A volume microstrip RF coil for MRI microscopy

Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of small samples such as a single cell or cell clusters require application of radiofrequency (RF) coils that provide homogenous B₁ field distribution and high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).We present a novel design of an MRI RF volume microcoil based on a microstrip structure. The coil consists of two parallel microstrip elements conducting RF currents in the opposite directions, thus creating homogenous RF field within the space between the microstrips. The construction of the microcoil is simple, efficient and cost-effective.Theoretical calculations and finite element method simulations were used to optimize the coil geometry to achieve optimal B₁ and SNR distributions within the sample and predict parameters of the coil. The theoretical calculations were confirmed with MR images of a 1-mm-diameter capillary and a plant obtained with the double microstrip RF microcoil at 11.7 T. The in-plane resolution of MR images was 24 μm×24 μm.     

A microstrip transmission line volume coil for human head MR imaging at 4T

A high-frequency RF volume coil based on the use of microstrip transmission line (MTL) has been developed for in vivo 1H MR applications on the human head at 4T. This coil is characterized by major advantages: (i) completely distributed coil circuit, (ii) high-quality factor (Q), (iii) simple coil structure, and (iv) better sensitivity and less signal-intensity variation in the MR image of the human head compared with an RF shielded birdcage coil of similar coil size. The proposed MTL volume coil does not require additional RF shielding for preventing Q degradation from radiation losses due to the unique MTL structure; thus, it provides a maximal useable space inside the volume coil when compared with most volume coils available at high fields with the same overall coil size. The intrinsic B(1) distribution of the MTL volume coil effectively compensates for the dielectric resonance effect at 4T and improves the signal homogeneity in human head MR images in the transaxial planes. The results of this study demonstrate that the MTL volume coil design provides an efficient and simple solution to RF volume coil design for human MR studies at high fields.     

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.     

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.     

Practical design of a 4 Tesla double-tuned RF surface coil for interleaved 1H and 23Na MRI of rat brain

MRI is proving to be a very useful tool for sodium quantification in animal models of stroke, ischemia, and cancer. In this work, we present the practical design of a dual-frequency RF surface coil that provides (1)H and (23)Na images of the rat head at 4 T. The dual-frequency RF surface coil comprised of a large loop tuned to the (1)H frequency and a smaller co-planar loop tuned to the (23)Na frequency. The mutual coupling between the two loops was eliminated by the use of a trap circuit inserted in the smaller coil. This independent-loop design was versatile since it enabled a separate optimisation of the sensitivity and RF field distributions of the two coils. To allow for an easy extension of this simple double-tuned coil design to other frequencies (nuclei) and dimensions, we describe in detail the practical aspects of the workbench design and MRI testing using a phantom that mimics in vivo conditions. A comparison between our independent-loop, double-tuned coil and a single-tuned (23)Na coil of equal size obtained with a phantom matching in vivo conditions, showed a reduction of the (23)Na sensitivity (about 28 %) because of signal losses in the trap inductance. Typical congruent (1)H and (23)Na rat brain images showing good SNR ((23)Na: brain 7, ventricular cerebrospinal fluid 11) and spatial resolution ((23)Na: 1.25 x 1.25 x 5mm(3)) are also reported. The in vivo SNR values obtained with this coil were comparable to, if not better than, other contemporary designs in the literature.     

In vivo K, Na and H MR imaging using a triple resonant RF coil setup

The maintenance of a gradient of potassium and sodium ions across the cell membranes is essential for the physiological function of the mammal organism. The measurement of the spatial distribution of pathologically changing ion concentrations of ²³Na and ³⁹K with magnetic resonance imaging offers a promising approach in clinical diagnostics to measure tissue viability. Existing studies were focused mainly on ²³Na imaging as well as spectroscopy with only one post-mortem study for ³⁹K imaging. In this paper a triple resonant RF coil setup for the rat head at 9.4 T is presented for imaging of both nuclei (²³Na and ³⁹K) and the acquisition of anatomical proton images in the same experiment without moving the subject or the RF coil. In vivo MR images of ³⁹K and ²³Na in the rat brain were acquired as well as anatomical proton images in the same scanning session.     

A practical multinuclear transceiver volume coil for in vivo MRI/MRS at 7 T

A practical multinuclear transceiver RF volume coil with improved efficiency for in vivo small animal ¹H/¹³C/²³Na MR applications at the ultrahigh magnetic field of 7 T is reported. In the proposed design, the coil's resonance frequencies for ¹H and ¹³C are realized by using a traditional double-tuned approach, while the resonant frequency for ²³Na, which is only some 4 MHz away from the ¹³C frequency, is tuned based upon ¹³C channel by easy-operating capacitive “frequency switches”. In contrast to the traditional triple-tuned volume coil, the volume coil with the proposed design possesses less number of resonances, which helps improve the coil efficiency and alleviate the design and operation difficulties. This coil design strategy is advantageous and well suitable for multinuclear MR imaging and spectroscopy studies, particularly in the case where Larmor frequencies of nuclei in question are not separate enough. The prototype multinuclear coil was demonstrated in the desired unshielded design for easy construction and experiment implementation at 7 T. The design method may provide a practical and robust solution to designing multinuclear RF volume coils for in vivo MR imaging and spectroscopy at ultrahigh fields. Finite difference time domain method simulations for evaluating the design and 7-T MR experiment results acquired using the prototype coil are presented.     

