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Lu M, Zhang X, Chai S, Yan X. Improving Specific Absorption Rate Efficiency and Coil Robustness of Self-Decoupled Transmit/Receive Coils by Elevating Feed and Mode Conductors. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:1800. [PMID: 36850397 PMCID: PMC9960379 DOI: 10.3390/s23041800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Self-decoupling technology was recently proposed for radio frequency (RF) coil array designs. Here, we propose a novel geometry to reduce the peak local specific absorption rate (SAR) and improve the robustness of the self-decoupled coil. We first demonstrate that B1 is determined by the arm conductors, while the maximum E-field and local SAR are determined by the feed conductor in a self-decoupled coil. Then, we investigate how the B1, E-field, local SAR, SAR efficiency, and coil robustness change with respect to different lift-off distances for feed and mode conductors. Next, the simulation of self-decoupled coils with optimal lift-off distances on a realistic human body is performed. Finally, self-decoupled coils with optimal lift-off distances are fabricated and tested on the workbench and MRI experiments. The peak 10 g-averaged SAR of the self-decoupled coil on the human body can be reduced by 34% by elevating the feed conductor. Less coil mismatching and less resonant frequency shift with respect to loadings were observed by elevating the mode conductor. Both the simulation and experimental results show that the coils with elevated conductors can preserve the high interelement isolation, B1+ efficiency, and SNR of the original self-decoupled coils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Lu
- College of Nuclear Equipment and Nuclear Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
| | - Xiaoyang Zhang
- College of Nuclear Equipment and Nuclear Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
| | - Shuyang Chai
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Xinqiang Yan
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
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Yan X, Gore JC, Grissom WA. Self-decoupled radiofrequency coils for magnetic resonance imaging. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3481. [PMID: 30154408 PMCID: PMC6113296 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05585-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Arrays of radiofrequency coils are widely used in magnetic resonance imaging to achieve high signal-to-noise ratios and flexible volume coverage, to accelerate scans using parallel reception, and to mitigate field non-uniformity using parallel transmission. However, conventional coil arrays require complex decoupling technologies to reduce electromagnetic coupling between coil elements, which would otherwise amplify noise and limit transmitted power. Here we report a novel self-decoupled RF coil design with a simple structure that requires only an intentional redistribution of electrical impedances around the length of the coil loop. We show that self-decoupled coils achieve high inter-coil isolation between adjacent and non-adjacent elements of loop arrays and mixed arrays of loops and dipoles. Self-decoupled coils are also robust to coil separation, making them attractive for size-adjustable and flexible coil arrays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinqiang Yan
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
| | - John C Gore
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - William A Grissom
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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Zhang X. Sensitivity enhancement of traveling wave MRI using free local resonators: an experimental demonstration. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2017; 7:170-176. [PMID: 28516042 DOI: 10.21037/qims.2017.02.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traveling wave MR uses the far fields in signal excitation and reception, therefore its acquisition efficiency is low in contrast to the conventional near field magnetic resonance (MR). Here we show a simple and efficient method based on the local resonator to improving sensitivity of traveling wave MR technique. The proposed method utilizes a standalone or free local resonator to amplify the radio frequency magnetic fields in the interested target. The resonators have no wire connections to the MR system and thus can be conveniently placed to any place around imaging simples. METHODS A rectangular loop L/C resonator to be used as the free local resonator was tuned to the proton Larmor frequency at 7T. Traveling wave MR experiments with and without the wireless free local resonator were performed on a living rat using a 7T whole body MR scanner. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) or sensitivity of the images acquired was compared and evaluated. RESULTS In vivo 7T imaging results show that traveling wave MR with a wireless free local resonator placed near the head of a living rat achieves at least 10-fold SNR gain over the images acquired on the same rat using conventional traveling wave MR method, i.e. imaging with no free local resonators. CONCLUSIONS The proposed free local resonator technique is able to enhance the MR sensitivity and acquisition efficiency of traveling wave MR at ultrahigh fields in vivo. This method can be a simple solution to alleviating low sensitivity problem of traveling wave MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoliang Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,UC Berkeley/UCSF Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), San Francisco, CA, USA
