title: Feasibility study of a unilateral RF array coil for MR-scintimammography.
abstract: Despite its high sensitivity, the variable specificity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in breast cancer diagnosis can lead to unnecessary biopsies and over-treatment. Scintimammography (SMM) could potentially supplement MRI to improve the diagnostic specificity. The synergistic combination of MRI and SMM (MRSMM) could result in both high sensitivity from MRI and high specificity from SMM. Development of such a dual-modality system requires the integration of a radio frequency (RF) coil and radiation detector in a strong magnetic field without significant mutual interference. In this study, we developed and tested a unilateral breast array coil specialized for MRSMM imaging. The electromagnetic field, specific absorption ratio and RF coil parameters with cadmium-zinc-telluride detectors encapsulated in specialized RF and gamma-ray shielding mounted within the RF coil were investigated through simulation and experimental measurements. Simultaneous MR and SMM images of a breast phantom were also acquired using the integrated MRSMM system. This work, we feel, represents an important step toward the fabrication of a working MRSMM system.
authors.affiliation: Tu & Yuen Center for Functional Onco-Imaging, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA. seunghoh@uci.edu
authors.forename: Seunghoon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hamamura
authors.forename: Werner W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Roeck
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hugg
authors.forename: Douglas J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Wagenaar
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: Bradley E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Patt
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nalcioglu
mesh_terms: D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D002104:Cadmium; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D004867:Equipment Design; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008327:Mammography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D013691:Tellurium; D015032:Zinc
chemical_list: C474490:CdZnTe; D002104:Cadmium; D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc; D013691:Tellurium