title: A high-temperature superconducting Helmholtz probe for microscopy at 9.4 T.
abstract: The design and operation of a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) probe for magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM) at 400 MHz are presented. The design of the probe includes a Helmholtz coil configuration and a stable open-cycle cooling mechanism. Characterization of coil operating parameters is presented to demonstrate the suitability of cryo-cooled coils for MRM. Specifically, the performance of the probe is evaluated by comparison of signal-to-noise (SNR) performance with that of a copper Helmholtz pair, analysis of B1 field homogeneity, and quantification of thermal stability. Images are presented to demonstrate the SNR advantage of the probe for typical MRM applications.
authors.affiliation: Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Hurlston
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Brey
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Suddarth
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000537:Aluminum Oxide; D000818:Animals; D016477:Artifacts; D003080:Cold Temperature; D003300:Copper; D004867:Equipment Design; D006371:Helium; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D051379:Mice; D008853:Microscopy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011846:Radio Waves; D017975:Ruthenium Compounds; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation; D013814:Thermal Conductivity
chemical_list: D017975:Ruthenium Compounds; D006371:Helium; D003300:Copper; C027646:ruthenium tetraoxide; D000537:Aluminum Oxide