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Yan X, Zhang X, Xue R, Gore JC, Grissom WA. Optimizing the ICE decoupling element distance to improve monopole antenna arrays for 7 Tesla MRI. Magn Reson Imaging 2016; 34:1264-1268. [PMID: 27469314 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2016.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The induced current elimination (ICE) method has been previously applied to decouple monopole coil arrays in ultrahigh field MRI. However, the method creates low B1+ spots near the decoupling elements. In this study, we aim to improve the performance of ICE-decoupled monopole array in human head imaging at 7 Tesla. Eight-channel ICE-decoupled monopole arrays were optimized by varying the position of the decoupling elements. A series of numerical studies were performed using the co-simulation method. In simulation, decoupling performance, quality (Q-) values and transmit field (B1+) were comparatively investigated. In addition, we constructed an optimized ICE-decoupled monopole array and compared its performance with the unoptimized array. The simulation results showed that a good trade-off between decoupling and B1+ loss can be obtained when decoupling elements were moved 2.5-cm away from coil elements. This was validated by in-vivo MR imaging using the constructed array. Compared with the unoptimized ICE decoupled monopole array, the optimized array had a more homogeneous transmit field and no dark spots or signal cancellations in the MR images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinqiang Yan
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Xiaoliang Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; UCSF/UC Berkeley Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rong Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Beijing MRI Center for Brain Research, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - John C Gore
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - William A Grissom
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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Rutledge O, Kwak T, Cao P, Zhang X. Design and test of a double-nuclear RF coil for (1)H MRI and (13)C MRSI at 7T. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2016; 267:15-21. [PMID: 27078089 PMCID: PMC4862922 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2016.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2016] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/02/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
RF coil operation at the ultrahigh field of 7T is fraught with technical challenges that limit the advancement of novel human in vivo applications at 7T. In this work, a hybrid technique combining a microstrip transmission line and a lumped-element L-C loop coil to form a double-nuclear RF coil for proton magnetic resonance imaging and carbon magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 7T was proposed and investigated. Network analysis revealed a high Q-factor and excellent decoupling between the coils. Proton images and localized carbon spectra were acquired with high sensitivity. The successful testing of this novel double-nuclear coil demonstrates the feasibility of this hybrid design for double-nuclear MR imaging and spectroscopy studies at the ultrahigh field of 7T.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Rutledge
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tiffany Kwak
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Peng Cao
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Xiaoliang Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, CA, USA; UCSF - UC Berkeley Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, San Francisco & Berkeley, CA, USA; California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Yan X, Wei L, Chu S, Xue R, Zhang X. Eight-Channel Monopole Array Using ICE Decoupling for Human Head MR Imaging at 7 T. APPLIED MAGNETIC RESONANCE 2016; 47:527-538. [PMID: 29033501 PMCID: PMC5638452 DOI: 10.1007/s00723-016-0775-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Due to the unique structure of radiative coil elements, traditional decoupling methods face technical challenges in reducing the electromagnetic coupling of the radiative arrays. In this study, we aim to investigate the possibility of using the recently introduced induced current elimination (ICE) decoupling technique for cylindrical shaped radiative coil array designs. To evaluate the method, an eight-channel transmit/receive monopole array with the ICE decoupling, suitable for human head imaging at 7 T, was built and comparatively investigated. In vivo human head images were acquired and geometry factor maps were measured and calculated to evaluate the performance of the ICE-decoupled monopole array. Compared with the monopole array without decoupling methods, the ICE-decoupled monopole array had a higher signal-to-noise ratio and demonstrated improved parallel imaging ability. The experimental results indicate that the ICE decoupling method is a promising solution to addressing the coupling issue of radiative array at ultrahigh fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinqiang Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Beijing MRI Center for Brain Research, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Key Laboratory of Nuclear Radiation and Nuclear Energy Technology, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, 19B Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Long Wei
