Characterization of a Low-Profile, Flexible, and Acoustically Transparent Receive-Only MRI Coil Array for High...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging
• Neurosurgery

Background:

• Magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is a non-invasive treatment for neurodegenerative diseases.
• Current MRgFUS procedures suffer from poor MRI quality using standard vendor body coils, limiting precision.
• High-quality MR imaging is crucial for real-time monitoring and accurate targeting during MRgFUS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an 8-channel, ultra-thin, flexible, and acoustically transparent head coil (FUS-Flex).
• To enhance signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for improved MR image quality during MRgFUS.
• To assess the potential of the FUS-Flex coil for improved precision in MRgFUS surgery.

Main Methods:

• Designed and constructed an 8-channel, flexible, receive-only head coil (FUS-Flex).
• Performed acoustic simulations and experiments to measure coil transparency at 650 kHz.
• Conducted electromagnetic simulations and in vivo MRI scans on a healthy volunteer to evaluate SNR improvements.

Main Results:

• The FUS-Flex coil demonstrated acoustic transparency as high as 97% at 650 kHz.
• Electromagnetic simulations predicted a 13x SNR increase compared to the body coil.
• In vivo scans showed a 7.3x SNR increase (equivalent to 11x without acceleration) in the brain.

Conclusions:

• The FUS-Flex coil significantly enhances MR image quality during MRgFUS procedures.
• Improved SNR facilitates better real-time anatomical imaging and 3D thermometry.
• This coil design holds promise for increasing focal precision and overall efficacy of MRgFUS treatments.