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Boulant N, Ma S, Walker E, Beckett A, Vu AT, Gunamony S, Feinberg DA. Acoustic noise reduction in the NexGen 7 T scanner. Magn Reson Med 2024; 92:2261-2270. [PMID: 39004827 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Driven by the Lorentz force, acoustic noise may arguably be the next physiological challenge associated with ultra-high field MRI scanners and powerful gradient coils. This work consisted of isolating and mitigating the main sound pathway in the NexGen 7 T scanner equipped with the investigational Impulse head gradient coil. METHODS Sound pressure level (SPL) measurements were performed with and without the RF coil to assess its acoustic impact. Vibration measurements were carried out on the gradient coil, the RF coil, and on the patient table to distinguish the different vibration mechanisms and pathways. Vibrations of the RF coil were modified by either making contact with the patient bore liner with padding material or by changing directly the RF shield with phosphor bronze mesh material. RESULTS SPL and vibration measurements demonstrated that eddy-currents induced in the RF shield were the primary cause of acoustic noise. Replacing the conventional solid copper shield with phosphor bronze mesh material altered the vibrations of the RF shield and decreased SPL by 6 to 8 dB at the highest frequencies in EPI, depending on the gradient axis, while boosting the transmit B1 + field by 15%. Padding led to slightly less sound reduction on the X and Z gradient axes, but with minimal impact for the Y axis. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates the potential importance of eddy-current induced vibrations in the RF coil in terms of acoustic noise and opens new horizons for mitigation measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Boulant
- CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, University of Paris-Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, France
- Brain Imaging Center, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Advanced MRI technologies, Sebastopol, California, USA
| | - Samantha Ma
- Siemens Healthcare, Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Erica Walker
- Brain Imaging Center, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Advanced MRI technologies, Sebastopol, California, USA
| | - Alexander Beckett
- Brain Imaging Center, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Advanced MRI technologies, Sebastopol, California, USA
| | - An T Vu
- University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Shajan Gunamony
- Imaging Centre of Excellence, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - David A Feinberg
- Brain Imaging Center, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Advanced MRI technologies, Sebastopol, California, USA
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2
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Boğa Ç, Henning A. Bilateral orthogonality generative acquisitions method for homogeneous T 2 * images using parallel transmission at 7 T. Magn Reson Med 2024. [PMID: 39375826 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 09/14/2024] [Accepted: 09/18/2024] [Indexed: 10/09/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The novel bilateral orthogonality generative acquisitions method has been developed for homogeneousT 2 * $$ {\mathrm{T}}_2^{\ast } $$ images without the effects of transmit field inhomogeneity using a parallel-transmission (pTx) system at 7 T. THEORY AND METHODS A new method has been introduced using four low-angle gradient-echo (GRE) acquisitions to obtain homogeneousT 2 * $$ {\mathrm{T}}_2^{\ast } $$ contrast by removing the effects of transmit field inhomogeneity in the pTx system. First, two input images are obtained in circularly polarized mode and another mode in which the first transmit channel or channel group have an additional transmit phase of π. The last two acquisitions are single-channel acquisitions for a dual-channel system or single-channel group acquisitions for more than two channels. The introduced method is demonstrated in dual-channel and eight-channel pTx systems using phantom and whole-brain in vivo experiments. Noise performance of the proposed method is also tested against the ratio of two GRE acquisitions and the TIAMO (time-interleaved acquisitions of modes) method. RESULTS Th new method results in more homogeneousT 2 * $$ {\mathrm{T}}_2^{\ast } $$ contrast in the final images than the compared methods, particularly in the low-intensity regions of circularly polarized-mode images for the images obtained via ratio of the two GRE acquisitions. CONCLUSION The introduced method is easy to implement, robust, and provides homogeneousT 2 * $$ {\mathrm{T}}_2^{\ast } $$ images of the whole brain using pTx systems with any number of channels, compared with the ratio of the two GRE images and the TIAMO method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Çelik Boğa
- UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Anke Henning
- UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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Solomakha GA, Glang F, Bosch D, Steffen T, Scheffler K, Avdievich NI. Dynamic parallel imaging at 9.4 T using reconfigurable receive coaxial dipoles. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2024; 37:e5118. [PMID: 38342102 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.5118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
Parallel imaging is one of the key MRI technologies that allow reduction of image acquisition time. However, the parallel imaging reconstruction commonly leads to a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) drop evaluated using a so-called geometrical factor (g-factor). The g-factor is minimized by increasing the number of array elements and their spatial diversity. At the same time, increasing the element count requires a decrease in their size. This may lead to insufficient coil loading, an increase in the relative noise contribution from the RF coil itself, and hence SNR reduction. Previously, instead of increasing the channel number, we introduced the concept of electronically switchable time-varying sensitivities, which was shown to improve parallel imaging performance. In this approach, each reconfigurable receive element supports two spatially distinct sensitivity profiles. In this work, we developed and evaluated a novel eight-element human head receive-only reconfigurable coaxial dipole array for human head imaging at 9.4 T. In contrast to the previously reported reconfigurable dipole array, the new design does not include direct current (DC) control wires connected directly to the dipoles. The coaxial cable itself is used to deliver DC voltage to the PIN diodes located at the ends of the antennas. Thus, the novel reconfigurable coaxial dipole design opens a way to scale the dynamic parallel imaging up to a realistic number of channels, that is, 32 and above. The novel array was optimized and tested experimentally, including in vivo studies. It was found that dynamic sensitivity switching provided an 8% lower mean and 33% lower maximum g-factor (for Ry × Rz = 2 × 2 acceleration) compared with conventional static sensitivities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgiy A Solomakha
- Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Felix Glang
- Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dario Bosch
- Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Theodor Steffen
- Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nikolai I Avdievich
- Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
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4
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Dudysheva N, Mauconduit F, Abdeddaim R, Gapais PF, Hosseinnezhadian S, Dubois M, Amadon A, Boulant N, Hertz-Pannier L, Vignaud A. The restricted SAR protocol: A method to assess MRI coil prototypes in an unconditionally safe manner. Magn Reson Med 2024; 91:1723-1734. [PMID: 38084471 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Testing an RF coil prototype on subjects involves laborious verifications to ensure its safety. In particular, it requires preliminary electromagnetic simulations and their validations on phantoms to accurately predict the specific absorption rate (SAR). For coil design validation with a simpler safety procedure, the restricted SAR (rS) mode is proposed, enabling representative first experiments in vivo. The goal of the developed approach is to accelerate the transition of a custom coil system from prototype to clinical use. METHODS The restricted specific absorption rate (SAR) (rS) mode imposes a radical limitation on the transmitted RF power based on a worst-case scenario of local RF power absorption. The limitations used are independent of the SAR spatial distribution, making this approach unconditionally safe. The developed rS protocol contains the sequences required for coil evaluation and satisfies the imposed rS conditions. It provides a quantitative characterization of the coil transmission and reception profiles and a qualitative evaluation of the anatomical images. Protocol validation was performed on commercial and pre-industrial prototype coils on a small cohort of healthy volunteers. RESULTS The proposed rS protocol enables coil evaluation within an acquisition time compatible with common clinical protocol duration. The total time of all evaluation steps does not exceed 17 min. At the same time, the global SAR remains 100 times less than the International Electrotechnical Commission safety limit for played sequences. CONCLUSION The rS protocol allows characterizing and comparing coil prototypes on volunteers without extensive electromagnetic calculations and phantom validations in an unconditionally safe way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Dudysheva
- Paris-Saclay University, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Multiwave Imaging, Marseille, France
| | - Franck Mauconduit
- Paris-Saclay University, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Redha Abdeddaim
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, Institut Fresnel, Institut Marseille Imaging, Marseille, France
| | | | | | | | - Alexis Amadon
- Paris-Saclay University, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Nicolas Boulant
- Paris-Saclay University, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Lucie Hertz-Pannier
- Paris-Saclay University, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Alexandre Vignaud
- Paris-Saclay University, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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Clément JD, Ipek Ö. Simulation Validation of an 8-Channel Parallel-Transmit Dipole Array on an Infant Phantom: Including RF Losses for Robust Correlation with Experimental Results. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:2254. [PMID: 38610465 PMCID: PMC11014297 DOI: 10.3390/s24072254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
It is crucial to demonstrate a robust correlation between the simulated and manufactured parallel-transmit (pTx) arrays performances to release the currently-used, very restrictive safety margins. In this study, we describe the qualitative and quantitative validation of a simulation model with respect to experimental results for an 8-channel dipole array at 7T. An approach that includes the radiofrequency losses into the simulation model is presented and compared to simulation models neglecting these losses. Simulated S-matrices and individual B1+-field maps were compared with experimentally measured quantities. With the proposed approach, an average relative difference of ~1.1% was found between simulated and experimental reflection coefficients, ~4.2% for the 1st coupling terms, and ~9.4% for the 2nd coupling terms. A maximum normalized root-mean-square error of 4.8% was achieved between experimental and simulated individual B1+-field maps. The effectiveness of the simulation model to accurately predict the B1+-field patterns was assessed, qualitatively and quantitatively, through a comparison with experimental data. We conclude that, using the proposed model for radiofrequency losses, a robust correlation is achieved between simulated and experimental data using the 8-channel dipole array at 7T.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémie Daniel Clément
- System Technologies, Siemens Healthineers AG, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
- School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Özlem Ipek
- School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London SE1 9NH, UK
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6
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Solomakha GA, Bosch D, Glang F, Scheffler K, Avdievich NI. Evaluation of coaxial dipole antennas as transceiver elements of human head array for ultra-high field MRI at 9.4T. Magn Reson Med 2024; 91:1268-1280. [PMID: 38009927 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this work is to evaluate a new eight-channel transceiver (TxRx) coaxial dipole array for imaging of the human head at 9.4T developed to improve specific absorption rate (SAR) performance, and provide for a more compact and robust alternative to the state-of-the art dipole arrays. METHODS First, the geometry of a single coaxial element was optimized to minimize peak SAR and sensitivity to the load variation. Next, a multi-tissue voxel model was used to numerically simulate a TxRx array coil that consisted of eight coaxial dipoles with the optimal configuration. Finally, we compared the developed array to other human head dipole arrays. Results of numerical simulations were verified on a bench and in the scanner including in vivo measurements on a healthy volunteer. RESULTS The developed eight-element coaxial dipole TxRx array coil showed up to 1.1times higher SAR-efficiency than a similar in geometry folded-end and fractionated dipole array while maintaining whole brain coverage and low sensitivity of the resonance frequency to variation in the head size. CONCLUSION As a proof of concept, we developed and constructed a prototype of a 9.4T (400 MHz) human head array consisting of eight TxRx coaxial dipoles. The developed array improved SAR-efficiency and provided for a more compact and robust alternative to the folded-end dipole design. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of using coaxial dipoles for human head MRI at ultra-high field.