- Key Laboratory of Nuclear Radiation and Nuclear Energy Technology, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, 19B Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Suoda Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Beijing MRI Center for Brain Research, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Rong Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Beijing MRI Center for Brain Research, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Xiaoliang Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, Byers Hall, Room 102, 1700 4th ST, San Francisco, CA 941582330, USA
- UCSF/UC Berkeley Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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Yan X, Cao Z, Zhang X. Simulation verification of SNR and parallel imaging improvements by ICE-decoupled loop array in MRI. APPLIED MAGNETIC RESONANCE 2016; 47:395-403. [PMID: 27034578 PMCID: PMC4808813 DOI: 10.1007/s00723-016-0764-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Revised: 12/08/2015] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Transmit/receive L/C loop arrays with the induced current elimination (ICE) or magnetic wall decoupling method has shown high signal-to-noise (SNR) and excellent parallel imaging ability for MR imaging at ultrahigh fields, e.g., 7 T. In this study, we aim to numerically analyze the performance of an eight-channel ICE-decoupled loop array at 7 T. Three dimensional (3-D) electromagnetic (EM) and radiofrequency (RF) circuit co-simulation approach was employed. The values of all capacitors were obtained by optimizing the S-parameters of all coil elements. The EM simulation accurately modeled the coil structure, the phantom and the excitation. All coil elements were well matched to 50 ohm and the isolation between any two coil elements was better -15 dB. The simulated S parameters were exactly similar with the experimental results, indicating the simulation results were reliable. Compared with the conventional capacitively decoupled array, the ICE-decoupled array had higher sensitivity at the peripheral areas of the image subjects due to the shielding effect of the decoupling loops. The increased receive sensitivity resulted in an improvement of signal intensity and SNR for the ICE-decoupled array.
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Yan X, Xue R, Zhang X. Closely-spaced double-row microstrip RF arrays for parallel MR imaging at ultrahigh fields. APPLIED MAGNETIC RESONANCE 2015; 46:1239-1248. [PMID: 26508810 PMCID: PMC4617305 DOI: 10.1007/s00723-015-0712-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Radiofrequency (RF) coil arrays with high count of elements, e.g., closely-spaced multi-row arrays, exhibit superior parallel imaging performance in MRI. However, it is technically challenging and time-consuming to build multi-row arrays due to complex coupling issues. This paper presents a novel and simple method for closely-spaced multi-row RF array designs. Induced current elimination (ICE) decoupling method has shown the capability of reducing coupling between microstrip elements from different rows. In this study, its capability for decoupling array elements from the same row was investigated and validated by bench tests, with an isolation improvement from -8.9 dB to -20.7 dB. Based on this feature, a closely-spaced double-row microstrip array with 16 elements was built at 7T. S21 between any two elements of the 16-channel closely-spaced was better than -14 dB. In addition, its feasibility and performance was validated by MRI experiments. No significant image reconstruction- related noise amplifications were observed for parallel imaging even when reduced factor (R) achieves 4. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed design might be a simple and efficient approach in fabricating closely-spaced multi-row RF arrays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinqiang Yan
- Key Laboratory of Nuclear Radiation and Nuclear Energy Technology, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Rong Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Beijing MRI Center for Brain Research, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiaoliang Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
- UCSF/UC Berkeley Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
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Yan X, Zhang X. Decoupling and matching network for monopole antenna arrays in ultrahigh field MRI. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2015; 5:546-51. [PMID: 26435918 DOI: 10.3978/j.issn.2223-4292.2015.07.06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Radiative coil arrays, e.g., dipole or monopole arrays, are increasingly used in MR signal excitation and reception for ultrahigh field MRI. Technically, it is challenging to suppress the electromagnetic (EM) coupling of radiative array elements due to their unique structures. METHODS In this study, we proposed a combined decoupling and matching network (DMN) for monopole arrays for MRI applications. Compared with separate decoupling network and matching network, the combined network proposed here needs less components and rather suitable for decoupling radiative arrays in MRI. RESULTS Our study shows that the transmission coefficient between two coupled monopoles can be reduced from -5 dB to -24.8 dB by using the combined DMN. It is also clearly demonstrated in this study that this decoupling method is a port decoupling method rather than an element decoupling method. CONCLUSIONS With the proposed DMN, the monopole coil provides locally strong and spatially diverse B1 fields, which is essential to the improvement of MR sensitivity and parallel imaging performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinqiang Yan
