the two rows of the array provides homogeneous excitation over the entire volume. The final section describes design and construction of a double-tuned ³¹P/¹H 16-element (8 at each frequency) array. The array improves transmission efficiency and B ₁ homogeneity at ¹H frequency in comparison with ³¹P/¹H quadrature transverse electromagnetic volume coil. For ³¹P studies, the array also improves transmission efficiency (38%), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for central brain locations (20%) and provides substantially greater SNR (up to 400%) for peripheral locations.     

1H/31P双核并行磁共振成像线圈的研究与设计

本文通过对鸟笼线圈原理和阵列线圈去耦原理的分析,提出了一种适用于自主研发的多核并行磁共振成像（MRI）系统的双核并行成像线圈设计方案,并在电感去耦的基础上提出LC并联trap去耦法,提高了去耦方法的可适性．依据设计方案制作了¹H/³¹P双核并行成像线圈,并将其应用于4.7 T磁体系统,利用自主研发的多核并行MRI系统进行了并行成像实验测试,成功获得了¹H和³¹P的并行磁共振图像,验证了设计方案的可行性．     

Signal-to-noise ratio comparison of phased-array vs. implantable coil for rat spinal cord MRI

The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) performance and practicality issues of a four-element phased-array coil and an implantable coil system were compared for rat spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 7 T. MRI scans of the rat spinal cord at T10 were acquired from eight rats over a 3 week period using both coil systems, with and without laminectomy. The results demonstrate that both the phased array and the implantable coil systems are feasible options for rat spinal cord imaging at 7 T, with both systems providing adequate SNR for 100-mum spatial resolution at reasonable imaging times. The implantable coils provided significantly higher SNR, as compared to the phased array (average SNR gain of 5.3x between the laminectomy groups and 2.5x between the nonlaminectomy groups). The implantable coil system should be used if maximal SNR is critical, whereas the phased array is a good choice for its ease of use and lesser invasiveness.     

A transmit/receive volume strip array and its mode mixing theory in MRI

MRI is increasingly moving towards higher magnetic field, prompting the need for multi-port transmit/receive RF coil arrays to overcome high-frequency limitations such as penetration depth and dielectric resonance effects. In this work, an arbitrary n-element transmit/receive volume strip array (VSA) and an associated mixing mode theory are described to understand the behavior of a multiple-port cyclic symmetrical VSA in both the physical port space and the complementary mode space; the relations between the two spaces are explicitly formulated. The advantage of mode-space analysis is that an arbitrary n x n impedance matrix which describes any VSA in port space can be diagonalized to a diagonal n x n matrix; thus an analytical solution of Kirchhoff's laws for the VSA becomes manageable when n is large. Based on such an analytical solution, we can (a) generate excitation profile of any desired mixed mode during transmission by manipulating external power sources without the need of physically tuning VSA to the mixed mode; (b) identify the sensitivity profiles of the complementary mode distributions during reception, which were unknown in quadrature and decoupled coils. Many predictions are rigidly verified by extensive test measurements from network analyzer and by MR imaging experiments.     

An efficient (1)H/(31)P double-resonance solid-state NMR probe that utilizes a scroll coil

The construction and performance of a scroll coil double-resonance probe for solid-state NMR on stationary samples is described. The advantages of the scroll coil at the high resonance frequencies of (1)H and (31)P include: high efficiency, minimal perturbations of tuning by a wide range of samples, minimal RF sample heating of high dielectric samples of biopolymers in aqueous solution, and excellent RF homogeneity. The incorporation of a cable tie cinch for mechanical stability of the scroll coil is described. Experimental results obtained on a Hunter Killer Peptide 1 (HKP1) interacting with phospholipid bilayers of varying lipid composition demonstrate the capabilities of this probe on lossy aqueous samples.     