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Affiliation(s)
- G A Solomakha
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - D Bosch
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - F Glang
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - K Scheffler
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - N I Avdievich
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
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7
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Schmidt S, Ertürk MA, He X, Haluptzok T, Eryaman Y, Metzger GJ. Improved 1 H body imaging at 10.5 T: Validation and VOP-enabled imaging in vivo with a 16-channel transceiver dipole array. Magn Reson Med 2024; 91:513-529. [PMID: 37705412 PMCID: PMC10850915 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To increase the RF coil performance and RF management for body imaging at 10.5 T by validating and evaluating a high-density 16-channel transceiver array, implementing virtual observation points (VOPs), and demonstrating specific absorption rate (SAR) constrained imaging in vivo. METHODS The inaccuracy of the electromagnetic model of the array was quantified based on B1 + and SAR data. Inter-subject variability was estimated using a new approach based on the relative SAR deviation of different RF shims between human body models. The pTx performance of the 16-channel array was assessed in simulation by comparison to a previously demonstrated 10-channel array. In vivo imaging of the prostate was performed demonstrating SAR-constrained static RF shimming and acquisition modes optimized for refocused echoes (AMORE). RESULTS The model inaccuracy of 29% and the inter-subject variability of 85% resulted in a total safety factor of 1.91 for pelvis studies. For renal and cardiac imaging, inter-subject variabilities of 121% and 141% lead to total safety factors of 2.25 and 2.45, respectively. The shorter wavelength at 10.5 T supported the increased element density of the 16-channel array which in turn outperformed the 10-channel version for all investigated metrics. Peak 10 g local SAR reduction of more than 25% without a loss of image quality was achieved in vivo, allowing a theoretical improvement in measurement efficiency of up to 66%. CONCLUSIONS By validating and characterizing a 16-channel dipole transceiver array, this work demonstrates, for the first time, a VOP-enabled RF coil for human torso imaging enabling increased pTx performance at 10.5 T.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Schmidt
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - M. Arcan Ertürk
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Xiaoxuan He
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Tobey Haluptzok
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Yiğitcan Eryaman
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Gregory J. Metzger
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Gokyar S, Zhao C, Ma SJ, Wang DJJ. Deep learning-based local SAR prediction using B 1 maps and structural MRI of the head for parallel transmission at 7 T. Magn Reson Med 2023; 90:2524-2538. [PMID: 37466040 PMCID: PMC10543469 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To predict subject-specific local specific absorption rate (SAR) distributions of the human head for parallel transmission (pTx) systems at 7 T. THEORY AND METHODS Electromagnetic energy deposition in tissues is nonuniform at 7 T, and interference patterns due to individual channels of pTx systems may result in increased local SAR values, which can only be estimated with very high safety margins. We proposed, designed, and demonstrated a multichannel 3D convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture to predict local SAR maps as well as peak-spatial SAR (ps-SAR) levels. We hypothesized that utilizing a three-channel 3D CNN, in which each channel is fed by aB 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ map, a phase-reversedB 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ map, and an MR image, would improve prediction accuracies and decrease uncertainties in the predictions. We generated 10 new head-neck body models, along with 389 3D pTx MRI data having different RF shim settings, with their B1 and local SAR maps to support efforts in this field. RESULTS The proposed three-channel 3D CNN predicted ps-SAR10g levels with an average overestimation error of 20%, which was better than the virtual observation points-based estimation error (i.e., 152% average overestimation). The proposed method decreased prediction uncertainties over 20% (i.e., 22.5%-17.7%) compared to other methods. A safety factor of 1.20 would be enough to avoid underestimations for the dataset generated in this work. CONCLUSION Multichannel 3D CNN networks can be promising in predicting local SAR values and perform predictions within a second, making them clinically useful as an alternative to virtual observation points-based methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayim Gokyar
- Laboratory of FMRI Technology (LOFT), USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Chenyang Zhao
- Laboratory of FMRI Technology (LOFT), USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Samantha J. Ma
- Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Danny JJ Wang
- Laboratory of FMRI Technology (LOFT), USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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9
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Gruber B, Stockmann JP, Mareyam A, Keil B, Bilgic B, Chang Y, Kazemivalipour E, Beckett AJ, Vu AT, Feinberg D, Wald LL. A 128-channel receive array for cortical brain imaging at 7 T. Magn Reson Med 2023; 90:2592-2607. [PMID: 37582214 PMCID: PMC10543549 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE A 128-channel receive-only array for brain imaging at 7 T was simulated, designed, constructed, and tested within a high-performance head gradient designed for high-resolution functional imaging. METHODS The coil used a tight-fitting helmet geometry populated with 128 loop elements and preamplifiers to fit into a 39 cm diameter space inside a built-in gradient. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and parallel imaging performance (1/g) were measured in vivo and simulated using electromagnetic modeling. The histogram of 1/g factors was analyzed to assess the range of performance. The array's performance was compared to the industry-standard 32-channel receive array and a 64-channel research array. RESULTS It was possible to construct the 128-channel array with body noise-dominated loops producing an average noise correlation of 5.4%. Measurements showed increased sensitivity compared with the 32-channel and 64-channel array through a combination of higher intrinsic SNR and g-factor improvements. For unaccelerated imaging, the 128-channel array showed SNR gains of 17.6% and 9.3% compared to the 32-channel and 64-channel array, respectively, at the center of the brain and 42% and 18% higher SNR in the peripheral brain regions including the cortex. For R = 5 accelerated imaging, these gains were 44.2% and 24.3% at the brain center and 86.7% and 48.7% in the cortex. The 1/g-factor histograms show both an improved mean and a tighter distribution by increasing the channel count, with both effects becoming more pronounced at higher accelerations. CONCLUSION The experimental results confirm that increasing the channel count to 128 channels is beneficial for 7T brain imaging, both for increasing SNR in peripheral brain regions and for accelerated imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Gruber
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- High Field MR Center, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University Vienna, Austria
| | - Jason P. Stockmann
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Azma Mareyam
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Boris Keil
- Institute of Medical Physics and Radiation Protection, Department of Life Science Engineering, Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences, Giessen, Germany
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Marburg, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Berkin Bilgic
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Yulin Chang
- Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Malvern, PA, USA
| | - Ehsan Kazemivalipour
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Alexander J.S. Beckett
- Advanced MRI Technologies, Sebastopol, CA, USA
- Helen Wills Institute for Neuroscience, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - An T. Vu
- Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- San Francisco Veteran Affairs Health Care System, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - David Feinberg
- Advanced MRI Technologies, Sebastopol, CA, USA
- Helen Wills Institute for Neuroscience, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lawrence L. Wald
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Division of Health Sciences Technology, Harvard - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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10
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Rios NL, Gilbert KM, Papp D, Cereza G, Foias A, Rangaprakash D, May MW, Guerin B, Wald LL, Keil B, Stockmann JP, Barry RL, Cohen-Adad J. An 8-channel Tx dipole and 20-channel Rx loop coil array for MRI of the cervical spinal cord at 7 Tesla. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 36:e5002. [PMID: 37439129 PMCID: PMC10733907 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.5002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
The quality of cervical spinal cord images can be improved by the use of tailored radiofrequency (RF) coil solutions for ultrahigh field imaging; however, very few commercial and research 7-T RF coils currently exist for the spinal cord, and in particular, those with parallel transmission (pTx) capabilities. This work presents the design, testing, and validation of a pTx/Rx coil for the human neck and cervical/upper thoracic spinal cord. The pTx portion is composed of eight dipoles to ensure high homogeneity over this large region of the spinal cord. The Rx portion is made up of twenty semiadaptable overlapping loops to produce high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) across the patient population. The coil housing is designed to facilitate patient positioning and comfort, while also being tight fitting to ensure high sensitivity. We demonstrate RF shimming capabilities to optimize B1 + uniformity, power efficiency, and/or specific absorption rate efficiency. B1 + homogeneity, SNR, and g-factor were evaluated in adult volunteers and demonstrated excellent performance from the occipital lobe down to the T4-T5 level. We compared the proposed coil with two state-of-the-art head and head/neck coils, confirming its superiority in the cervical and upper thoracic regions of the spinal cord. This coil solution therefore provides a convincing platform for producing the high image quality necessary for clinical and research scanning of the upper spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nibardo Lopez Rios
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Kyle M. Gilbert
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Daniel Papp
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Gaspard Cereza
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Alexandru Foias
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - D. Rangaprakash
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Markus W. May
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- High Field and Hybrid MR Imaging, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Bastien Guerin
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lawrence L. Wald
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Health Sciences & Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Boris Keil
- Institute of Medical Physics and Radiation Protection, University of Applied Sciences Mittelhessen, Giessen, Germany
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Marburg, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Jason P. Stockmann
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert L. Barry
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Health Sciences & Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Julien Cohen-Adad
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Functional Neuroimaging Unit, CRIUGM, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Mila – Quebec AI Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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11
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Abel F, Tan ET, Lunenburg M, van Leeuwen C, van Hooren T, van Uden M, Arteaga C, Vincent J, Robb F, Sneag DB. Flexible array coil for cervical and extraspinal (FACE) MRI at 3.0 Tesla. Phys Med Biol 2023; 68:215011. [PMID: 37816375 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ad0217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Objective.High-resolution MRI of the cervical spine (c-spine) and extraspinal neck region requires close-fitting receiver coils to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Conventional, rigid C-spine receiver coils do not adequately contour to the neck to accommodate varying body shapes, resulting in suboptimal SNR. Recent innovations in flexible surface coil array designs may provide three-dimensional (3D) bendability and conformability to optimize SNR, while improving capabilities for higher acceleration factors.Approach.This work describes the design, implementation, and preliminaryin vivotesting of a novel, conformal 23-channel receive-only flexible array for cervical and extraspinal (FACE) MRI at 3-Tesla (T), with use of high-impedance elements to enhance the coil's flexibility. Coil performance was tested by assessing SNR and geometry factors (g-factors) in a phantom compared to a conventional 21-channel head-neck-unit (HNU).In vivoimaging was performed in healthy human volunteers and patients using high-resolution c-spine and neck MRI protocols at 3T, including MR neurography (MRN).Main results.Mean SNR with the FACE was 141%-161% higher at left, right, and posterior off-isocenter positions and 4% higher at the isocenter of the phantom compared to the HNU. Parallel imaging performance was comparable for an acceleration factor (R) = 2 × 2 between the two coils, but improved forR= 3 × 3 with meang-factors ranging from 1.46-2.15 with the FACE compared to 2.36-3.62 obtained with the HNU. Preliminary human volunteer and patient testing confirmed that equivalent or superior image quality could be obtained for evaluation of osseous and soft tissue structures of the cervical region with the FACE.Significance.A conformal and highly flexible cervical array with high-impedance coil elements can potentially enable higher-resolution imaging for cervical imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederik Abel
- Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th Street, NY 10021, United States of America
| | - Ek T Tan
- Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th Street, NY 10021, United States of America
| | - Martijn Lunenburg
- Tesla Dynamic Coils, Schimminck 12, 5301 Zaltbommel, The Netherlands
| | - Carel van Leeuwen
- Tesla Dynamic Coils, Schimminck 12, 5301 Zaltbommel, The Netherlands
| | - Thijs van Hooren
- Tesla Dynamic Coils, Schimminck 12, 5301 Zaltbommel, The Netherlands
| | - Mark van Uden
- Tesla Dynamic Coils, Schimminck 12, 5301 Zaltbommel, The Netherlands
| | - Catalina Arteaga
- Tesla Dynamic Coils, Schimminck 12, 5301 Zaltbommel, The Netherlands
| | - Jana Vincent
- GE HealthCare, 1515 Danner Dr, 44202 Aurora, OH, United States of America
| | - Fraser Robb
- GE HealthCare, 1515 Danner Dr, 44202 Aurora, OH, United States of America
| | - Darryl B Sneag
- Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th Street, NY 10021, United States of America
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12
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Nikulin AV, Bosch D, Solomakha GA, Glang F, Scheffler K, Avdievich NI. Double-row 16-element folded-end dipole transceiver array for 3D RF shimming of the whole human brain at 9.4 T. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 36:e4981. [PMID: 37173759 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Homogeneity and longitudinal coverage of transmit (Tx) human head RF coils at ultrahigh field (UHF, ≥7 T) can be improved by 3D RF shimming, which requires using multi-row Tx arrays. Examples of 3D RF shimming using double-row UHF loop transceiver (TxRx) and Tx arrays have been described previously. Dipole antennas provide unique simplicity and robustness while offering comparable Tx efficiency and signal-to-noise ratio to conventional loop designs. Single-row Tx and TxRx human head UHF dipole arrays have been previously described by multiple groups. Recently, we developed a novel type of dipole antenna, a folded-end dipole, and presented single-row eight-element array prototypes for human head imaging at 7 and 9.4 T. These studies have shown that the novel antenna design can improve the longitudinal coverage and minimize peak local specific absorption rate (SAR) as compared with common unfolded dipoles. In this work, we developed, constructed, and evaluated a 16-element double-row TxRx folded-end dipole array for human head imaging at 9.4 T. To minimize cross-talk between neighboring dipoles located in different rows, we used transformer decoupling, which decreased coupling to a level below -20 dB. The developed array design was demonstrated to be capable of 3D static RF shimming and can be potentially used for dynamic shimming using parallel transmission. For optimal phase shifts between the rows, the array provides 11% higher SAR efficiency and 18% higher homogeneity than a folded-end dipole single-row array of the same length. The design also offers a substantially simpler and more robust alternative to the common double-row loop array with about 10% higher SAR efficiency and better longitudinal coverage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton V Nikulin
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Center of Photonics and 2D Materials, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Dario Bosch
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Georgiy A Solomakha
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Physics and Engineering, ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Felix Glang
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nikolai I Avdievich
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
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13
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Du F, Li N, Yang X, Zhang B, Zhang X, Li Y. Design and construction of an 8-channel transceiver coil array for rat imaging at 9.4 T. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2023; 351:107302. [PMID: 37116433 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2022.107302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Ultra-high field (UHF) small animal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a crucial tool permitting investigation of metabolic diseases and identification of imaging biomarkers suitable for clinical diagnosis and translation. Radiofrequency (RF) coils are critical components in enabling acquisition of high-quality rat abdomen MRI data. However, efficient RF coils with high-channel count, capable of sensitive and accelerated rat abdomen imaging at 9.4 T, are not available commercially. The SNR of the commonly-used 9.4 T birdcage coil is relatively weak, particularly in the peripheral area of the subject. In addition, the birdcage is not readily to perform parallel imaging due to unavailability of the required multiple channels. Consequently, the extended scanning duration may cause unnecessary hazards to the rat. In this work, an 8-channel transceiver coil array was designed and constructed to provide good image quality and large coverage for rat abdomen imaging at 9.4 T. The structure and the performance of the developed array was optimized and evaluated by numerical electromagnetic simulations and bench tests, respectively. The MR imaging experiments in phantoms and rat models were also performed on a Bruker 9.4 T preclinical MRI system to validate the feasibility of the proposed design. The coil array supports a one-dimensional acceleration factor up to R = 4, providing good parallel imaging capabilities. These results demonstrated that the proposed 8-channel transceiver coil array for rat imaging has the ability to obtain high spatial resolution of rat abdomen anatomical structure images at 9.4 T.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Du
- Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Key Laboratory for Magnetic Resonance and Multimodality Imaging of Guangdong Province, Shenzhen 518055, Guang Dong, China
| | - Nan Li
- Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Key Laboratory for Magnetic Resonance and Multimodality Imaging of Guangdong Province, Shenzhen 518055, Guang Dong, China
| | - Xing Yang
- Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Key Laboratory for Magnetic Resonance and Multimodality Imaging of Guangdong Province, Shenzhen 518055, Guang Dong, China
| | - Baogui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing MRI Center for Brain Research, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Xiaoliang Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, State University of New York at Buffalo, NY, United States., Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Ye Li
- Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Key Laboratory for Magnetic Resonance and Multimodality Imaging of Guangdong Province, Shenzhen 518055, Guang Dong, China.
