分类： 生物学 >> 生物物理学 提交时间： 2016-05-12
Yan, Xinqiang
Xue, Rong
Yan, Xinqiang
Wei, Long
Yan, Xinqiang
Wei, Long
Zhang, Xiaoliang
Zhang, Xiaoliang
Xue, Rong
摘要： Radio-frequency coil arrays using dipole antenna technique have been recently applied for ultrahigh field magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to obtain the better signal-noise-ratio (SNR) gain at the deep area of human tissues. However, the unique structure of dipole antennas makes it challenging to achieve sufficient electromagnetic decoupling among the dipole antenna elements. Currently, there is no decoupling methods proposed for dipole antenna arrays in MR imaging. The recently developed magnetic wall (MW) or induced current elimination decoupling technique has demonstrated its feasibility and robustness in designing microstrip transmission line arrays, L/C loop arrays and monopole arrays. In this study, we aim to investigate the possibility and performance of MW decoupling technique in dipole arrays for MR imaging at the ultrahigh field of 7T. To achieve this goal, a two-channel MW decoupled dipole array was designed, constructed and analyzed experimentally through bench test and MR imaging. Electromagnetic isolation between the two dipole elements was improved from about -3.6 dB (without any decoupling treatments) to -16.5 dB by using the MW decoupling method. MR images acquired from a water phantom using the MW decoupled dipole array and the geometry factor maps were measured, calculated and compared with those acquired using the dipole array without decoupling treatments. The MW decoupled dipole array demonstrated well-defined image profiles from each element and had better geometry factor over the array without decoupling treatments. The experimental results indicate that the MW decoupling technique might be a promising solution to reducing the electromagnetic coupling of dipole arrays in ultrahigh field MRI, consequently improving their performance in SNR and parallel imaging.
分类： 生物学 >> 生物物理学 提交时间： 2016-05-12
Zhang, Zihao
Zuo, Zhentao
Wang, Bo
Wei, Ning
Xue, Rong
Zhang, Zihao
Wei, Ning
Deng, Xiaofeng
Zhao, Jizong
Weng, Dehe
An, Jing
Xue, Rong
摘要： Purpose: Time-of-flight (TOF) MR angiography has an advantage of contrast and resolution in ultra-high field (7 T) MRI systems. However, increased specific absorption rate (SAR) prohibits the application of spatial saturation band, leading to venous contamination in maximum intensity projection (MIP) images. Methods: A segmented k-space filling scheme with sparse venous saturation pulses was developed for 7 T TOF-MRA. The effectiveness of the segmented TOF sequence was verified by Bloch equation simulation and experiments on 3 T. The protocol on 7 T was optimized and applied for healthy volunteers and patients with vascular diseases. Results: Segmented TOF achieved equivalent contrast and venous suppression effect as conventional methods, while SAR values had a remarkable reduction and obeyed the limit of a 7 T MRI system. The decreased number of saturation pulses allowed shorter acquisition time than existing solutions. The comparison of segmented TOF and conventional TOF revealed flow direction in vascular diseases. Conclusion: Segmented TOF is proved to be a time-efficient way to achieve high-resolution angiograms without venous contamination at ultra-high field. The sequence holds strong promise for non-contrast clinical diagnosis on cerebrovascular diseases. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
分类： 生物学 >> 生物物理学 >> 影像医学与生物医学工程 提交时间： 2016-05-12
摘要： Objective: In microstrip transmission line (MTL) transmit/receive (transceive) arrays used for ultrahigh field MRI, the array length is often constrained by the required resonant frequency, limiting the image coverage. The purpose of this study is to increase the imaging coverage and also improve its parallel imaging capability by utilizing a double-row design. Methods: A 16-channel double-row MTL transceive array was designed, constructed, and tested for human head imaging at 7 T. Array elements between two rows were decoupled by using the induced current elimination or magnetic wall decoupling technique. In vivo human head images were acquired, and g-factor results were calculated to evaluate the performance of this double-row array. Results: Testing results showed that all coil elements were well decoupled with a better than -18 dB transmission coefficient between any two elements. The double-row array improves the imaging quality of the lower portion of the human head, and has low g-factors even at high acceleration rates. Conclusion: Compared with a regular single-row MTL array, the double-row array demonstrated a larger imaging coverage along the z-direction with improved parallel imaging capability. Significance: The proposed technique is particularly suitable for the design of large-sized transceive arrays with large channel counts, which ultimately benefits the imaging performance in human MRI.
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