title: A volume microstrip RF coil for MRI microscopy.
abstract: Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of small samples such as a single cell or cell clusters require application of radiofrequency (RF) coils that provide homogenous B(1) field distribution and high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). We present a novel design of an MRI RF volume microcoil based on a microstrip structure. The coil consists of two parallel microstrip elements conducting RF currents in the opposite directions, thus creating homogenous RF field within the space between the microstrips. The construction of the microcoil is simple, efficient and cost-effective. Theoretical calculations and finite element method simulations were used to optimize the coil geometry to achieve optimal B(1) and SNR distributions within the sample and predict parameters of the coil. The theoretical calculations were confirmed with MR images of a 1-mm-diameter capillary and a plant obtained with the double microstrip RF microcoil at 11.7 T. The in-plane resolution of MR images was 24 μm × 24 μm.
authors: Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-342 Kraków, Poland. krzysztof.a.jasinski@gmail.com
authors: Krzysztof
authors: K
authors: Jasiński
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Młynarczyk
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Latta
authors: Vyacheslav
authors: V
authors: Volotovskyy
authors: Władyslaw P
authors: WP
authors: Węglarz
authors: Bogusław
authors: B
authors: Tomanek
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008280:Magnetics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008853:Microscopy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011846:Radio Waves; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014159:Transducers