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Gapais PF, Luong M, Nizery F, Maitre G, Giacomini E, Guillot J, Vignaud A, Berrahou D, Dubois M, Abdeddaim R, Georget E, Hosseinnezhadian S, Amadon A. Efficiently building receive arrays with electromagnetic simulations and additive manufacturing: A two-layer, 32-channel prototype for 7T brain MRI. Magn Reson Med 2024; 91:1254-1267. [PMID: 37986237 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29931] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE We propose a comprehensive workflow to design and build fully customized dense receive arrays for MRI, providing prediction of SNR and g-factor. Combined with additive manufacturing, this method allows an efficient implementation for any arbitrary loop configuration. To demonstrate the methodology, an innovative two-layer, 32-channel receive array is proposed. METHODS The design workflow is based on numerical simulations using a commercial 3D electromagnetic software associated with circuit model co-simulations to provide the most accurate results in an efficient time. A model to compute the noise covariance matrix from circuit model scattering parameters is proposed. A 32-channel receive array at 7 T is simulated and fabricated with a two-layer design made of non-geometrically decoupled loops. Decoupling between loops is achieved using home-built direct high-impedance preamplifiers. The loops are 3D-printed with a new additive manufacturing technique to speed up integration while preserving the detailed geometry as simulated. The SNR and parallel-imaging performances of the proposed design are compared with a commercial coil, and in vivo images are acquired. RESULTS The comparison of SNR and g-factors showed a good agreement between simulations and measurements. Experimental values are comparable with the ones measured on the commercial coil. Preliminary in vivo images also ensured the absence of any unexpected artifacts. CONCLUSION A new design and performance analysis workflow is proposed and tested with a non-conventional 32-channel prototype at 7 T. Additive manufacturing of dense arrays of loops for brain imaging at ultrahigh field is validated for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul-François Gapais
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Joliot, NeuroSpin, BAOBAB, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Multiwave Imaging SAS, Marseille, France
| | - Michel Luong
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Irfu, DACM, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - François Nizery
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Irfu, LCAP, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Gabriel Maitre
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Irfu, LCAP, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Eric Giacomini
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Joliot, NeuroSpin, BAOBAB, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jules Guillot
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Joliot, NeuroSpin, BAOBAB, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Alexandre Vignaud
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Joliot, NeuroSpin, BAOBAB, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | | | | | - Redha Abdeddaim
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, Institut Fresnel, Marseille, France
| | | | | | - Alexis Amadon
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Joliot, NeuroSpin, BAOBAB, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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Sun C, Bauer CC, Hou J, Wright SM. Wideband receive-coil array design using high-impedance amplifiers for broadband decoupling. Magn Reson Med 2023; 90:2198-2210. [PMID: 37382188 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29755] [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: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Multinuclear MRI/S is of increasing interest. Currently, most multinuclear receive array coils are constructed by nesting multiple single-tuned array coils or using switching elements to control the operating frequency, in which case more than one set of conventional isolation preamplifiers and associated decoupling circuits is required. These conventional configurations rapidly become complicated when greater numbers of channels or nuclei are needed. In this work, a novel coil decoupling mechanism is proposed to enable broadband decoupling for array coils with one set of preamplifiers. METHODS Instead of using conventional isolation preamplifiers, a high-input impedance preamplifier is proposed to create broadband decoupling of the array elements. A matching network consisting of a single inductor-capacitor-capacitor multi-tuned network and a wire-wound transformer was used to interface the surface coil to the high-impedance preamplifier. To validate the concept, the proposed configuration was compared to the conventional preamplifier decoupling configuration on both bench and scanner. RESULTS 2 The approach can provide more than 15dB decoupling over a range of 25MHz, covering the Larmor frequencies of 23 Na and 2 H at 4.7T. This multi-tuned prototype obtained 61% and 76% of the imaging SNR at 2 H and 23 Na respectively, 76 and 89% in a higher loading test phantom, when compared to the conventional single-tuned preamplifier decoupling configuration. CONCLUSION With the multinuclear array operation and decoupling achieved using only one layer of array coil and preamplifiers, this work provides a simple approach of building high element-count arrays to enable accelerated imaging or SNR improvement from multiple nuclei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenhao Sun
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Courtney C Bauer
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Jue Hou
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Steven M Wright
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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Vazquez F, Marrufo O, Solis-Najera SE, Martin R, Rodriguez AO. External Waveguide Magnetic Resonance Imaging for lower limbs at 3 T. Med Phys 2021; 49:158-168. [PMID: 34633673 DOI: 10.1002/mp.15281] [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: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We report a method based on the travelling-wave MRI approach, in order to acquire images of human lower limbs with an external waveguide at 3 T. METHOD We use a parallel-plate waveguide and an RF surface coil for reception, while a whole-body birdcage is used for transmission. The waveguide and the surface coil are located right outside the magnet, in the MR conditional devices zone. We ran numerical simulations to investigate the B1 field generated by the surface coil located at one of the waveguides, as well as a saline-solution phantom positioned on the opposite side (150 cm away) inside the magnet. RESULTS We obtained phantom images by varying the distance between the coil and the phantom, in order to investigate the signal-to-noise ratio and to validate our numerical simulations. Lower limb images of a healthy volunteer were also acquired, demonstrating the viability of this approach. Standard pulse sequences were used and no physical modifications were made to the MR imager. CONCLUSIONS These numerical and experimental results show that travelling-wave MRI can produce high-quality images with only a simple waveguide and an RF coil located outside the magnet. This can be particularly favorable when acquiring images of lower limbs requiring a larger field of view.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Vazquez
- Departamento de Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - O Marrufo
- Department of Neuroimage, Instituto Nacional de Neurologia y Neurocirugia MVS, Mexico City, 14269, Mexico
| | - S E Solis-Najera
- Departamento de Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - R Martin
- Departamento de Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - A O Rodriguez
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitama Iztapalapa, Mexico City, 09340, Mexico
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