Optimization of a quadrature birdcage coil for functional imaging of squirrel monkey brain at 9.4T

Design and application of a multimodality-compatible 1Tx/6Rx RF coil for monkey brain MRI at 7T

OBJECTIVE

Blood-oxygen-level-dependent functional MRI allows to investigte neural activities and connectivity. While the non-human primate plays an essential role in neuroscience research, multimodal methods combining functional MRI with other neuroimaging and neuromodulation enable us to understand the brain network at multiple scales.

APPROACH

In this study, a tight-fitting helmet-shape receive array with a single transmit loop for anesthetized macaque brain MRI at 7T was fabricated with four openings constructed in the coil housing to accommodate multimodal devices, and the coil performance was quantitatively evaluated and compared to a commercial knee coil. In addition, experiments over three macaques with infrared neural stimulation (INS), focused ultrasound stimulation (FUS), and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) were conducted.

MAIN RESULTS

The RF coil showed higher transmit efficiency, comparable homogeneity, improved SNR and enlarged signal coverage over the macaque brain. Infrared neural stimulation was applied to the amygdala in deep brain region, and activations in stimulation sites and connected sites were detected, with the connectivity consistent with anatomical information. Focused ultrasound stimulation was applied to the left visual cortex, and activations were acquired along the ultrasound traveling path, with all time course curves consistent with pre-designed paradigms. The existence of transcranial direct current stimulation electrodes brought no interference to the RF system, as evidenced through high-resolution MPRAGE structure images.

SIGNIFICANCE

This pilot study reveals the feasibility for brain investigation at multiple spatiotemporal scales, which may advance our understanding in dynamic brain networks.

RF shielding designs for birdcage coils for preclinical MRI at 9.4 T

Birdcage coils are widely used in preclinical MRI as they perform well, allow for quadrature drive, and can provide a homogeneous transmit field. Unlike in larger bore scanners, an RF shield is essential to avoid strong cross-talk with gradient coils that are in close proximity. However, gradient switching induces eddy currents that heat the shield and coil and impair the temporal signal-to-noise ratio (tSNR). The motivation of this study is to investigate the performance of different designs of RF shields on a birdcage coil used for high resolution functional MRI of small primates at 9.4 T. We found the choice of materials for RF shields significantly affected ghosting and tSNR in fMRI scans. Both ultrathin foils and a slotted pattern reduce eddy currents and improve imaging quality. Our results also demonstrate that a 9-um-thick copper foil is sufficiently thin to reduce the eddy current effects for high-resolution fMRI scans and there is no need for high-cost 4-um-thick foil. For slotted shields, our results demonstrate that the number of slots should be carefully considered, and an excessive number of slots can lead to a lower SNR and tSNR. We believe the results from this study can be used as a reference to design future RF coil shields selection for preclinical scanners.

A Preliminary Study for Reference RF Coil at 11.7 T MRI: Based on Electromagnetic Field Simulation of Hybrid-BC RF Coil According to Diameter and Length at 3.0, 7.0 and 11.7 T

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems must undergo quantitative evaluation through daily and periodic performance assessments. In general, the reference or standard radiofrequency (RF) coils for these performance assessments of 1.5 to 7.0 T MRI systems have been low-pass-type birdcage (LP-BC) RF coils. However, LP-BC RF coils are inappropriate for use as reference RF coils because of their relatively lower magnetic field (B₁-field) sensitivity than other types of BC RF coils, especially in ultrahigh-field (UHF) MRI systems above 3.0 T. Herein, we propose a hybrid-type BC (Hybrid-BC) RF coil as a reference RF coil with improved B₁-field sensitivity in UHF MRI system and applied it to an 11.7 T MRI system. An electromagnetic field (EM-field) analysis on the Hybrid-BC RF coil was performed to provide the proper dimensions for its use as a reference RF coil. Commercial finite difference time-domain program was used in EM-field simulation, and home-made analysis programs were used in analysis. The optimal specifications of the proposed Hybrid-BC RF coils for them to qualify as reference RF coils are proposed based on their B₁⁺-field sensitivity under unnormalized conditions, as well as by considering their B₁⁺-field uniformity and RF safety under normalized conditions.