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14
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Steensma BR, Sadeghi-Tarakameh A, Meliadò EF, van den Berg CAT, Klomp DWJ, Luijten PR, Metzger GJ, Eryaman Y, Raaijmakers AJE. Tier-based formalism for safety assessment of custom-built radio-frequency transmit coils. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 36:e4874. [PMID: 36368912 PMCID: PMC10411033 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this work is to propose a tier-based formalism for safety assessment of custom-built radio-frequency (RF) coils that balances validation effort with the effort put in determinating the safety factor. The formalism has three tier levels. Higher tiers require increased effort when validating electromagnetic simulation results but allow for less conservative safety factors. In addition, we propose a new method to calculate modeling uncertainty between simulations and measurements and a new method to propagate uncertainties in the simulation into a safety factor that minimizes the risk of underestimating the peak specific absorption rate (SAR). The new safety assessment procedure was completed for all tier levels for an eight-channel dipole array for prostate imaging at 7 T and an eight-channel dipole array for head imaging at 10.5 T, using data from two different research sites. For the 7 T body array, the validation procedure resulted in a modeling uncertainty of 77% between measured and simulated local SAR distributions. For a situation where RF shimming is performed on the prostate, average power limits of 2.4 and 4.5 W/channel were found for tiers 2 and 3, respectively. When the worst-case peak SAR among all phase settings was calculated, power limits of 1.4 and 2.7 W/channel were found for tiers 2 and 3, respectively. For the 10.5 T head array, a modeling uncertainty of 21% was found based on B1 + mapping. For the tier 2 validation, a power limit of 2.6 W/channel was calculated. The demonstrated tier system provides a strategy for evaluating modeling inaccuracy, allowing for the rapid translation of novel coil designs with conservative safety factors and the implementation of less conservative safety factors for frequently used coil arrays at the expense of increased validation effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Romke Steensma
- Division of Imaging and Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Ettore Flavio Meliadò
- Division of Imaging and Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Dennis W J Klomp
- Division of Imaging and Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Peter R Luijten
- Division of Imaging and Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Gregory J Metzger
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Yigitcan Eryaman
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Alexander J E Raaijmakers
- Division of Imaging and Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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15
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Ivanov D, De Martino F, Formisano E, Fritz FJ, Goebel R, Huber L, Kashyap S, Kemper VG, Kurban D, Roebroeck A, Sengupta S, Sorger B, Tse DHY, Uludağ K, Wiggins CJ, Poser BA. Magnetic resonance imaging at 9.4 T: the Maastricht journey. MAGMA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2023; 36:159-173. [PMID: 37081247 PMCID: PMC10140139 DOI: 10.1007/s10334-023-01080-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
The 9.4 T scanner in Maastricht is a whole-body magnet with head gradients and parallel RF transmit capability. At the time of the design, it was conceptualized to be one of the best fMRI scanners in the world, but it has also been used for anatomical and diffusion imaging. 9.4 T offers increases in sensitivity and contrast, but the technical ultra-high field (UHF) challenges, such as field inhomogeneities and constraints set by RF power deposition, are exacerbated compared to 7 T. This article reviews some of the 9.4 T work done in Maastricht. Functional imaging experiments included blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) and blood-volume weighted (VASO) fMRI using different readouts. BOLD benefits from shorter T2* at 9.4 T while VASO from longer T1. We show examples of both ex vivo and in vivo anatomical imaging. For many applications, pTx and optimized coils are essential to harness the full potential of 9.4 T. Our experience shows that, while considerable effort was required compared to our 7 T scanner, we could obtain high-quality anatomical and functional data, which illustrates the potential of MR acquisitions at even higher field strengths. The practical challenges of working with a relatively unique system are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimo Ivanov
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Federico De Martino
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Elia Formisano
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Francisco J Fritz
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Center for Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Rainer Goebel
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Laurentius Huber
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Sriranga Kashyap
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Valentin G Kemper
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Denizhan Kurban
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alard Roebroeck
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Bettina Sorger
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Desmond H Y Tse
- Scannexus BV, Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 EV, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Kâmil Uludağ
- Krembil Brain Institute, Koerner Scientist in MR Imaging, University Health Network Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Christopher J Wiggins
- Imaging Core Facility (INM-ICF), Institut für Neurowissenschaften und Medizin, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Benedikt A Poser
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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16
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Gilbert KM, Nichols ES, Gati JS, Duerden EG. A radiofrequency coil for infants and toddlers. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2023:e4928. [PMID: 36939270 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Infants and toddlers are a challenging population upon which to perform magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, both in research and clinical settings. Because of the large range in head size during the early years of development, paediatric neuro-MRI requires a radiofrequency (RF) coil, or set of coils, that is tailored to head size to provide the highest image quality. Mitigating techniques must also be employed to reduce and correct for subject motion. This manuscript describes an RF coil with a tailored mechanical-electrical design that can adapt to the head size of 3-month-old infants to 3-year-old toddlers. The RF coil was designed with tight-fitting coil elements to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in comparison with commercially available adult head coils, while simultaneously aiding in immobilization. The coil was designed without visual obstruction to facilitate an unimpeded view of the child's face and the potential application of camera or motion-tracking systems. Despite the lack of elements over the face, the paediatric coil produced higher SNR over most of the brain compared with adult coils, including more than twofold in the periphery. Acceleration rates of fourfold in each Cartesian direction could be achieved. High SNR allowed for short acquisition times through accelerated imaging protocols and reduced the probability of motion during a scan. Modification of the acquisition protocol, with immobilization of the head through the adjustable coil geometry, and subsequently being combined with a motion-tracking system, provides a compelling platform for scanning paediatric populations without sedation and with improved image quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle M Gilbert
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emily S Nichols
- Applied Psychology, Faculty of Education, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joseph S Gati
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emma G Duerden
- Applied Psychology, Faculty of Education, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, Ontario, Canada
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17
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Rios NL, Gilbert KM, Papp D, Cereza G, Foias A, Rangaprakash D, May MW, Guerin B, Wald LL, Keil B, Stockmann JP, Barry RL, Cohen-Adad J. 8-channel Tx dipole and 20-channel Rx loop coil array for MRI of the cervical spinal cord at 7 Tesla. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.08.527664. [PMID: 36798276 PMCID: PMC9934596 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.08.527664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The quality of cervical spinal cord images can be improved by the use of tailored radiofrequency coil solutions for ultra-high field imaging; however, very few commercial and research 7 Tesla radiofrequency coils currently exist for the spinal cord, and in particular those with parallel transmit capabilities. This work presents the design, testing and validation of a pTx/Rx coil for the human neck and cervical/upper-thoracic spinal cord. The pTx portion is composed of 8 dipoles to ensure high homogeneity over this large region of the spinal cord. The Rx portion is made of 20 semi-adaptable overlapping loops to produce high Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) across the patient population. The coil housing is designed to facilitate patient positioning and comfort, while being tight fitting to ensure high sensitivity. We demonstrate RF shimming capabilities to optimize B 1 + uniformity, power efficiency and/or specific absorption rate (SAR) efficiency. B 1 + homogeneity, SNR and g-factor was evaluated in adult volunteers and demonstrated excellent performance from the occipital lobe down to the T4-T5 level. We compared the proposed coil with two state-of-the-art head and head/neck coils, confirming its superiority in the cervical and upper-thoracic regions of the spinal cord. This coil solution therefore provides a convincing platform for producing the high image quality necessary for clinical and research scanning of the upper spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nibardo Lopez Rios
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Kyle M. Gilbert
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Daniel Papp
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gaspard Cereza
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Alexandru Foias
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - D. Rangaprakash
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Markus W. May
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- High Field and Hybrid MR Imaging, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Bastien Guerin
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lawrence L. Wald
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Health Sciences & Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Boris Keil
- Institute of Medical Physics and Radiation Protection, University of Applied Sciences Mittelhessen, Giessen, Germany
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Marburg, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Jason P. Stockmann
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert L. Barry
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Health Sciences & Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Julien Cohen-Adad
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Functional Neuroimaging Unit, CRIUGM, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Mila – Quebec AI Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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18
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Williams SN, McElhinney P, Gunamony S. Ultra-high field MRI: parallel-transmit arrays and RF pulse design. Phys Med Biol 2023; 68. [PMID: 36410046 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/aca4b7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
This paper reviews the field of multiple or parallel radiofrequency (RF) transmission for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Currently the use of ultra-high field (UHF) MRI at 7 tesla and above is gaining popularity, yet faces challenges with non-uniformity of the RF field and higher RF power deposition. Since its introduction in the early 2000s, parallel transmission (pTx) has been recognized as a powerful tool for accelerating spatially selective RF pulses and combating the challenges associated with RF inhomogeneity at UHF. We provide a survey of the types of dedicated RF coils used commonly for pTx and the important modeling of the coil behavior by electromagnetic (EM) field simulations. We also discuss the additional safety considerations involved with pTx such as the specific absorption rate (SAR) and how to manage them. We then describe the application of pTx with RF pulse design, including a practical guide to popular methods. Finally, we conclude with a description of the current and future prospects for pTx, particularly its potential for routine clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney N Williams
- Imaging Centre of Excellence, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Paul McElhinney
- Imaging Centre of Excellence, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Shajan Gunamony
- Imaging Centre of Excellence, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.,MR CoilTech Limited, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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19
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Roig ES, De Feyter HM, Nixon TW, Ruhm L, Nikulin AV, Scheffler K, Avdievich NI, Henning A, de Graaf RA. Deuterium metabolic imaging of the human brain in vivo at 7 T. Magn Reson Med 2023; 89:29-39. [PMID: 36063499 PMCID: PMC9756916 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To explore the potential of deuterium metabolic imaging (DMI) in the human brain in vivo at 7 T, using a multi-element deuterium (2 H) RF coil for 3D volume coverage. METHODS 1 H-MR images and localized 2 H MR spectra were acquired in vivo in the human brain of 3 healthy subjects to generate DMI maps of 2 H-labeled water, glucose, and glutamate/glutamine (Glx). In addition, non-localized 2 H-MR spectra were acquired both in vivo and in vitro to determine T1 and T2 relaxation times of deuterated metabolites at 7 T. The performance of the 2 H coil was assessed through numeric simulations and experimentally acquired B1 + maps. RESULTS 3D DMI maps covering the entire human brain in vivo were obtained from well-resolved deuterated (2 H) metabolite resonances of water, glucose, and Glx. The T1 and T2 relaxation times were consistent with those reported at adjacent field strengths. Experimental B1 + maps were in good agreement with simulations, indicating efficient and homogeneous B1 + transmission and low RF power deposition for 2 H, consistent with a similar array coil design reported at 9.4 T. CONCLUSION Here, we have demonstrated the successful implementation of 3D DMI in the human brain in vivo at 7 T. The spatial and temporal nominal resolutions achieved at 7 T (i.e., 2.7 mL in 28 min, respectively) were close to those achieved at 9.4 T and greatly outperformed DMI at lower magnetic fields. DMI at 7 T and beyond has clear potential in applications dealing with small brain lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eulalia Serés Roig
