Work

Parallel traveling‐wave MRI: A feasibility study

Year: 2011

Type: article

Abstract: Traveling-wave magnetic resonance imaging utilizes far fields of a single-piece patch antenna in the magnet bore to generate radio frequency fields for imaging large-size samples, such as the human body. In this work, the feasibility of applying the "traveling-wave" technique to parallel imaging is studied using microstrip patch antenna arrays with both the numerical analysis and experimental tests. A specific patch array model is built and each array element is a microstrip patch antenna. Bench tests show that decoupling between two adjacent elements is better than -26-dB while matching of each element reaches -36-dB, demonstrating excellent isolation performance and impedance match capability. The sensitivity patterns are simulated and g-factors are calculated for both unloaded and loaded cases. The results on B 1- sensitivity patterns and g-factors demonstrate the feasibility of the traveling-wave parallel imaging. Simulations also suggest that different array configuration such as patch shape, position and orientation leads to different sensitivity patterns and g-factor maps, which provides a way to manipulate B(1) fields and improve the parallel imaging performance. The proposed method is also validated by using 7T MR imaging experiments.

Source: Magnetic Resonance in Medicine

DOI: 10.1002/mrm.23073

Authors: Yong Pang, Daniel B. Vigneron, Xiaoliang Zhang

Institutions: University of California, San Francisco, University of California, Berkeley

Language: English

Topic: Advanced MRI Techniques and Applications

Subfield: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Division of Chemistry