An optimized solenoidal head radiofrequency coil for low-field magnetic resonance imaging

Applications of low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems (<0.3 T) are limited due to the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) being lower than that provided by systems based on superconductive magnets (≥1.5 T). Therefore, the design of radiofrequency (RF) coils for low-field MRI requires careful consideration as significant gains in SNR can be achieved with the proper design of the RF coil. This article describes an analytical method for the optimization of solenoidal coils. Coil and sample losses are analyzed to provide maximum SNR and optimum B₁ field homogeneity. The calculations are performed for solenoidal coils optimized for the human head at 0.2 T, but the method could also be applied to any solenoidal coil for imaging other anatomical regions at low field. Several coils were constructed to compare experimental and theoretical results. A head magnetic resonance image obtained at 0.2 T with the optimum design is presented.     

Three-dimensional H spectroscopic imaging of cerebral metabolites in the rat using surface coils

Three dimensional metabolite maps of protonated metabolites were obtained using ¹H magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging at 7 T. Surface coils were used to increase sensitivity and spatial resolution significantly over a volume coil two-dimensional acquisition. Adiabatic pulses were employed to provide homogeneous B₁ excitation and frequency selective refocusing over the volume of the rat brain. These techniques were employed to obtain three-dimensional spectroscopic imaging spectra from nominal voxel volumes of 9–30 μl from rat brain. The improved spatial resolution and sensitivity are also demonstrated with studies of focal ischemia in the rat.     

The rapid and automatic combination of proton MRSI data using multi-channel coils without water suppression

The use of multi-channel coils can efficiently increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of magnetic resonance spectroscopy data if the signals from multiple channels are optimally combined. Combining multi-channel signals requires proper alignment of the phases of the signals from each of the elements of the coil and then accurately weighting the summation of those signals. We present a procedure for acquiring proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) data using an eight-channel coil without water suppression and a rapid and robust method that uses unsuppressed water signal as a reference both for aligning the phases and for weighting the summation of signals that originate in the multiple coil elements. We use both computer simulation and in vivo proton MRSI data to demonstrate the advantages of our method for optimizing the SNR of the combined signal compared with the SNRs of signals that were acquired either using a standard volume head coil or using an eight-channel coil with a metabolite signal as the reference for combination.     

Design of a capacitively decoupled transmit/receive NMR phased array for high field microscopy at 14.1T

A design is presented for a "phased array" of four transmit/receive saddle-geometry volume coils for microimaging at 600 MHz within a 45 mm clear-bore vertical magnet. The small size of the coils, approximately 10 mm in length, and high frequency of operation both present considerable challenges for the design of a phased array. The particular design consists of four saddle coils, stacked vertically, in order to produce an array suitable for imaging samples, typical of many microimaging studies, with a large length:diameter ratio. Optimal coil overlap is used to reduce the mutual inductance between adjacent coils, and capacitive networks are used to maximize the isolation between all of the coils. Standard 50 Omega input impedance preamplifiers are used so that the preamplifiers do not have to be integrated directly into the probe. Isolation between coils was better than 20 dB for all coil pairs. An increase in signal-to-noise of 70 +/- 3% was achieved, averaged over the whole array, compared to a single coil of the same dimensions. High resolution phased array images are shown for ex vivo tissue samples.     

Transmit-Only/Receive-Only Radiofrequency System for Hyperpolarized 13C MRS Cardiac Metabolism Studies in Pigs

Hyperpolarized ¹³C magnetic resonance spectroscopy in pig models enables metabolic activity mapping, providing a powerful tool for the study of the heart physiology, but requires the development of dedicated radiofrequency coils, capable of providing large field of view with high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) data. This work describes the simulations and the tests of a transmit-only (TX) volume coil/receive-only (RX) surface coil both designed for hyperpolarized studies of pig heart with a clinical 3T scanner. The coil characterization is performed by developing an SNR model for coil performance in terms of coil resistance, sample-induced resistance and magnetic field pattern. In particular, coil resistances were calculated from Ohm’s law, while magnetic field patterns and sample-induced resistances were calculated using a numerical finite-difference time-domain algorithm. Experimental phantom chemical shift image, showed good agreement with the theoretical SNR-vs-depth profiles and highlighted the advantage of the novel configuration over the single transmit–receive coils throughout the volume of interest for cardiac imaging in pig. Finally, the TX-birdcage/RX-circular configuration was tested by acquiring metabolic maps with hyperpolarized [1-13C] pyruvate injected i.v. in a pig. The results of the phantom and pig experiments show the ability of the coil configuration to image well the metabolites distribution.     