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Henk M. De Feyter
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Terence W. Nixon
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Loreen Ruhm
- High-Field MR Centre, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- IMPRS for Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Advanced Imaging Research Centre, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Anton V. Nikulin
- High-Field MR Centre, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- High-Field MR Centre, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nikolai I. Avdievich
- High-Field MR Centre, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anke Henning
- High-Field MR Centre, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Advanced Imaging Research Centre, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Robin A. de Graaf
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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20
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Avdievich NI, Nikulin AV, Ruhm L, Magill AW, Henning A, Scheffler K. Double-row dipole/loop combined array for human whole brain imaging at 7 T. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2022; 35:e4773. [PMID: 35580922 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Important issues in designing radiofrequency (RF) coils for human head imaging at ultra-high field (UHF; ≥7 T) are the inhomogeneity and longitudinal coverage (along the magnet axis) of the transmit (Tx) RF field. Both the homogeneity and coverage produced by Tx volume coils can be improved by means of three-dimensional (3D) RF shimming, which requires the use of multirow Tx-arrays. In addition, according to recent findings of the ultimate intrinsic signal-to-noise ratio (UISNR) theory, the loop-only receive (Rx) arrays do not provide optimal SNR near the brain center at UHF. The latter can be obtained by combining complementary conductive structures carrying different current patterns (e.g., loops and dipole antennas). In this work, we developed, constructed, and evaluated a novel 32-element hybrid array design for human head imaging at 7 T. The array consists of 16 transceiver loops placed in two rows circumscribing the head and 16 folded-end Rx-only dipoles positioned in the centers of loops. By placing all elements in a single layer, we increased RF power deposition into the tissue and, thus, preserved the Tx-efficiency. Using this hybrid design also simplifies the coil structure by minimizing the total number of array elements. The array demonstrated whole brain coverage, 3D RF shimming capability, and high SNR. It provided ~15% higher SNR near the brain center and, depending on the RF shim mode, from 20% to 40% higher Tx-efficiency than a common commercial head array coil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai I Avdievich
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anton V Nikulin
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Loreen Ruhm
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Arthur W Magill
- Department for Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anke Henning
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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21
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Clément J, Tomi-Tricot R, Malik SJ, Webb A, Hajnal JV, Ipek Ö. Towards an integrated neonatal brain and cardiac examination capability at 7 T: electromagnetic field simulations and early phantom experiments using an 8-channel dipole array. MAGMA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 35:765-778. [PMID: 34997396 PMCID: PMC9463228 DOI: 10.1007/s10334-021-00988-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Neonatal brain and cardiac imaging would benefit from the increased signal-to-noise ratio levels at 7 T compared to lower field. Optimal performance might be achieved using purpose designed RF coil arrays. In this study, we introduce an 8-channel dipole array and investigate, using simulations, its RF performances for neonatal applications at 7 T. METHODS The 8-channel dipole array was designed and evaluated for neonatal brain/cardiac configurations in terms of SAR efficiency (ratio between transmit-field and maximum specific-absorption-rate level) using adjusted dielectric properties for neonate. A birdcage coil operating in circularly polarized mode was simulated for comparison. Validation of the simulation model was performed on phantom for the coil array. RESULTS The 8-channel dipole array demonstrated up to 46% higher SAR efficiency levels compared to the birdcage coil in neonatal configurations, as the specific-absorption-rate levels were alleviated. An averaged normalized root-mean-square-error of 6.7% was found between measured and simulated transmit field maps on phantom. CONCLUSION The 8-channel dipole array design integrated for neonatal brain and cardiac MR was successfully demonstrated, in simulation with coverage of the baby and increased SAR efficiency levels compared to the birdcage. We conclude that the 8Tx-dipole array promises safe operating procedures for MR imaging of neonatal brain and heart at 7 T.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémie Clément
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Shaihan J Malik
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.,Centre for the Developing Brain, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew Webb
- Department of Radiology, C. J Gorter Center for High Field MRI, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Joseph V Hajnal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.,Centre for the Developing Brain, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Özlem Ipek
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
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22
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Avdievich NI, Nikulin AV, Ruhm L, Magill AW, Glang F, Henning A, Scheffler K. A 32-element loop/dipole hybrid array for human head imaging at 7 T. Magn Reson Med 2022; 88:1912-1926. [PMID: 35766426 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To improve whole-brain SNR at 7 Tesla, a novel 32-element hybrid human head array coil was developed, constructed, and tested. METHODS Our general design strategy is based on 2 major ideas: Firstly, following suggestions of previous works based on the ultimate intrinsic SNR theory, we combined loops and dipoles for improvement of SNR near the head center. Secondly, we minimized the total number of array elements by using a hybrid combination of transceive (TxRx) and receive (Rx) elements. The new hybrid array consisted of 8 folded-end TxRx-dipole antennas and 3 rows of 24 Rx-loops all placed in a single layer on the surface of a tight-fit helmet. RESULTS The developed array significantly improved SNR in vivo both near the center (∼20%) and at the periphery (∼20% to 80%) in comparison to a common commercial array coil with 8 transmit (Tx) and 32 Rx-elements. Whereas 24 loops alone delivered central SNR very similar to that of the commercial coil, the addition of complementary dipole structures provided further improvement. The new array also provided ∼15% higher Tx efficiency and better longitudinal coverage than that of the commercial array. CONCLUSION The developed array coil demonstrated advantages in combining complementary TxRx and Rx resonant structures, that is, TxRx-dipoles and Rx-loops all placed in a single layer at the same distance to the head. This strategy improved both SNR and Tx-performance, as well as simplified the total head coil design, making it more robust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai I Avdievich
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anton V Nikulin
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.,Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Loreen Ruhm
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Arthur W Magill
- Department for Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Felix Glang
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anke Henning
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.,Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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23
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May MW, Hansen SLJD, Mahmutovic M, Scholz A, Kutscha N, Guerin B, Stockmann JP, Barry RL, Kazemivalipour E, Gumbrecht R, Kimmlingen R, Adriany M, Chang Y, Triantafyllou C, Knake S, Wald LL, Keil B. A patient-friendly 16-channel transmit/64-channel receive coil array for combined head-neck MRI at 7 Tesla. Magn Reson Med 2022; 88:1419-1433. [PMID: 35605167 PMCID: PMC9675905 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To extend the coverage of brain coil arrays to the neck and cervical-spine region to enable combined head and neck imaging at 7 Tesla (T) ultra-high field MRI. METHODS The coil array structures of a 64-channel receive coil and a 16-channel transmit coil were merged into one anatomically shaped close-fitting housing. Transmit characteristics were evaluated in a B1+ -field mapping study and an electromagnetic model. Receive SNR and the encoding capability for accelerated imaging were evaluated and compared with a commercially available 7 T brain array coil. The performance of the head-neck array coil was demonstrated in human volunteers using high-resolution accelerated imaging. RESULTS In the brain, the SNR matches the commercially available 32-channel brain array and showed improvements in accelerated imaging capabilities. More importantly, the constructed coil array improved the SNR in the face area, neck area, and cervical spine by a factor of 1.5, 3.4, and 5.2, respectively, in regions not covered by 32-channel brain arrays at 7 T. The interelement coupling of the 16-channel transmit coil ranged from -14 to -44 dB (mean = -19 dB, adjacent elements <-18 dB). The parallel 16-channel transmit coil greatly facilitates B1+ field shaping required for large FOV neuroimaging at 7 T. CONCLUSION This new head-neck array coil is the first demonstration of a device of this nature used for combined full-brain, head-neck, and cervical-spine imaging at 7 T. The array coil is well suited to provide large FOV images, which potentially improves ultrahigh field neuroimaging applications for clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus W May
- Institute of Medical Physics and Radiation Protection, Department of Life Science Engineering, Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences, Giessen, Germany
| | - Sam-Luca J D Hansen
- Institute of Medical Physics and Radiation Protection, Department of Life Science Engineering, Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences, Giessen, Germany
| | - Mirsad Mahmutovic
- Institute of Medical Physics and Radiation Protection, Department of Life Science Engineering, Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences, Giessen, Germany
| | - Alina Scholz
- Institute of Medical Physics and Radiation Protection, Department of Life Science Engineering, Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences, Giessen, Germany
| | - Nicolas Kutscha
- Institute of Medical Physics and Radiation Protection, Department of Life Science Engineering, Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences, Giessen, Germany
| | - Bastien Guerin
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jason P Stockmann
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Robert L Barry
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ehsan Kazemivalipour
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | | | - Yulin Chang
- Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Susanne Knake
- Department of Neurology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Lawrence L Wald
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Boris Keil
- Institute of Medical Physics and Radiation Protection, Department of Life Science Engineering, Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences, Giessen, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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24
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Geldschläger O, Bosch D, Henning A. OTUP workflow: target specific optimization of the transmit k-space trajectory for flexible universal parallel transmit RF pulse design. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2022; 35:e4728. [PMID: 35297104 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To optimize transmit k-space trajectories for a wide range of excitation targets and to design "universal pTx RF pulses" based on these trajectories. METHODS Transmit k-space trajectories (stack of spirals and SPINS) were optimized to best match different excitation targets using the parameters of the analytical equations of spirals and SPINS. The performances of RF pulses designed based on optimized and non-optimized trajectories were compared. The optimized trajectories were utilized for universal pulse design. The universal pulse performances were compared with subject specific tailored pulse performances. The OTUP workflow (optimization of transmit k-space trajectories and universal pulse calculation) was tested on three test target excitation patterns. For one target (local excitation of a central area in the human brain) the pulses were tested in vivo at 9.4 T. RESULTS The workflow produced appropriate transmit k-space trajectories for each test target. Utilization of an optimized trajectory was crucial for the pulse performance. Using unsuited trajectories diminished the performance. It was possible to create target specific universal pulses. However, not every test target is equally well suited for universal pulse design. There was no significant difference in the in vivo performance between subject specific tailored pulses and a universal pulse at 9.4 T. CONCLUSIONS The proposed workflow further exploited and improved the universal pulse concept by combining it with gradient trajectory optimization for stack of spirals and SPINS. It emphasized the importance of a well suited trajectory for pTx RF pulse design. Universal and tailored pulses performed with a sufficient degree of similarity in simulations and a high degree of similarity in vivo. The implemented OTUP workflow and the B0 /B1+ map data from 18 subjects measured at 9.4 T are available as open source (https://github.com/ole1965/workflow_OTUP.git).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole Geldschläger
