Bilateral imaging using separate interleaved 3D volumes and dynamically switched multiple receive coil arrays

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering
• Radiology

Background:

• Multiple receive coil arrays are typically designed for unilateral imaging.
• Anatomical structures with bilateral symmetry present challenges for unilateral imaging.
• Existing coil arrays are often underutilized for bilateral imaging applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a technique for simultaneous bilateral imaging using standard unilateral multiple receive coil arrays.
• To extend the utility of existing MRI hardware for imaging bilaterally symmetric anatomy.
• To demonstrate the feasibility and image quality of the proposed bilateral imaging method.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing separate, complete multiple receive coil arrays placed at each imaging location.
• Acquiring two distinct, noncontiguous 3D volumes in an interleaved manner.
• Employing high-impedance blocking networks to alternately activate/deactivate arrays and minimize inter-array coupling.

Main Results:

• Successful simultaneous imaging of bilaterally symmetric anatomical features was achieved.
• Image quality was demonstrated to be equivalent to conventional unilateral imaging.
• A general method for analyzing interactions between separate multiple coil arrays was presented.

Conclusions:

• The described technique effectively enables simultaneous bilateral MRI with standard unilateral coil arrays.
• This approach enhances the versatility of existing MRI systems without sacrificing image quality.
• The method provides a valuable tool for comprehensive imaging of bilateral anatomical structures.