MRI methodological development of intervertebral disc degeneration: a rabbit in vivo study at 9.4 T

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is a complex process characterized by biochemical and structural changes in both the nucleus pulposus and the anulus fibrosus. In this study, we were able to obtain in vivo magnetic resonance (MR) images of the rabbit spine, with several MR imaging (MRI) contrasts (ρ, T₁ and T₂). We quantified several parameters (T₂, apparent diffusion coefficient, disc height and area) to differentiate between healthy and degenerative IVDs and to characterize the degeneration process. To our knowledge, there has not been any previous in vivo study of rabbit IVDs at high-field MRI (9.4 T).A custom radio frequency (RF) coil for 9.4 T was designed to match rabbit IVD morphology, to study the degeneration in vivo on a model of human lumbar disease. Our new probe, a custom half-birdcage-type coil, obtains the necessary exploration depth while meeting the requirements for signal homogeneity and sensitivity of the study. This design addresses some of the difficulties with constructing RF coils at high field strengths.     

A novel RF coil configuration for in-vivo and ex-vivo imaging of arthritic rabbit knee joints

The purpose of this study was to design and build an optimized Radio Frequency (RF) coil configuration, that would facilitate the acquisition of high resolution 3-dimensional (3D) images of arthritic and normal rabbit knees. A surface coil transmit surface coil receive configuration was built, in order to ensure adequate B(1) homogeneity over the imaging volume and maximum filling factor, and hence to maximize the Signal to Noise ratio (SNR) and resolution of the 3-dimensional images. The two coils were passively decoupled using crossed diodes and lambda/4 lines, both during the transmit and receive phases of the imaging experiment. A specialized animal bed, to optimize the use of the coils and minimize the experiment setup time was designed and constructed. Three dimensional images of resolution 156 x 156 x 468 microm, were acquired in 20 min; the results, in terms both of the high resolution images and the ease with which the experimental setup could be reproduced, demonstrated that this configuration is ideal for imaging rabbit knee joints.     

Initial in vivo rodent sodium and proton MR imaging at 21.1 T

The first in vivo sodium and proton magnetic resonance (MR) images and localized spectra of rodents were attained using the wide bore (105 mm) high resolution 21.1-T magnet, built and operated at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (Tallahassee, FL, USA). Head images of normal mice (C57BL/6J) and Fisher rats (∼250 g) were acquired with custom designed radiofrequency probes at frequencies of 237/900 MHz for sodium and proton, respectively. Sodium MR imaging resolutions of ∼0.125 μl for mouse and rat heads were achieved by using a 3D back-projection pulse sequence. A gain in SNR of ∼3 for sodium and ∼2 times for proton were found relative to corresponding MR images acquired at 9.4 T. 3D Fast Low Angle Shot (FLASH) proton mouse images (50×50×50 μm³) were acquired in 90 min and corresponding rat images (100×100×100 μm³) within a total time of 120 min. Both in vivo large rodent MR imaging and localized spectroscopy at the extremely high field of 21.1 T are feasible and demonstrate improved resolution and sensitivity valuable for structural and functional brain analysis.     

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.     

A novel radio frequency coil for veterinary magnetic resonance imaging system

In this article,a novel designed radio frequency (RF) coil is designed and built for the imaging of puppies in a V-shape permanent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system.Two sets of Helmholtz coil pairs with a V-shape structure are used to improve the holding of an animal in the coil.The homogeneity and the sensitivity of the RF field in the coil are analysed by theoretical calculation.The size and the shape of the new coil are optimized and validated by simulation through using the finite element method (FEM).Good magnetic resonance (MR) images are achieved on a shepherd dog.     

Design of an interventional magnetic resonance imaging coil for cerebral surgery

In clinical magnetic resonance imaging(MRI),the design of the radiofrequency(RF) coil is very important.For certain applications,the appropriate coil can produce an improved image quality.However,it is difficult to achieve a uniform B1 field and a high signal-to-noise ratio(SNR) simultaneously.In this article,we design an interventional transmitter-and-receiver RF coil for cerebral surgery.This coil adopts a disassembly structure that can be assembled and disassembled repeatedly on the cerebral surgery gantry to reduce the amount of interference from the MRI during surgery.The simulation results and the imaging experiments demonstrate that this coil can produce a uniform RF field,a high SNR,and a large imaging range to meet the requirements of the cerebral surgery.     

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.     

A four-element phased array coil for high resolution and parallel MR imaging of the knee

A four-element phased array coil for MR imaging of the knee was designed, built and tested for clinical use at 1.5 Tesla. In routine imaging, it provides over twofold increase in signal-to-noise (SNR) compared to two commercially available knee coils, and supports higher spatial image resolution. The phased array knee coil was also tested for its compatibility with parallel MR imaging that reduces imaging time by several folds over conventional MR technique. Results obtained using SiMultaneous Acquisition of Spatial Harmonics (SMASH) technique shows that our phased array knee coil can be used with parallel MR imaging. These improvements may enhance knee diagnosis with higher image quality and reduced scan time.     