Spectroscopic imaging of the brain with phased-array coils at 3.0 T

The goal of this study was to develop and evaluate high-resolution magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) utilizing the gains in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) provided by combining higher magnetic field with high-sensitivity phased-array (PA) coils. We investigated the maximum improvement in spatial resolution as small as 0.09 cm(3) for brain MRSI while maintaining adequate SNR and acquisition time. The use of low peak power, dual-band spectral-spatial pulses was also investigated for application to 3 T MRSI of the brain using the body coil for radiofrequency excitation and PA coils for signal reception.     

一种可拆装式的脑外科手术用磁共振成像线圈

在临床磁共振成像(MRI)应用中,射频线圈的设计是非常关键的,针对不同的应用目的,合适的线圈能获得质量更好的图像. 有的应用需要线圈提供均匀性较好的射频场,而有的应用则需要线圈在特定区域内提供高的信噪比(SNR). 但是线圈很难同时得到好的射频场（B₁场）、空间均匀性和高的SNR,需要根据实际应用情况进行折衷设计. 针对MRI在脑外科手术中的应用特点,设计并制作了一种新颖的、适用于脑外科手术的MRI接收和发射共用射频线圈. 该线圈采用可分拆式结构,在脑外科手术支架上可以进行反复组装和拆卸,减少了MRI对医生手术的影响. 仿真结果和人体成像实验表明,该线圈能产生均匀的射频场、有较高的SNR和较大的成像范围,满足脑外科手术的需要.     

Quantitation of localized (31)P magnetic resonance spectra based on the reciprocity principle

There is a need for absolute quantitation methods in (31)P magnetic resonance spectroscopy, because none of the phosphorous-containing metabolites is necessarily constant in pathology. Here, a method for absolute quantitation of in vivo (31)P MR spectra that provides reproducible metabolite contents in institutional or standard units is described. It relies on the reciprocity principle, i.e., the proportionality between the B(1) field map and the map of reception strength for a coil with identical relative current distributions in receive and transmit mode. Cerebral tissue contents of (31)P metabolites were determined in a predominantly white matter-containing location in healthy subjects. The results are in good agreement with the literature and the interexamination coefficient of variance is better than that in most previous studies. A gender difference found for some of the (31)P metabolites may be explained by different voxel composition.     

Intracranial microvascular imaging at 7 T MRI with transceiver RF coils

Purpose

To investigate intracranial microvascular images with transceiver radio-frequency (RF) coils at ultra-high field 7 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Materials and methods

We designed several types of RF coils for the study of 7 T magnetic resonance angiography and analyzed quantitatively each coil's performance in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) profiles to evaluate the usefulness of RF coils for microvascular imaging applications. We also obtained the microvascular images with different resolutions and parallel imaging technique.

Results

The overlapped 6-channel (ch) transceiver coil exhibited the highest performance for angiographic imaging. Although other multi-channel coils, such as 4- or 8-ch, were also suitable for fast imaging, these coils performed poorly in homogeneity or SNR for angiographic imaging. Furthermore, the 8-ch coil was poor in SNR at the center of the brain, while it had the highest SNR at the periphery.

Conclusion

The present study has demonstrated that the overlapped 6-ch coil with large-size loop coils provided the best performance for microvascular imaging or angiography with the ultra-high-field 7 T MRI, mainly because of its long penetration depth together with high SNR.     

