Interchangeable neck shape-specific coils for a clinically realizable anterior neck phased array system

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Background:

• Standard commercial MRI coils for head and neck imaging may have limitations in achieving simultaneous high-resolution imaging with optimal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
• Neck anatomy varies, necessitating specialized coil designs for improved imaging performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate the concept of interchangeable neck shape-specific (NSS) coils.
• To demonstrate that NSS coils can supplement existing commercial spine and head/neck coils.
• To achieve simultaneous high-resolution (hi-res) head and neck imaging with high SNR.

Main Methods:

• Two NSS coils were constructed using formers tailored to different neck shapes (medium and large).
• A 7-channel (7ch) ladder array was built on a medium neck former, and a 9-channel (9ch) ladder array on a large neck former.
• Both NSS coils shared an interchangeable preamp housing and were tested for compatibility with commercial coils.

Main Results:

• The 7ch and 9ch NSS coils achieved approximately 4x and 3x SNR gains, respectively, in the carotid arteries compared to a standard 20-channel head/neck coil.
• Negligible electromagnetic coupling was observed between the NSS coils and commercial Siemens spine (32ch) and head/neck (20ch) coils.
• This allowed for simultaneous high-resolution imaging of the head and neck without compromising SNR.

Conclusions:

• Supplementing commercial MRI coils with NSS coils enables uniform, simultaneous high-resolution imaging in the anterior neck.
• High SNR is maintained in the anterior neck region while preserving the SNR of the commercial coil in the head and posterior neck.
• NSS coils represent a viable strategy to enhance simultaneous head and neck MRI capabilities.