title: A 64-channel 3T array coil for accelerated brain MRI.
abstract: A 64-channel brain array coil was developed and compared to a 32-channel array constructed with the same coil former geometry to precisely isolate the benefit of the 2-fold increase in array coil elements. The constructed coils were developed for a standard clinical 3T MRI scanner and used a contoured head-shaped curved former around the occipital pole and tapered in at the neck to both improve sensitivity and patient comfort. Additionally, the design is a compact, split-former design intended for robust daily use. Signal-to-noise ratio and noise amplification (G-factor) for parallel imaging were quantitatively evaluated in human imaging and compared to a size and shape-matched 32-channel array coil. For unaccelerated imaging, the 64-channel array provided similar signal-to-noise ratio in the brain center to the 32-channel array and 1.3-fold more signal-to-noise ratio in the brain cortex. Reduced noise amplification during highly parallel imaging of the 64-channel array provided the ability to accelerate at approximately one unit higher at a given noise amplification compared to the sized-matched 32-channel array. For example, with a 4-fold acceleration rate, the central brain and cortical signal-to-noise ratio of the 64-channel array was 1.2- and 1.4-fold higher, respectively, compared to the 32-channel array. The characteristics of the coil are demonstrated in accelerated brain imaging.
authors.affiliation: A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA. keil@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Keil
authors.forename: James N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Blau
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Biber
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hoecht
authors.forename: Veneta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tountcheva
authors.forename: Kawin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Setsompop
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Triantafyllou
authors.forename: Lawrence L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Wald
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008280:Magnetics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014159:Transducers