title: Design and application of a four-channel transmit/receive surface coil for functional cardiac imaging at 7T.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To design and evaluate a four-channel cardiac transceiver coil array for functional cardiac imaging at 7T.
  
  
  METHODS
  A four-element cardiac transceiver surface coil array was developed with two rectangular loops mounted on an anterior former and two rectangular loops on a posterior former. specific absorption rate (SAR) simulations were performed and a B 1+ calibration method was applied prior to obtain 2D FLASH CINE (mSENSE, R = 2) images from nine healthy volunteers with a spatial resolution of up to 1 × 1 × 2.5 mm(3).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tuning and matching was found to be better than 10 dB for all subjects. The decoupling (S(21)) was measured to be >18 dB between neighboring loops, >20 dB for opposite loops, and >30 dB for other loop combinations. SAR values were well within the limits provided by the IEC. Imaging provided clinically acceptable signal homogeneity with an excellent blood-myocardium contrast applying the B 1+ calibration approach.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A four-channel cardiac transceiver coil array for 7T was built, allowing for cardiac imaging with clinically acceptable signal homogeneity and an excellent blood-myocardium contrast. Minor anatomic structures, such as pericardium, mitral, and tricuspid valves and their apparatus, as well as trabeculae, were accurately delineated.
authors: Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charite' University Medicine Campus Berlin Buch, Berlin, Germany. Matthias.Dieringer@mdc-berlin.de
authors: Matthias A
authors: MA
authors: Dieringer
authors: Wolfgang
authors: W
authors: Renz
authors: Tomasz
authors: T
authors: Lindel
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: Seifert
authors: Tobias
authors: T
authors: Frauenrath
authors: Florian
authors: F
authors: von Knobelsdorff-Brenkenhoff
authors: Helmar
authors: H
authors: Waiczies
authors: Werner
authors: W
authors: Hoffmann
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Rieger
authors: Harald
authors: H
authors: Pfeiffer
authors: Bernd
authors: B
authors: Ittermann
authors: Jeanette
authors: J
authors: Schulz-Menger
authors: Thoralf
authors: T
authors: Niendorf
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000328:Adult; D002138:Calibration; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media