Clinical MR imaging with a Helmholtz-type surface coil.
Limited-field-of-view radio-frequency receiver antennas provide improved near-field sensitivity for magnetic resonance imaging by decreasing the antenna volume. The Helmholtz-type surface coil, consisting of two flat rings, is an organ-encompassing antenna that takes advantage of this principle to yield an improved signal-to-noise ratio (S/N). The coil was tested in a group of 50 patients and 16 healthy volunteers. Images obtained with the Helmholtz coil demonstrated quantitatively superior S/N of 2.2-fold or greater than that of comparison body coil images, as well as qualitatively superior anatomic resolution.
Reiman
T H
TH
Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110.
Heiken
J P
JP
Totty
W G
WG
Lee
J K
JK
D005121:Extremities / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005260:Female; D006615:Hip / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008961:Models, Structural; D010388:Pelvis / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012782:Shoulder / Q000033:anatomy & histology