A Fast Parallel Imaging Rotary Phased Array Head Coil with Improved Sensitivity Profile Deep in the Center of the Brain

• Published in: 2007 29th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Vol. 2007; pp. 504 - 507
• Main Authors: Weber, E., Bing Keong Li, Feng Liu, Crozier, S.
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States IEEE 01-01-2007
• Subjects: Brain; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Coils; Conductors; Head; Humans; In vivo; Magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - instrumentation; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Numerical models; Phased arrays; Prototypes; Radiography; Sensitivity and Specificity; Skull
• ISBN: 9781424407873; 1424407877
• ISSN: 1094-687X; 1557-170X; 1558-4615
• DOI: 10.1109/IEMBS.2007.4352333

A new class of a receive-only 2 T 4-element rotary phased array head coil has been proposed for MRI brain imaging applications. Coil elements of the rotary phased array head coil have "paddle-like" structures consisting of a pair of main conductors located on opposite sides, inserted equi-angularly around and over the head. Using such a unique design, the proposed rotary head coil can improve the sensitivity deep at the centre of the brain and produces highly homogeneous brain images. The rotary phased array head coil is numerically modeled using a hybrid MoM/FEM method and a prototype was constructed accordingly. In vivo MR brain imaging using the prototype rotary phased array head coil has been undertaken and the acquired brain images show high homogeneity as anticipated. In addition, parallel imaging, VD-GRAPPA, is used in conjunction with the rotary phased array head coil to enable rapid imaging.