Quadrature birdcage coil with distributed capacitors for 7.0 T magnetic resonance data acquisition of small animals |
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| Authors: | Riccardo Stara Gianluigi Tiberi Matteo Gabrieli Guido Buonincontri Nunzia Fontana Agostino Monorchio Mauro Costagli Mark Roger Symms Alessandra Retico Michela Tosetti |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Physics Department, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy;2. National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), Pisa, Italy;3. Laboratory of Medical Physics and Biotechnologies for Magnetic Resonance, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy;4. Imago7 Foundation, Pisa, Italy;5. Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom;6. Department of Information Engineering, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy;7. General Electric ASL (EMEA), Pisa, Italy |
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| Abstract: | High static magnetic field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is commonly used for preclinical studies in rodents. In this context, minimization of coil losses is mandatory to scan samples that are small compared to the radiofrequency wavelength in the medium. In this study we construct a radiofrequency (RF) birdcage probe with distributed capacitors, operating in quadrature, tailored for 7.0T 1H MRI of small animals. The design eliminates the need for extra electrical components on the probe structure and affords a high SNR, a uniform  field (homogeneity of 93% in the axial plain of the phantom) and a coil sensitivity of 9.8  . Feasibility experiments of mouse imaging are conducted and the competitive capability of a 7.0 T human system equipped with the proposed coil is demonstrated in both body and brain preclinical imaging. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part B (Magn Reson Engineering) 44B: 83–88, 2015 |
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| Keywords: | RF volume coils ultra high field magnetic resonance small animal MR distributed capacitance |
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