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dario Bosch
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anke Henning
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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25
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Schoen N, Seifert F, Petzold J, Metzger GJ, Speck O, Ittermann B, Schmitter S. The Impact of Respiratory Motion on Electromagnetic Fields and Specific Absorption Rate in Cardiac Imaging at 7T. Magn Reson Med 2022; 88:2645-2661. [PMID: 35906923 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To present electromagnetic simulation setups for detailed analyses of respiration's impact on B 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ and E-fields, local specific absorption rate (SAR) and associated safety-limits for 7T cardiac imaging. METHODS Finite-difference time-domain electromagnetic field simulations were performed at five respiratory states using a breathing body model and a 16-element 7T body transceiver RF-coil array. B 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ and SAR are analyzed for fixed and moving coil configurations. SAR variations are investigated using phase/amplitude shimming considering (i) a local SAR-controlled mode (here SAR calculations consider RF amplitudes and phases) and (ii) a channel-wise power-controlled mode (SAR boundary calculation is independent of the channels' phases, only dependent on the channels' maximum amplitude). RESULTS Respiration-induced variations of both B 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ amplitude and phase are observed. The flip angle homogeneity depends on the respiratory state used for B 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ shimming; best results were achieved for shimming on inhale and exhale simultaneously ( | Δ C V | < 35 % $$ \mid \Delta CV\mid <35\% $$ ). The results reflect that respiration impacts position and amplitude of the local SAR maximum. With the local-SAR-control mode, a safety factor of up to 1.4 is needed to accommodate for respiratory variations while the power control mode appears respiration-robust when the coil moves with respiration (SAR peak decrease: 9% exhale→inhale). Instead, a spatially fixed coil setup yields higher SAR variations with respiration. CONCLUSION Respiratory motion does not only affect the B 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ distribution and hence the image contrast, but also location and magnitude of the peak spatial SAR. Therefore, respiration effects may need to be included in safety analyses of RF coils applied to the human thorax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Schoen
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Frank Seifert
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Johannes Petzold
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Gregory J Metzger
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Oliver Speck
- Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Bernd Ittermann
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Schmitter
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany.,Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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26
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Brink WM, Yousefi S, Bhatnagar P, Remis RF, Staring M, Webb AG. Personalized local SAR prediction for parallel transmit neuroimaging at 7T from a single T1-weighted dataset. Magn Reson Med 2022; 88:464-475. [PMID: 35344602 PMCID: PMC9314883 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Parallel RF transmission (PTx) is one of the key technologies enabling high quality imaging at ultra‐high fields (≥7T). Compliance with regulatory limits on the local specific absorption rate (SAR) typically involves over‐conservative safety margins to account for intersubject variability, which negatively affect the utilization of ultra‐high field MR. In this work, we present a method to generate a subject‐specific body model from a single T1‐weighted dataset for personalized local SAR prediction in PTx neuroimaging at 7T. Methods Multi‐contrast data were acquired at 7T (N = 10) to establish ground truth segmentations in eight tissue types. A 2.5D convolutional neural network was trained using the T1‐weighted data as input in a leave‐one‐out cross‐validation study. The segmentation accuracy was evaluated through local SAR simulations in a quadrature birdcage as well as a PTx coil model. Results The network‐generated segmentations reached Dice coefficients of 86.7% ± 6.7% (mean ± SD) and showed to successfully address the severe intensity bias and contrast variations typical to 7T. Errors in peak local SAR obtained were below 3.0% in the quadrature birdcage. Results obtained in the PTx configuration indicated that a safety margin of 6.3% ensures conservative local SAR estimates in 95% of the random RF shims, compared to an average overestimation of 34% in the generic “one‐size‐fits‐all” approach. Conclusion A subject‐specific body model can be automatically generated from a single T1‐weighted dataset by means of deep learning, providing the necessary inputs for accurate and personalized local SAR predictions in PTx neuroimaging at 7T.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wyger M Brink
- C.J. Gorter Center for High Field MRI, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sahar Yousefi
- C.J. Gorter Center for High Field MRI, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Division of Image Processing, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Prernna Bhatnagar
- C.J. Gorter Center for High Field MRI, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Circuits and Systems Group, Department of Microelectronics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Rob F Remis
- Circuits and Systems Group, Department of Microelectronics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Marius Staring
- Division of Image Processing, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Andrew G Webb
- C.J. Gorter Center for High Field MRI, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
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27
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Gilbert KM, Dubovan PI, Gati JS, Menon RS, Baron CA. Integration of an RF coil and commercial field camera for ultrahigh-field MRI. Magn Reson Med 2021; 87:2551-2565. [PMID: 34932225 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop an RF coil with an integrated commercial field camera for ultrahigh field (7T) neuroimaging. The RF coil would operate within a head-only gradient coil and be subject to the corresponding design constraints. The RF coil can thereafter be used for subject-specific correction of k-space trajectories-notably in gradient-sensitive sequences such as single-shot spiral imaging. METHODS The transmit and receive performance was evaluated before and after the integration of field probes, whereas field probes were evaluated when in an optimal configuration external to the coil and after their integration. Diffusion-weighted EPI and single-shot spiral acquisitions were employed to evaluate the efficacy of correcting higher order field perturbations and the consequent effect on image quality. RESULTS Field probes had a negligible effect on RF-coil performance, including the transmit efficiency, transmit uniformity, and mean SNR over the brain. Modest reductions in field-probe signal lifetimes were observed, caused primarily by nonidealities in the gradient and shim fields of the head-only gradient coil at the probe positions. The field-monitoring system could correct up to second-order field perturbations in single-shot spiral imaging. CONCLUSION The integrated RF coil and field camera was capable of concurrent-field monitoring within a 7T head-only scanner and facilitated the subsequent correction of k-space trajectories during spiral imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle M Gilbert
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul I Dubovan
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joseph S Gati
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ravi S Menon
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Corey A Baron
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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28
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Forner R, Nam K, de Koning KJ, van der Velden T, van der Kemp W, Raaijmakers A, Klomp DWJ. RF Coil Setup for 31P MRSI in Tongue Cancer in vivo at 7 T. Front Neurol 2021; 12:695202. [PMID: 34795625 PMCID: PMC8593189 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.695202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Surgery for tongue cancer often results in a major loss in quality of life. While MRI may be used to minimise the volume of excised tissue, often the full tumour extent is missed. This tumour extent may be detected with metabolic imaging. One of the main reasons for the lack of metabolic information on tongue cancer would be the absence of an x-nuclear coil with the tongue as a focus target. Metabolic MRI through 31P MRSI is known as a powerful tool to non-invasively study elevated cell proliferation and disturbed energy metabolism in tumours. Severe magnetic field non-uniformities are inherently caused by the substantial difference in magnetic susceptibilities of tissue and air in the mouth and its environs. Despite this, the wide chemical shift dispersion of 31P could still facilitate precise detection of the cell proliferation biomarkers, phospomonoesters and diesters, as well as energy metabolites ATP, inorganic phosphate, and phosphocreatine potentially mapped over the tongue or tumour in vivo. In this study, we present the first 31P MRSI data of the human tongue in vivo from healthy volunteers and a patient with a tongue tumour at 7 T MRI using a 1H 8-channel transceiver setup placed inside a body 31P transmitter, which is able to get a uniform excitation from the tongue while providing comfortable access to the patient. In addition, a user-friendly external 31P receiver array is used to provide high sensitivity (80%) comparable to an uncomfortable inner mouth loop coil positioned on the tongue. The primary aim is the demonstration of 31P metabolite profiles in the tongue and the differences between healthy and malignant tissue. Indeed, clear elevated cell proliferation expressed as enhanced phosphomonoesters is observed in the tumour vs. the healthy part of the tongue. This can be performed within a total scan duration of 30 min, comparable to clinical scans, with a spatial resolution of 1.5 cm for the 10-min 31P MRSI scan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ria Forner
- Division of Imaging and Oncology, University Medical Centre (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Ceresensa Inc., London, ON, Canada
| | - Kyungmin Nam
- Division of Imaging and Oncology, University Medical Centre (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Klijs J de Koning
- Surgery, University Medical Centre (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Tijl van der Velden
- Division of Imaging and Oncology, University Medical Centre (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Wybe van der Kemp
- Division of Imaging and Oncology, University Medical Centre (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Alexander Raaijmakers
- Division of Imaging and Oncology, University Medical Centre (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Division of Biomedical Image Analyses, Technical University Eindhoven (TU/e), Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Dennis W J Klomp
- Division of Imaging and Oncology, University Medical Centre (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
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Avdievich NI, Solomakha G, Ruhm L, Henning A, Scheffler K. 9.4 T double-tuned 13 C/ 1 H human head array using a combination of surface loops and dipole antennas. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2021; 34:e4577. [PMID: 34169590 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
MRI at ultra-high field (UHF, ≥7 T) provides a natural strategy for improving the quality of X-nucleus magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging due to the intrinsic benefit of increased signal-to-noise ratio. Considering that RF coils require both local transmission and reception at UHF, the designs of double-tuned coils, which often consist of several layers of transmit and receive resonant elements, become quite complex. A few years ago, a new type of RF coil, ie a dipole antenna, was developed and used for human body and head imaging at UHF. Due to the mechanical and electrical simplicity of dipole antennas, combining an X-nucleus surface loop array with 1 H dipoles can substantially simplify the design of a double-tuned UHF human head array coil. Recently, we developed a novel bent folded-end dipole transceiver array for human head imaging at 9.4 T. The new eight-element dipole array demonstrated full brain coverage, and transmit efficiency comparable to that of the substantially more complex 16-element surface loop array. In this work, we developed, constructed and evaluated a double-tuned 13 C/1 H human head 9.4 T array consisting of eight 13 C transceiver surface loops and eight 1 H transceiver bent folded-end dipole antennas all placed in a single layer. We showed that interaction between loops and dipoles can be minimized by placing four 1 H traps into each 13 C loop. The presented double-tuned RF array coil substantially simplifies the design as compared with the common double-tuned surface loop arrays. At the same time, the coil demonstrated an improved 1 H longitudinal coverage and good transmit efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai I Avdievich
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Georgiy Solomakha
- Department of Physics and Engineering, ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Loreen Ruhm
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anke Henning
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Abstract
Especially after the launch of 7 T, the ultrahigh magnetic field (UHF) imaging community achieved critically important strides in our understanding of the physics of radiofrequency interactions in the human body, which in turn has led to solutions for the challenges posed by such UHFs. As a result, the originally obtained poor image quality has progressed to the high-quality and high-resolution images obtained at 7 T and now at 10.5 T in the human torso. Despite these tremendous advances, work still remains to further improve the image quality and fully capitalize on the potential advantages UHF has to offer.