- 1 Key Laboratory of Nuclear Radiation and Nuclear Energy Technology, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China ; 2 Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Beijing 100049, China ; 3 Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA ; 4 UCSF/UC Berkeley Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Xiaoliang Zhang
- 1 Key Laboratory of Nuclear Radiation and Nuclear Energy Technology, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China ; 2 Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Beijing 100049, China ; 3 Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA ; 4 UCSF/UC Berkeley Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, San Francisco, California, USA
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Yan X, Wei L, Xue R, Zhang X. Hybrid monopole/loop coil array for human head MR imaging at 7T. APPLIED MAGNETIC RESONANCE 2015; 46:541-550. [PMID: 26120252 PMCID: PMC4479412 DOI: 10.1007/s00723-015-0656-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The monopole coil and loop coil have orthogonal radiofrequency (RF) fields and thus are intrinsically decoupled electromagnetically if they are laid out appropriately. In this study, we proposed a hybrid monopole/loop technique which could combine the advantages of both loop arrays and monopole arrays. To investigate this technique, a hybrid RF coil array containing 4 monopole channels and 4 loop channels was developed for human head MR imaging at 7T. In vivo MR imaging and g-factor results using monopole-only channels, loop-only channels and all channels of the hybrid array were acquired and evaluated. Compared with the monopole-only and loop-only channels, the proposed hybrid array has higher SNR and better parallel imaging performance. Sufficient electromagnetic decoupling and diverse RF magnetic field (B1) distributions of monopole channels and loop channels may contribute to this performance improvement. From experimental results, the hybrid monopole/loop array has low g-factor and excellent SNR at both periphery and center of the brain, which is valuable for human head imaging at ultrahigh fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinqiang Yan
- Key Laboratory of Nuclear Radiation and Nuclear Energy Technology, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Beijing 100049, China
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Beijing MRI Center for Brain Research, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Long Wei
- Key Laboratory of Nuclear Radiation and Nuclear Energy Technology, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Rong Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Beijing MRI Center for Brain Research, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- China and Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Xiaoliang Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
- UCSF/UC Berkeley Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
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Yan X, Pedersen JO, Wei L, Zhang X, Xue R. Multichannel Double-Row Transmission Line Array for Human MR Imaging at Ultrahigh Fields. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2015; 62:1652-9. [PMID: 25706499 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2015.2401976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In microstrip transmission line (MTL) transmit/receive (transceive) arrays used for ultrahigh field MRI, the array length is often constrained by the required resonant frequency, limiting the image coverage. The purpose of this study is to increase the imaging coverage and also improve its parallel imaging capability by utilizing a double-row design. METHODS A 16-channel double-row MTL transceive array was designed, constructed, and tested for human head imaging at 7 T. Array elements between two rows were decoupled by using the induced current elimination or magnetic wall decoupling technique. In vivo human head images were acquired, and g-factor results were calculated to evaluate the performance of this double-row array. RESULTS Testing results showed that all coil elements were well decoupled with a better than -18 dB transmission coefficient between any two elements. The double-row array improves the imaging quality of the lower portion of the human head, and has low g-factors even at high acceleration rates. CONCLUSION Compared with a regular single-row MTL array, the double-row array demonstrated a larger imaging coverage along the z-direction with improved parallel imaging capability. SIGNIFICANCE The proposed technique is particularly suitable for the design of large-sized transceive arrays with large channel counts, which ultimately benefits the imaging performance in human MRI.