Hybrid Monopole/Loop Coil Array for Human Head MR Imaging at 7 T

The monopole coil and loop coil have orthogonal radiofrequency (RF) fields and thus are intrinsically decoupled electromagnetically if they are laid out appropriately. In this study, we proposed a hybrid monopole/loop technique which could combine the advantages of both loop arrays and monopole arrays. To investigate this technique, a hybrid RF coil array containing four monopole channels and four loop channels was developed for human head magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at 7 T. In vivo MR imaging and g-factor results using monopole-only channels, loop-only channels and all channels of the hybrid array were acquired and evaluated. Compared with the monopole-only and loop-only channels, the proposed hybrid array has the higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and better parallel imaging performance. Sufficient electromagnetic decoupling and diverse RF magnetic field (B₁) distributions of monopole channels and loop channels may contribute to this performance improvement. From experimental results, the hybrid monopole/loop array has low g-factor and excellent SNR at both periphery and center of the brain, which is valuable for human head imaging at ultrahigh fields.     

一种用于开放式MRI的射频发射线圈设计

介绍了一种用于开放式MRI系统的射频发射线圈. 此发射线圈为上下2个相同的线圈,分别安装在磁体的2极,两线圈采用非对称的正交方式放置. 线圈为矩形螺线管结构,通过电磁场数值计算的方法对线圈的匝间距进行了优化,使线圈在300 mm的球形区域内达到偏差不超过3 dB的均匀性要求. 根据优化结果制作了一套用于0.23 T开放式MRI系统的发射线圈,并对线圈的均匀性及射频发射的效率进行了测试. 测试结果表明,线圈具有较高的发射效率和较好的均匀性,由此验证了设计方案的可行性.     

鼠S180肉瘤的体内31P MRS研究

利用表面线圈³¹P NMR研究了小鼠S180肉瘤生长过程中能量代谢和磷脂类变化的特点.结果发现:随着肿瘤体积的增大,(1)Pi和PME升高;(2)PCr降低,在肿瘤体积较大时常检测不到;(3)β-NTP(通常用来表示ATP的量)变化较小;(4)PDE波动性较大;(5)PCr/Pi和β-NTP/Pi比值均下降,且PCr/Pi比β-NTP/Pi下降得快;(6)PME/β-NTP比值升高;(7)肿瘤pH下降,且与PCr/Pi、β-NTP/Pi或(PCr+β-NTP)/Pi比值有相关性.讨论了与这些参数变化相关联的生物学意义.     

Experimental development of a petal resonator surface coil

A surface coil for MRI was designed and built based on the principles of the petal resonator proposed by Mansfield [J Phys D Appl Phys 21 (1988) 1643]. This resonator coil design was named the petal resonator surface (PERES) coil and is composed of an eight-petal coil array and a central circular coil. A minimum separation of three times the petal coil radius is necessary to significantly decrease the mutual inductance. An analytical function for the PERES Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is obtained based on the quasistatic method. Theoretical plots of SNR enhancement yielded 26% and 35% more SNR over the circular coil and phased-array coils. Imaging experiments were first performed using a spectroscopy phantom on a 1.5-T commercial imager. Subsequently, brain images of healthy volunteers were obtained. Clinical MR imager compatibility allows this resonator coil to be used with conventional pulse sequences and imaging protocols. This coil design offers a new alternative to existing surface coils because it significantly increases the SNR.     

4T split TEM volume head and knee coils for improved sensitivity and patient accessibility

Split RF coils offer improved patient access by eliminating the need for the coil to be slid over the region of interest. For unshielded birdcage coils, the presence of end ring currents necessitates a direct electrical connection between two halves of the coil. For high-field (>3T) shielded birdcage coils, both the shield and the coil must be split and reliably connected electrically. This problem can be circumvented by the use of split TEM volume coils. Since the elements of a TEM coil are coupled inductively, no direct electrical connection between the halves is necessary. In this work we demonstrate that the effects of splitting the shield for head and knee TEMs can be compensated for, and performance retained. For the knee, the improved access allowed the coil diameter to be reduced, enhancing the sensitivity by 15-20%.