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Abstract
After introduction of the first human 7 tesla (7T) system in 1999, 7T MR systems have been employed as one of the most advanced platforms for human MR research for more than 20 years. Currently, two 7T MR models are approved for clinical use in the U.S.A. The approval facilitated introduction of the 7T system, summing up to around 100 worldwide. The approval in Japan is much awaited. As a clinical MR scanner, the 7T MR system is drawing attention in terms of safety.Several large-sized studies on bioeffects have been reported for vertigo, dizziness, motion disturbances, nausea, and others. Such effects might also be found in MR workers and researchers. Frequency and severity of reported bioeffects will be presented and discussed, including their variances. The high resonance frequency and shorter RF wavelength of 7T increase the concern about the safety. Homogeneous RF pulse excitation is difficult even for the brain, and a multi-channel parallel transmit (pTx) system is considered mandatory. However, pTx may create a hot spot, which makes the estimation of specific absorption rate (SAR) to be difficult. The stronger magnetic field of 7T causes a large force of displacement and heating on metallic implants or devices, and the scan of patients with them should not be conducted at 7T. However, there are some opinions that such patients might be scanned even at 7T, if certain criteria are met. This article provides a brief review on the effect of the static magnetic field on humans (MR subjects, workers, and researchers) and neurons, in addition to scan sound, SAR, and metal implants and devices. Understanding and avoiding adverse effects will contribute to the reduction in safety risks and the prevention of incidents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohisa Okada
- Human Brain Research Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University
| | - Thai Akasaka
- Human Brain Research Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University
| | - Dinh Hd Thuy
- Human Brain Research Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University
| | - Tadashi Isa
- Human Brain Research Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University
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Avdievich NI, Solomakha G, Ruhm L, Nikulin AV, Magill AW, Scheffler K. Folded-end dipole transceiver array for human whole-brain imaging at 7 T. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2021; 34:e4541. [PMID: 33978270 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The advancement of clinical applications of ultrahigh field (UHF) MRI depends heavily on advances in technology, including the development of new radiofrequency (RF) coil designs. Currently, the number of commercially available 7 T head RF coils is rather limited, implying a need to develop novel RF head coil designs that offer superior transmit and receive performance. RF coils to be used for clinical applications must be robust and reliable. In particular, for transmit arrays, if a transmit channel fails the local specific absorption rate may increase, significantly increasing local tissue heating. Recently, dipole antennas have been proposed and used to design UHF head transmit and receive arrays. The dipole provides a unique simplicity while offering comparable transmit efficiency and signal-to-noise ratio with the conventional loop design. Recently, we developed a novel array design in our laboratory using a folded-end dipole antenna. In this work, we developed, constructed and evaluated an eight-element transceiver bent folded-end dipole array for human head imaging at 7 T. Driven in the quadrature circularly polarized mode, the array demonstrated more than 20% higher transmit efficiency and significantly better whole-brain coverage than that provided by a widely used commercial array. In addition, we evaluated passive dipole antennas for decoupling the proposed array. We demonstrated that in contrast to the common unfolded dipole array, the passive dipoles moved away from the sample not only minimize coupling between the adjacent folded-end active dipoles but also produce practically no destructive interference with the quadrature mode of the array.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai I Avdievich
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Georgiy Solomakha
- Department of Physics and Engineering, ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Loreen Ruhm
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anton V Nikulin
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Arthur W Magill
- Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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33
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Li N, Zheng H, Xu G, Gui T, Yin Q, Chen Q, Lee J, Xin Y, Zhang S, He Q, Zhang X, Liu X, Zheng H, Wang D, Li Y. Simultaneous Head and Spine MR Imaging in Children Using a Dedicated Multichannel Receiver System at 3T. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2021; 68:3659-3670. [PMID: 34014817 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2021.3082149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this work was to enable simultaneous head and spine Magnetic Resonance imaging (MRI) in children at 3T by using a dedicated multichannel radiofrequency coil array system. METHODS A 24-channel head and spine pediatric coil system was developed and constructed. The coils performance was compared with a commercially available 24-channel adult head-neck coil and a spine coil (1-4 spine of 16-channel were selected). Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and parallel imaging capability were quantitatively evaluated by phantom studies and in vivo imaging experiments. With Institutional Review Board and Ethics Committee approval, the designed coil was used to acquire head and spine images on 27 children in clinical settings. RESULTS The pediatric coil provided substantial SNR improvements with an increase of 32 % to 40 % in the brain region and up to a two-fold increase in the surface. SNR increased by at least 18 % in the spine region. The coil enabled higher resolution and a faster imaging speed, owing to significantly improved SNR. Extensive coverage of the coil enabled high-quality fast imaging from head-neck to the whole spine. Good image quality with an average score 4.63 out of 5 was achieved using the developed pediatric coil in clinical studies. CONCLUSION Simultaneous head and spine MRI with superior performance have been successfully acquired in children subjects at 3T using the dedicated 24-channel head and spine pediatric coil system. SIGNIFICANCE The 24-channel pediatric coil system potentially can enhance pediatric head and spine MRI in clinical research and diagnosis.
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Drizdal T, Sumser K, Bellizzi GG, Fiser O, Vrba J, Rhoon GCV, Yeo DTB, Margarethus M Paulides. Simulation guided design of the MRcollar: a MR compatible applicator for deep heating in the head and neck region. Int J Hyperthermia 2021; 38:382-392. [PMID: 33682594 DOI: 10.1080/02656736.2021.1892836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop a head and neck hyperthermia phased array system compatible with a 1.5 T magnetic resonance (MR) scanner for noninvasive thermometry. METHODS We designed a dielectric-parabolic-reflector antenna (DiPRA) based on a printed reflector backed dipole antenna and studied its predicted and measured performance in a flat configuration (30 mm thick water bolus and muscle equivalent layer). Thereafter, we designed a phased array applicator model ('MRcollar') consisting of 12 DiPRA modules placed on a radius of 180 mm. Theoretical heating performance of the MRcollar model was benchmarked against the current clinical applicator (HYPERcollar3D) using specific (3D) head and neck models of 28 treated patients. Lastly, we assessed the influence of the DiPRA modules on MR scanning quality. RESULTS The predicted and measured reflection coefficients (S11) of the DiPRA module are below -20 dB. The maximum specific absorption rate (SAR) in the area under the antenna was 47% higher than for the antenna without encasing. Compared to the HYPERcollar3D, the MRcollar design incorporates 31% less demineralized water (-2.5 L), improves the predicted TC25 (target volume enclosed by 25% iso-SAR contour) by 4.1% and TC50 by 8.5%, while the target-to-hotspot quotient (THQ) is minimally affected (-1.6%). MR experiments showed that the DiPRA modules do not affect MR transmit/receive performance. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that head and neck hyperthermia delivery quality with the MRcollar can be maintained, while facilitating simultaneous noninvasive MR thermometry for treatment monitoring and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Drizdal
- Hyperthermia Unit, Department of Radiotherapy, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Biomedical Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Kladno, Czech Republic, Kladno, Czech Republic in Prague
| | - Kemal Sumser
- Hyperthermia Unit, Department of Radiotherapy, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gennaro G Bellizzi
- Hyperthermia Unit, Department of Radiotherapy, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Information Engineering, Infrastructures and Sustainable Energy, Universita Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Reggio di Calabria, Italy
| | - Ondrej Fiser
- Department of Biomedical Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Kladno, Czech Republic, Kladno, Czech Republic in Prague
| | - Jan Vrba
- Department of Biomedical Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Kladno, Czech Republic, Kladno, Czech Republic in Prague
| | - Gerard C van Rhoon
- Hyperthermia Unit, Department of Radiotherapy, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Desmond T B Yeo
- Imaging and Bioelectronic Technologies, GE Global Research Centre, Niskayuna, NY, USA
| | - Margarethus M Paulides
- Hyperthermia Unit, Department of Radiotherapy, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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35
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Gilbert KM, Klassen LM, Mashkovtsev A, Zeman P, Menon RS, Gati JS. Radiofrequency coil for routine ultra-high-field imaging with an unobstructed visual field. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2021; 34:e4457. [PMID: 33305466 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Many neuroscience applications have adopted functional MRI as a tool to investigate the healthy and diseased brain during the completion of a task. While ultra-high-field MRI has allowed for improved contrast and signal-to-noise ratios during functional MRI studies, it remains a challenge to create local radiofrequency coils that can accommodate an unobstructed visual field and be suitable for routine use, while at the same time not compromise performance. Performance (both during transmission and reception) can be improved by using close-fitting coils; however, maintaining sensitivity over the whole brain often requires the introduction of coil elements proximal to the eyes, thereby partially occluding the subject's visual field. This study presents a 7 T head coil, with eight transmit dipoles and 32 receive loops, that is designed to remove visual obstructions from the subject's line of sight, allowing for an unencumbered view of visual stimuli, the reduction of anxiety induced from small enclosures, and the potential for eye-tracking measurements. The coil provides a practical solution for routine imaging, including a split design (anterior and posterior halves) that facilitates subject positioning, including those with impaired mobility, and the placement of devices required for patient comfort and motion reduction. The transmit and receive coils displayed no degradation of performance due to adaptions to the design topology (both mechanical and electrical) required to create an unobstructed visual field. All computer-aided design files, electromagnetic simulation models, transmit field maps and local specific absorption rate matrices are provided to promote reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle M Gilbert
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - L Martyn Klassen
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alexander Mashkovtsev
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter Zeman
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ravi S Menon
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joseph S Gati
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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36
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Avdievich NI, Solomakha G, Ruhm L, Henning A, Scheffler K. Unshielded bent folded-end dipole 9.4 T human head transceiver array decoupled using modified passive dipoles. Magn Reson Med 2021; 86:581-597. [PMID: 33629436 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop an unshielded dipole transceiver array for human head imaging at 9.4 Tesla and to improve decoupling of adjacent dipole elements, a novel array design with modified passive dipole antennas was developed, evaluated, and tested. METHODS The new array consisted of 8 bent folded-end dipole elements placed in a single row and surrounding the head. Adjacent elements of RF transceiver arrays are usually decoupled by introducing circuits electrically connected to elements. These methods are difficult to use for dipole arrays because of the distant location of the adjacent antennas. A recently developed decoupling technique using passive dipoles is simple and does not require any electrical connection. However, common parallel passive dipoles can produce destructive interference with the RF field of the array itself. To minimize this interference, we placed the passive dipoles perpendicularly to the active dipoles and positioned them at the ends of the array. We also evaluated the effect of different passive dipoles on the array transmit performance. Finally, we optimized the array transmit performance by varying the length of the dipole folded portion. RESULTS By rotating the passive dipoles 90º and moving them toward the ends of the array, we minimized the destructive interference to an acceptable level without compromising decoupling and the transmit efficiency. CONCLUSION While keeping the benefits of the passive dipole decoupling method, the new modified dipoles produce substantially less destructive interference with the RF field of the array than the common design. The constructed transceiver array demonstrated good decoupling and whole-brain coverage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai I Avdievich
