Wrist: improved MR imaging with optimized transmit-receive coil design.
The optimized wrist coil was designed and built as a transmit-receive birdcage coil for 1.5-T magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Phantom studies were conducted to compare the optimized design with custom-designed and commercially available phased-array wrist coils and showed a 50%-90% improvement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Blinded review of wrist images obtained in six volunteers showed that the optimized birdcage coil was preferred in 75% of the comparisons. An optimized birdcage coil designed for wrist imaging has improved both SNR and uniformity compared with those with a phased-array coil with the same geometry.
Kocharian
Armen
A
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. kocharian.armen@mayo.edu
Adkins
Mark C
MC
Amrami
Kimberly K
KK
McGee
Kiaran P
KP
Rouleau
Peggy A
PA
Wenger
Doris E
DE
Ehman
Richard L
RL
Felmlee
Joel P
JP
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D014953:Wrist / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D014954:Wrist Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*