A dual-tuned quadrature volume coil with mixed λ/2 and λ/4 microstrip resonators for multinuclear MRSI at 7 T

In this work, an eight-element by eight-element dual-tuned quadrature volume coil with a mix of capacitor terminated half-wavelength (λ/2) and quarter-wavelength (λ/4) microstrip resonators is proposed for multinuclear magnetic resonance imaging/spectroscopy studies at 7 T. In the proton channel, λ/2 microstrip resonators with capacitive terminations on both ends are employed for operation at higher frequency of 298.1 MHz; in the heteronucleus channel, capacitor-terminated λ/4 resonators, suitable for low frequency operations, are used to meet the low frequency requirement. This mixed structure design is particularly advantageous for high field heteronuclei magnetic resonance applications with large difference in Larmor frequency of the nuclei in question. The proposed design method makes it much easier to perform frequency tuning for heteronucleus channel using a variable capacitor with a practical capacitance range. As an example, a dual-tuned volume coil for (1)H/(13)C mouse spectroscopic imaging was proposed to demonstrate the feasibility of this method. The finite-difference time-domain method is first used to model this dual-tuned volume coil and calculate the B(1) field distributions at two frequencies. Transmission parameters (S(21)) measured between the proton channel and the carbon channel are -50 dB at 75 MHz and -35 dB at 298 MHz, showing the excellent isolation between the two channels at 7 T. The proton image and (13)C FIDCSI image of a corn oil phantom on the axial plane at 7 T demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method. A preliminary proton image of a mouse on the sagittal plane is also acquired using the proposed dual-tuned volume coil at 7 T, illustrating a fairly uniform B(1) field and sufficient image coverage for imaging in mice.     

Helmholtz-pair transmit coil with integrated receive array for high-resolution MRI of trabecular bone in the distal tibia at 7T

A Helmholtz-pair local transmit RF coil with an integrated four-element receive array RF coil and foot immobilization platform was designed and constructed for imaging the distal tibia in a whole-body 7T MRI scanner. Simulations and measurements of the B(1) field distribution of the transmit coil are described, along with SAR considerations for operation at 7T. Results of imaging the trabecular bone of three volunteers at 1.5T, 3T and 7T are presented, using identical 1.5T and 3T versions of the 7T four-element receive array. The spatially registered images reveal improved visibility for individual trabeculae and show average gains in SNR of 2.8× and 4.9× for imaging at 7T compared to 3T and 1.5T, respectively. The results thus display an approximately linear dependence of SNR with field strength and enable the practical utility of 7T scanners for micro-MRI of trabecular bone.     

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.     

In vivo measurements of multi-component T2 relaxation behaviour in guinea pig brain

Multi-echo Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) imaging sequences were implemented on 1.5 T and 4.0 T imaging systems to test their ability to measure in vivo multi-component T2 relaxation behavior in normal guinea pig brain. The known dependence of accurate T2 measurements on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was explored in vivo by comparing T2 decay data obtained using three methods to increase SNR (improved RF coil design, signal averaging and increased magnetic field strength). Good agreement between T2 values of nickel-doped agarose phantoms was found between imaging and spectroscopic methods. T2 values were determined for gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) locations from images of guinea pig brain in vivo. T2 measurements of GM were found to be monoexponential at both field strengths. The mean T2 times for GM were 71 ms at 1.5 T, and 53 ms at 4.0T. The highest average SNR was achieved using an improved RF coil at 4.0T. In this case, two peaks were extracted in WM, a "short" T2 peak at approximately 6 ms, and a "medium" T2 peak at approximately 48 ms. T2 values in GM and the major component of WM were significantly decreased at 4.0T compared to 1.5 T. The improved SNR attained with this optimized imaging protocol at 4.0T has allowed for the first time extraction of the myelin-sensitive T2 component of WM in animal brain in vivo.     

Optimization of a transmit/receive surface coil for squirrel monkey spinal cord imaging

MR Imaging the spinal cord of non-human primates (NHP), such as squirrel monkey, is important since the injuries in NHP resemble those that afflict human spinal cords. Our previous studies have reported a multi-parametric MRI protocol, including functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, quantitative magnetization transfer and chemical exchange saturation transfer, which allows non-invasive detection and monitoring of injury-associated structural, functional and molecular changes over time. High signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is critical for obtaining high-resolution images and robust estimates of MRI parameters. In this work, we describe our construction and use of a single channel coil designed to maximize the SNR for imaging the squirrel monkey cervical spinal cord in a 21 cm bore magnet at 9.4 T. We first numerically optimized the coil dimension of a single loop coil and then evaluated the benefits of a quadrature design. We then built an optimized coil based on the simulation results and compared its SNR performance with a non-optimized single coil in both phantoms and in vivo.