Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 3, 2026
10:22
MRM Microcoil Performance Calibration and Usage Demonstrated on Medicago truncatula Roots at 22 T
Published on: January 16, 2021
5.8K
Microstrip Transmission Line RF Coil for a PET/MRI Insert
Md Shahadat Hossain Akram1, Takayuki Obata1, Taiga Yamaya1
1National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology.
Summary
A new radiofrequency (RF) coil design for positron emission tomography (PET) MRI inserts was developed. This novel microstrip coil shows comparable performance to conventional designs, enabling compact simultaneous PET/MRI systems.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging Physics
- Radiofrequency Engineering
Background:
- Developing integrated positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems requires specialized radiofrequency (RF) coils.
- Conventional RF coils can experience electrical interference with PET shield boxes, impacting performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and develop a novel microstrip transmission line RF coil for PET inserts in MRI.
- To minimize electrical interactions between the RF coil and PET shield boxes.
- To demonstrate proof-of-concept for single-channel and four-channel configurations.
Main Methods:
- A modified microstrip coil design replaced the ground conductor with the PET insert's RF shield, eliminating the need for a dielectric material.
- Single-channel conventional and proposed coils were compared.
- A four-channel coil was developed with an RF power division circuit for multichannel performance evaluation.
- Coil performance was assessed using a network analyzer and phantom studies for gradient echo imaging and B1 mapping on a 3T MRI system.
Main Results:
- All proposed coils exhibited excellent power reflection coefficients (< -30 dB).
- The four-channel configuration showed transmission coefficients near or below -20 dB.
- Gradient echo imaging revealed expected intensity and no phase distortion with the four-channel coil.
- Transmit B1 field maps correlated well with imaging performance.
Conclusions:
- The proposed PET-microstrip coil demonstrates performance comparable to conventional microstrip coils.
- This coil design is promising for developing compact, integrated PET/MRI systems for simultaneous analysis.
- The design facilitates integration with existing MRI systems.