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Georgiy Solomakha
- Department of Physics and Engineering, ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Loreen Ruhm
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anke Henning
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.,Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.,Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Fagan AJ, Bitz AK, Björkman-Burtscher IM, Collins CM, Kimbrell V, Raaijmakers AJ. 7T MR Safety. J Magn Reson Imaging 2021; 53:333-346. [PMID: 32830900 PMCID: PMC8170917 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.27319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRI/MRS) at 7T represents an exciting advance in MR technology, with intriguing possibilities to enhance image spatial, spectral, and contrast resolution. To ensure the safe use of this technology while still harnessing its potential, clinical staff and researchers need to be cognizant of some safety concerns arising from the increased magnetic field strength and higher Larmor frequency. The higher static magnetic fields give rise to enhanced transient bioeffects and an increased risk of adverse incidents related to electrically conductive implants. Many technical challenges remain and the continuing rapid pace of development of 7T MRI/MRS is likely to present further challenges to ensuring safety of this technology in the years ahead. The recent regulatory clearance for clinical diagnostic imaging at 7T will likely increase the installed base of 7T systems, particularly in hospital environments with little prior ultrahigh-field MR experience. Informed risk/benefit analyses will be required, particularly where implant manufacturer-published 7T safety guidelines for implants are unavailable. On behalf of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, the aim of this article is to provide a reference document to assist institutions developing local institutional policies and procedures that are specific to the safe operation of 7T MRI/MRS. Details of current 7T technology and the physics underpinning its functionality are reviewed, with the aim of supporting efforts to expand the use of 7T MRI/MRS in both research and clinical environments. Current gaps in knowledge are also identified, where additional research and development are required. Level of Evidence 5 Technical Efficacy 2 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2021;53:333-346.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Fagan
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Andreas K. Bitz
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, FH Aachen - University of Applied Sciences, Aachen, Germany
| | - Isabella M. Björkman-Burtscher
- Department of Radiology, University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska Academy, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Christopher M. Collins
- Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Vera Kimbrell
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Dorst J, Ruhm L, Avdievich N, Bogner W, Henning A. Comparison of four 31P single-voxel MRS sequences in the human brain at 9.4 T. Magn Reson Med 2021; 85:3010-3026. [PMID: 33427322 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE In this study, different single-voxel localization sequences were implemented and systematically compared for the first time for phosphorous MRS (31 P-MRS) in the human brain at 9.4 T. METHODS Two multishot sequences, image-selected in vivo spectroscopy (ISIS) and a conventional slice-selective excitation combined with localization by adiabatic selective refocusing (semiLASER) variant of the spin-echo full intensity-acquired localized spectroscopy (SPECIAL-semiLASER), and two single-shot sequences, semiLASER and stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM), were implemented and optimized for 31 P-MRS in the human brain at 9.4 T. Pulses and coil setup were optimized, localization accuracy was tested in phantom experiments, and absolute SNR of the sequences was compared in vivo. The SNR per unit time (SNR/t) was derived and compared for all four sequences and verified experimentally for ISIS in two different voxel sizes (3 × 3 × 3 cm3 , 5 × 5 × 5 cm3 , 10-minute measurement time). Metabolite signals obtained with ISIS were quantified. The possible spectral quality in vivo acquired in clinically feasible time (3:30 minutes, 3 × 3 × 3 cm3 ) was explored for two different coil setups. RESULTS All evaluated sequences performed with good localization accuracy in phantom experiments and provided well-resolved spectra in vivo. However, ISIS has the lowest chemical shift displacement error, the best localization accuracy, the highest SNR/t for most metabolites, provides metabolite concentrations comparable to literature values, and is the only one of the sequences that allows for the detection of the whole 31 P spectrum, including β-adenosine triphosphate, with the used setup. The SNR/t of STEAM is comparable to the SNR/t of ISIS. The semiLASER and SPECIAL-semiLASER sequences provide good results for metabolites with long T2 . CONCLUSION At 9.4 T, high-quality single-voxel localized 31 P-MRS can be performed in the human brain with different localization methods, each with inherent characteristics suitable for different research issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Dorst
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.,IMPRS for Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Loreen Ruhm
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.,IMPRS for Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nikolai Avdievich
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Bogner
- High-Field MR Center, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anke Henning
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.,Advanced Imaging Research Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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39
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Fagan AJ, Jacobs PS, Hulshizer TC, Rossman PJ, Frick MA, Amrami KK, Felmlee JP. 7T MR Thermometry technique for validation of system-predicted SAR with a home-built radiofrequency wrist coil. Med Phys 2020; 48:781-790. [PMID: 33294999 DOI: 10.1002/mp.14641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE A 7T magnetic resonance thermometry (MRT) technique was developed to validate the conversion factor between the system-measured transmitted radiofrequency (RF) power into a home-built RF wrist coil with the system-predicted SAR value. The conversion factor for a new RF coil developed for ultra high magnetic field MRI systems is used to ensure that regulatory limits on RF energy deposition in tissue, specifically the local 10g-averaged specific absorption rate (SAR10g ), are not exceeded. MRT can be used to validate this factor by ensuring that MRT-measured SAR values do not exceed those predicted by the system. METHODS A 14-cm diameter high-pass birdcage RF coil was built to image the wrist at 7T. A high spatial and temporal resolution dual-echo gradient echo MRT technique, incorporating quasi-simultaneous RF-induced heating and temperature change measurements using the proton resonance frequency method, was developed. The technique allowed for high-temperature resolution measurements (~±0.1°C) to be performed every 20 s over a 4-min heating period, with high spatial resolution (2.56 mm3 voxel size) and avoiding phase discontinuities arising from severe magnetic susceptibility-induced B0 inhomogeneities. Magnetic resonance thermometry was performed on a phantom made from polyvinylpyrrolidone to mimic the dielectric properties of muscle tissue at 297.2 MHz. Temperature changes measured with MRT and four fiber optic temperature sensors embedded in the phantom were compared. Electromagnetic simulations of the coil and phantom were developed and validated via comparison of simulated and measured B1 + maps in the phantom. The position of maximum SAR within the coil was determined from simulations, and MRT was performed within a wrist-sized piece of meat positioned at that SAR hotspot location. MRT-measured and system-predicted SAR values for the phantom and meat were compared. RESULTS Temperature change measurements from MRT matched closely to those from the fiber optic temperature sensors. The simulations were validated via close correlation between the simulated and MRT-measured B1 + and SAR maps. Using a coil conversion factor of 2 kg-1 , MRT-measured point-SAR values did not exceed the system-predicted SAR10g in either the uniform phantom or in the piece of meat mimicking the wrist located at the SAR hotspot location. CONCLUSIONS A highly accurate MRT technique with high spatial and temporal resolution was developed. This technique can be used to ensure that system-predicted SAR values are not exceeded in practice, thereby providing independent validation of SAR levels delivered by a newly built RF wrist coil. The MRT technique is readily generalizable to perform safety evaluations for other RF coils at 7T.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Fagan
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Paul S Jacobs
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Thomas C Hulshizer
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Phillip J Rossman
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Matthew A Frick
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Kimberly K Amrami
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Joel P Felmlee
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
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40
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Jeong H, Restivo MC, Jezzard P, Hess AT. Assessment of radio-frequency heating of a parallel transmit coil in a phantom using multi-echo proton resonance frequency shift thermometry. Magn Reson Imaging 2020; 77:57-68. [PMID: 33359425 PMCID: PMC7889491 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2020.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
We propose a workflow for validating parallel transmission (pTx) radio-frequency (RF) magnetic field heating patterns using Proton-Resonance Frequency shift (PRF)-based MR thermometry. Electromagnetic (EM) and thermal simulations of a 7 T 8-channel dipole coil were done using commercially available software (Sim4Life) to assess RF heating. The fabrication method for a phantom with electrical properties matched to human tissue is also described, along with methods for its electrical and thermal characterisation. Energy was deposited to specific transmit channels, whilst acquiring 3D PRF data using a pair of interleaved RF shim transmit modes. A multi-echo readout and pre-scan stabilisation protocol were used for increased sensitivity and to correct for measurement-to-measurement instabilities. The electrical properties of the phantom were found to be within 10% of the intended values. Adoption of a 14-min stabilisation scan gave sufficient suppression of any evolving background spatial variation in the B0 field to achieve <0.001 °C/mm thermometry drift over 10 min of subsequent scanning. Using two RF shim transmit modes enabled full phantom coverage and combining multiple echo times enabled a 13-54% improvement in the RMSE sensitivity to temperature changes. Combining multiple echoes reduced the peak RMSE by 45% and visually reduced measurement-to-measurement instabilities. A reference fibre optic probe showed temperature deviations from the PRF-estimated temperature to be smaller than 0.5 °C. Given the importance of RF safety in pTx applications, this workflow enables accurate validation of RF heating simulations with minimal additional hardware requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbae Jeong
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB Division, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew C Restivo
- Laboratory of Imaging Technology, Biochemistry and Biophysics Centre, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Peter Jezzard
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB Division, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Aaron T Hess
- Centre for Clinical Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; British Heart Foundation Centre for Research Excellence, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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Eberhardt B, Poser BA, Shah NJ, Felder J. Application of Evolution Strategies to the Design of SAR Efficient Parallel Transmit Multi-Spoke Pulses for Ultra-High Field MRI. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING 2020; 39:4225-4236. [PMID: 32763849 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2020.3013982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We present an evolution-strategy based approach to solve the magnitude least squares (MLS) design problem of low flip-angle slice-selective parallel transmit RF pulses for ultra-high field MRI using SAR and peak-RF-constraints. A combined transmit k-space trajectory and RF pulse weight optimization is proposed in two algorithmic steps. The first step is a coarse grid search to find an initial solution that fulfills all constraints for the subsequent multistage optimization. This avoids convergence to the next nearest local minimum. The second step attempts to refine the results using multiple evolution strategies. We compare the performance of our approach with the non-convex optimization methods described in the literature. The proposed algorithm converges for phantom and in vivo data and only requires an initial estimate of the range of suitable regularization parameters. It demonstrates improved excitation homogeneity compared to published spoke-design methods and allows optimization for homogeneity with a subsequent reduction in the SAR burden. Moreover, excitation homogeneity and the SAR burden can be balanced against each other, enabling a further reduction in SAR at the cost of minor relaxations in excitation homogeneity. This feature makes the algorithm a good candidate for SAR limited sequences in ultra-high field imaging. The algorithm is validated using phantom and in vivo measurements obtained with a 16-channel transmit array at 9.4T.
