Intraoral approach for imaging teeth using the transverse B1 field components of an occlusally oriented loop coil

The signal-to-noise ratio and resolution are two competing parameters for dental MRI and are highly dependent on the radiofrequency coil configuration and performance. The purpose of this work is to describe an intraoral approach for imaging teeth with the radiofrequency coil plane oriented orthogonally to the Zeeman field to use the transverse components of the B1 field for transmitting and receiving the NMR signal.

A single loop coil with shape and size fitted to the average adult maxillary arch was built and tested with a phantom and human subjects in vivo on a whole-body 4 T MRI scanner. Supporting Biot-Savart law simulations were performed with Matlab.

In the occlusal position (in bite plane between the upper and lower teeth), the sensitive volume of the coil encompasses the most important dental structures, the teeth and their supporting structures, while uninteresting tissues containing much higher proton density (cheeks, lips, and tongue) are outside the sensitive volume. The presented images and simulated data show the advantages of using a coil in the orthogonal orientation for dental applications.

The transverse components of the B1 field of a surface coil can effectively be used for imaging of teeth and associated structures.