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Yan X, Zhang X, Wei L, Xue R. Design and Test of Magnetic Wall Decoupling for Dipole Transmit/Receive Array for MR Imaging at the Ultrahigh Field of 7T. APPLIED MAGNETIC RESONANCE 2015; 46:59-66. [PMID: 28955135 PMCID: PMC5612434 DOI: 10.1007/s00723-014-0612-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Radio-frequency coil arrays using dipole antenna technique have been recently applied for ultrahigh field magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to obtain the better signal-noise-ratio (SNR) gain at the deep area of human tissues. However, the unique structure of dipole antennas makes it challenging to achieve sufficient electromagnetic decoupling among the dipole antenna elements. Currently, there is no decoupling methods proposed for dipole antenna arrays in MR imaging. The recently developed magnetic wall (MW) or induced current elimination decoupling technique has demonstrated its feasibility and robustness in designing microstrip transmission line arrays, L/C loop arrays and monopole arrays. In this study, we aim to investigate the possibility and performance of MW decoupling technique in dipole arrays for MR imaging at the ultrahigh field of 7T. To achieve this goal, a two-channel MW decoupled dipole array was designed, constructed and analyzed experimentally through bench test and MR imaging. Electromagnetic isolation between the two dipole elements was improved from about -3.6 dB (without any decoupling treatments) to -16.5 dB by using the MW decoupling method. MR images acquired from a water phantom using the MW decoupled dipole array and the geometry factor maps were measured, calculated and compared with those acquired using the dipole array without decoupling treatments. The MW decoupled dipole array demonstrated well-defined image profiles from each element and had better geometry factor over the array without decoupling treatments. The experimental results indicate that the MW decoupling technique might be a promising solution to reducing the electromagnetic coupling of dipole arrays in ultrahigh field MRI, consequently improving their performance in SNR and parallel imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinqiang Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Beijing MRI Center for Brain Research, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Bldg. 11, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiaoliang Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, Byers Hall, Room 102, 1700 4th ST, San Francisco, CA 94158-2330, USA
| | - Long Wei
- Key Laboratory of Nuclear Radiation and Nuclear Energy Technology, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Rong Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Beijing MRI Center for Brain Research, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Bldg. 11, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
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Yan X, Xue R, Zhang X. A monopole/loop dual-tuned RF coil for ultrahigh field MRI. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2014; 4:225-31. [PMID: 25202657 DOI: 10.3978/j.issn.2223-4292.2014.08.03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2014] [Accepted: 08/06/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Proton and heteronuclear MRI/MRS using dual-tuned (DT) coils could provide both anatomical and metabolic images without repositioning the subject. However, it is technologically challenging to attain sufficiently electromagnetic (EM) decoupling between the heteronuclear channel and proton channel, and keep the imaging areas and profiles of two nuclear channels highly matched. In this study, a hybrid monopole/loop technique was proposed for DT coil design and this technique was validated by implementing and testing a DT (1)H/(23)Na coil for MR imaging at 7T. The RF fields of the monopole ((1)H channel) and regular L/C loop ((23)Na channel) were orthogonal and intrinsically EM decoupled. Bench measurement results demonstrated the isolation between the two nuclear channels was better than -28 dB at both nuclear frequencies. Compared with the conventional DT coil using trap circuits, the monopole/loop DT coil had higher MR sensitivity for sodium imaging. The experimental results indicated that the monopole/loop technique might be a simple and efficient design for multinuclear imaging at ultrahigh fields. Additionally, the proposed DT coils based on the monopole/loop technique can be used as building blocks in designing multichannel DT coil arrays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinqiang Yan
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Beijing MRI Center for Brain Research, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China ; 2 Key Laboratory of Nuclear Radiation and Nuclear Energy Technology, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China ; 3 Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Beijing 100049, China ; 4 Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing 100053, China ; 5 Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, USA ; 6 UCSF/UC Berkeley Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
| | - Rong Xue
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Beijing MRI Center for Brain Research, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China ; 2 Key Laboratory of Nuclear Radiation and Nuclear Energy Technology, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China ; 3 Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Beijing 100049, China ; 4 Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing 100053, China ; 5 Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, USA ; 6 UCSF/UC Berkeley Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
| | - Xiaoliang Zhang
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Beijing MRI Center for Brain Research, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China ; 2 Key Laboratory of Nuclear Radiation and Nuclear Energy Technology, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China ; 3 Beijing Engineering Research Center of Radiographic Techniques and Equipment, Beijing 100049, China ; 4 Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing 100053, China ; 5 Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, USA ; 6 UCSF/UC Berkeley Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
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Ji JX, Zhang X. Parallel and sparse MR imaging: methods and instruments-Part 2. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2014; 4:68-70. [PMID: 24834417 DOI: 10.3978/j.issn.2223-4292.2014.04.16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jim X Ji
- 1 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, 309E WERC, College Station, TX, USA ; 2 Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA ; 3 UC Berkeley/UCSF Joint Bioengineering Program, Berkeley, CA, USA ; 4 California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), Byers Hall 102D, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Xiaoliang Zhang
- 1 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, 309E WERC, College Station, TX, USA ; 2 Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA ; 3 UC Berkeley/UCSF Joint Bioengineering Program, Berkeley, CA, USA ; 4 California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), Byers Hall 102D, San Francisco, CA, USA
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