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Avdievich NI, Solomakha G, Ruhm L, Scheffler K, Henning A. Decoupling of folded-end dipole antenna elements of a 9.4 T human head array using an RF shield. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2020; 33:e4351. [PMID: 32618047 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Dipole antennas have recently been introduced to the field of MRI and successfully used, mostly as elements of ultra-high field (UHF, ≥ 7 T) human body arrays. Usage of dipole antennas for UHF human head transmit (Tx) arrays is still under development. Due to the substantially smaller size of the sample, dipoles must be made significantly shorter than in the body array. Additionally, head Tx arrays are commonly placed on the surface of rigid helmets made sufficiently large to accommodate tight-fit receive arrays. As a result, dipoles are not well loaded and are often poorly decoupled, which compromises Tx efficiency. Commonly, adjacent array elements are decoupled by circuits electrically connected to them. Placement of such circuits between distantly located dipoles is difficult. Alternatively, decoupling is provided by placing passive antennas between adjacent dipole elements. This method only works when these additional components are sufficiently small (compared with the size of active dipoles). Otherwise, RF fields produced by passive elements interfere destructively with the RF field of the array itself, and previously reported designs have used passive dipoles of about the size of array dipoles. In this work, we developed a novel method of decoupling for adjacent dipole antennas, and used this technique while constructing a 9.4 T human head eight-element transceiver array. Decoupling is provided without any additional circuits by simply folding the dipoles and using an RF shield located close to the folded portion of the dipoles. The array reported in this work demonstrates good decoupling and whole-brain coverage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai I Avdievich
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Georgiy Solomakha
- Department of Physics and Engineering, ITMO University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Loreen Ruhm
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anke Henning
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, USA
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43
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Geldschläger O, Bosch D, Avdievich NI, Henning A. Ultrahigh-resolution quantitative spinal cord MRI at 9.4T. Magn Reson Med 2020; 85:1013-1027. [PMID: 32789980 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To present the results of the first human spinal cord in vivo MRI scans at 9.4T. METHODS A human brain coil was used to image the human spinal cord at 9.4T. All anatomical images were acquired with a T2 *-weighted gradient-echo sequence. A comparison of the influence of four different B0 shimming routines on the image quality was performed. Intrinsic signal-to-noise-ratio maps were determined using a pseudo-multiple replica approach. Measurements with different echo times were compared and processed to one multiecho data image combination image. Based on the multiecho acquisitions, T2 *-relaxation time maps were calculated. Algorithmic spinal cord detection and gray matter/white matter segmentation were tested. RESULTS An echo time between 9 and 13.8 ms compromised best between gray matter/white matter contrast and image quality. A maximum in-plane resolution of 0.15 × 0.15 mm2 was achieved for anatomical images. These images offered excellent image quality and made small structures of the spinal cord visible. The scanner vendor implemented B0 shimming routine performed best during this work. Intrinsic signal-to-noise-ratio values of between 6600 and 8060 at the upper cervical spinal cord were achieved. Detection and segmentation worked reliably. An average T2 *-time of 24.88 ms ± 6.68 ms for gray matter and 19.37 ms ± 8.66 ms for white matter was calculated. CONCLUSION The proposed human brain coil can be used to image the spinal cord. The maximum in-plane resolution in this work was higher compared with the 7T results from the literature. The 9.4T acquisitions made the small structures of the spinal cord clearly visible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole Geldschläger
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dario Bosch
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.,Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nikolai I Avdievich
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anke Henning
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.,Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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Sumser K, Bellizzi GG, Forner R, Drizdal T, Tamames JAH, van Rhoon GC, Paulides MM. Dual-Function MR-Guided Hyperthermia: An Innovative Integrated Approach and Experimental Demonstration of Proof of Principle. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2020; 68:712-717. [PMID: 32746075 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2020.3012734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Temperature monitoring plays a central role in improving clinical effectiveness of adjuvant hyperthermia. The potential of magnetic resonance thermometry for treatment monitoring purposes led to several MR-guided hyperthermia approaches. However, the proposed solutions were sub-optimal due to technological and intrinsic limitations. These hamper achieving target conformal heating possibilities (applicator limitations) and accurate thermometry (inadequate signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR)). In this work, we studied proof of principle of a dual-function hyperthermia approach based on a coil array (64 MHz, 1.5 T) that is integrated in-between a phased array for heating (434 MHz) for maximum signal receive in order to improve thermometry accuracy. Hereto, we designed and fabricated a superficial hyperthermia mimicking planar array setup to study the most challenging interactions of generic phased-array setups in order to validate the integrated approach. Experiments demonstrated that the setup complies with the superficial hyperthermia guidelines for heating and is able to improve SNR at 2-4 cm depth by 17%, as compared to imaging using the body coil. Hence, the results showed the feasibility of our dual-function MR-guided hyperthermia approach as basis for the development of application specific setups.
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45
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Avdievich NI, Solomakha G, Ruhm L, Bause J, Scheffler K, Henning A. Bent folded‐end dipole head array for ultrahigh‐field MRI turns “dielectric resonance” from an enemy to a friend. Magn Reson Med 2020; 84:3453-3467. [DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai I. Avdievich
- High‐Field MR Center Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen Germany
| | - Georgiy Solomakha
- Department of Physics and Engineering ITMO University St. Petersburg Russia
| | - Loreen Ruhm
- High‐Field MR Center Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen Germany
| | - Jonas Bause
- High‐Field MR Center Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen Germany
- Graduate School of Neural and Behavioral Sciences Tübingen Germany
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- High‐Field MR Center Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen Germany
- Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance University of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
| | - Anke Henning
- High‐Field MR Center Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen Germany
- Advanced Imaging Research Center University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas TX USA
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46
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Steensma B, van de Moortele PF, Ertürk A, Grant A, Adriany G, Luijten P, Klomp D, van den Berg N, Metzger G, Raaijmakers A. Introduction of the snake antenna array: Geometry optimization of a sinusoidal dipole antenna for 10.5T body imaging with lower peak SAR. Magn Reson Med 2020; 84:2885-2896. [PMID: 32367560 PMCID: PMC7496175 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Purpose To improve imaging performance for body MRI with a local transmit array at 10.5T, the geometry of a dipole antenna was optimized to achieve lower peak specific absorption rate (SAR) levels and a more uniform transmit profile. Methods Electromagnetic simulations on a phantom were used to evaluate the SAR and
B1+‐performance of different dipole antenna geometries. The best performing antenna (the snake antenna) was simulated on human models in a 12‐channel array configuration for safety assessment and for comparison to a previous antenna design. This 12‐channel array was constructed after which electromagnetic simulations were validated by
B1+‐maps and temperature measurements. After obtaining approval by the Food and Drug Administration to scan with the snake antenna array, in vivo imaging was performed on 2 volunteers. Results Simulation results on a phantom indicate a lower SAR and a higher transmit efficiency for the snake antenna compared to the fractionated dipole array. Similar results are found on a human body model: when comparing the trade‐off between uniformity and peak SAR, the snake antenna performs better for all imaging targets. Simulations and measurements are in good agreement. Preliminary imaging result were acquired in 2 volunteers with the 12‐channel snake antenna array. Conclusion By optimizing the geometry of a dipole antenna, peak SAR levels were lowered while achieving a more uniform transmit field as demonstrated in simulations on a phantom and a human body model. The array was constructed, validated, and successfully used to image 2 individuals at 10.5T.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Steensma
- Center for Image Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Arcan Ertürk
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.,Restorative Therapies Group, Medtronic, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Andrea Grant
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Gregor Adriany
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Peter Luijten
- Center for Image Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Dennis Klomp
- Center for Image Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Nico van den Berg
- Center for Image Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Gregory Metzger
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Alexander Raaijmakers
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.,Biomedical Image Analysis, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
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47
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Avdievich NI, Ruhm L, Dorst J, Scheffler K, Korzowski A, Henning A. Double‐tuned
31
P/
1
H human head array with high performance at both frequencies for spectroscopic imaging at 9.4T. Magn Reson Med 2020; 84:1076-1089. [DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai I. Avdievich
- High‐Field MR Center Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen Germany
| | - Loreen Ruhm
- High‐Field MR Center Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen Germany
| | - Johanna Dorst
- High‐Field MR Center Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen Germany
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- High‐Field MR Center Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen Germany
- Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance University of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
| | - Andreas Korzowski
- Department for Medical Physics in Radiology German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg Germany
| | - Anke Henning
- High‐Field MR Center Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen Germany
- Advanced Imaging Research Center University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas Texas
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48
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Enriquez AG, Vincent JM, Rispoli JV. Dual-Tuned Removable Common-Mode Current Trap for Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy .. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2020; 2019:6802-6805. [PMID: 31947402 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2019.8857944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) are preferred methods of gathering structural and metabolic information from the body due to their non-invasive approach to obtaining a diagnosis. Dual-tuned radiofrequency (RF) coils can detect signals produced by both hydrogen and a second atomic nuclei of interest. However, undesired electromagnetic coupling often confounds both the design and utilization of RF coils. Coaxial shield currents, also known as common-mode currents, can be induced during MR scans and cause image distortion and reduction in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR); furthermore, the energy dissipated from the cabling can create heat that poses a risk of patient burns if the routed too closely. Thus, common-mode currents must be suppressed in RF coils by employing non-magnetic current traps. In this paper, we present a novel dual-tuned current trap that is fully removable and does not require soldering directly to the cable. The design was manufactured with 3D printing to support rapid fabrication and distribution. Bench measurements at the 3T Larmor frequencies for hydrogen and phosphorous-31 demonstrate common-mode attenuation of -18 dB and -8.4 dB respectively.
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49
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He X, Ertürk MA, Grant A, Wu X, Lagore RL, DelaBarre L, Eryaman Y, Adriany G, Auerbach EJ, Van de Moortele PF, Uğurbil K, Metzger GJ. First in-vivo human imaging at 10.5T: Imaging the body at 447 MHz. Magn Reson Med 2019; 84:289-303. [PMID: 31846121 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the feasibility of imaging the human torso and to evaluate the performance of several radiofrequency (RF) management strategies at 10.5T. METHODS Healthy volunteers were imaged on a 10.5T whole-body scanner in multiple target anatomies, including the prostate, hip, kidney, liver, and heart. Phase-only shimming and spoke pulses were used to demonstrate their performance in managing the B 1 + inhomogeneity present at 447 MHz. Imaging protocols included both qualitative and quantitative acquisitions to show the feasibility of imaging with different contrasts. RESULTS High-quality images were acquired and demonstrated excellent overall contrast and signal-to-noise ratio. The experimental results matched well with predictions and suggested good translational capabilities of the RF management strategies previously developed at 7T. Phase-only shimming provided increased efficiency, but showed pronounced limitations in homogeneity, demonstrating the need for the increased degrees of freedom made possible through single- and multispoke RF pulse design. CONCLUSION The first in-vivo human imaging was successfully performed at 10.5T using previously developed RF management strategies. Further improvement in RF coils, transmit chain, and full integration of parallel transmit functionality are needed to fully realize the benefits of 10.5T.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxuan He
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - M Arcan Ertürk
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Andrea Grant
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Russell L Lagore
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Lance DelaBarre
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Yiğitcan Eryaman
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Gregor Adriany
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Eddie J Auerbach
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | | | - Kâmil Uğurbil
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Gregory J Metzger
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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50
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Sadeghi-Tarakameh A, DelaBarre L, Lagore RL, Torrado-Carvajal A, Wu X, Grant A, Adriany G, Metzger GJ, Van de Moortele PF, Ugurbil K, Atalar E, Eryaman Y. In vivo human head MRI at 10.5T: A radiofrequency safety study and preliminary imaging results. Magn Reson Med 2019; 84:484-496. [PMID: 31751499 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to safely acquire the first human head images at 10.5T. METHODS To ensure safety of subjects, we validated the electromagnetic simulation model of our coil. We obtained quantitative agreement between simulated and experimental B 1 + and specific absorption rate (SAR). Using the validated coil model, we calculated radiofrequency power levels to safely image human subjects. We conducted all experiments and imaging sessions in a controlled radiofrequency safety lab and the whole-body 10.5T scanner in the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research. RESULTS Quantitative agreement between the simulated and experimental results was obtained including S-parameters, B 1 + maps, and SAR. We calculated peak 10 g average SAR using 4 different realistic human body models for a quadrature excitation and demonstrated that the peak 10 g SAR variation between subjects was less than 30%. We calculated safe power limits based on this set and used those limits to acquire T2 - and T 2 ∗ -weighted images of human subjects at 10.5T. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we acquired the first in vivo human head images at 10.5T using an 8-channel transmit/receive coil. We implemented and expanded a previously proposed workflow to validate the electromagnetic simulation model of the 8-channel transmit/receive coil. Using the validated coil model, we calculated radiofrequency power levels to safely image human subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Sadeghi-Tarakameh
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey.,National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Ankara, Turkey.,Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Lance DelaBarre
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Russell L Lagore
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Angel Torrado-Carvajal
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Medical Image Analysis and Biometry Laboratory, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Andrea Grant
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Gregor Adriany
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Gregory J Metzger
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | | | - Kamil Ugurbil
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Ergin Atalar
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey.,National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Ankara, Turkey
| | - Yigitcan Eryaman
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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