Imaging Capabilities of the ¹H-X-Nucleus Metamaterial-Inspired Multinuclear RF-Coil

IEEE Trans Med Imaging. 2022 Jun;41(6):1587-1595. doi: 10.1109/TMI.2022.3143693. Epub 2022 Jun 1.

Abstract

In this paper, we present the initial experimental investigation of a two-coil receive/transmit design for small animals imaging at 7T MRI. The system uses a butterfly-type coil tuned to 300 MHz for scanning the 1H nuclei and a non-resonant loop antenna with a metamaterial-inspired resonator with the ability to tune over a wide frequency range for X-nuclei. 1H, 31P, 23Na and 13C, which are of particular interest in biomedical MRI, were selected as test nuclei in this work. Coil simulations show the two parts of the radiofrequency (RF) assembly to be decoupled and operating independently due to the orthogonality of the excited RF transverse magnetic fields. Simulations and phantom experimental imaging show sufficiently homogeneous transverse transmit RF fields and tuning capabilities for the pilot multiheteronuclear experiments.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Equipment Design
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
  • Phantoms, Imaging
  • Radio Waves*
  • Sodium

Substances

  • Sodium