Design and numerical evaluation of a volume coil array for parallel MR imaging at ultrahigh fields

Area of Science:

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Radiofrequency (RF) Engineering
• Coil Array Design

Background:

• Conventional MRI relies on surface coil arrays, limiting signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and parallel imaging capabilities.
• Volume coils offer deeper signal penetration but typically lack array benefits.
• Developing advanced RF coil arrays is crucial for enhancing MRI performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and investigate a novel volume coil array design for MRI using different birdcage coil types.
• To achieve a highly decoupled coil array with improved SNR and parallel imaging performance.
• To evaluate the performance of this volume coil array at ultrahigh fields (7T).

Main Methods:

• Design of a volume coil array comprising independent conventional, transverse, and helix birdcage coils.
• Utilizing intrinsic magnetic flux cancellation between coil elements for decoupling.
• Evaluation using Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) numerical simulations at 7T.
• Calculation of g-factor maps to assess parallel imaging performance at various acceleration rates.

Main Results:

• The proposed volume coil array demonstrates intrinsic decoupling due to the cancellation of magnetic fluxes.
• Simulations indicate potential for improved MR signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) compared to non-array volume coils.
• The array shows promise for parallel imaging, with g-factor analysis supporting its performance at different acceleration factors.
• Successful evaluation at 7T ultrahigh field conditions.

Conclusions:

• The novel volume coil array design using diverse birdcage coils offers a promising approach for advanced MRI.
• This design effectively enhances SNR and enables parallel imaging capabilities, outperforming conventional methods.
• The study validates the design's potential for ultrahigh field MRI applications through numerical simulations.