title: Nineteen-channel receive array and four-channel transmit array coil for cervical spinal cord imaging at 7T.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To design and validate a radiofrequency (RF) array coil for cervical spinal cord imaging at 7T.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 19-channel receive array with a four-channel transmit array was developed on a close-fitting coil former at 7T. Transmit efficiency and specific absorption rate were evaluated in a B1 (+) mapping study and an electromagnetic model. Receive signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and noise amplification for parallel imaging were evaluated and compared with a commercial 3T 19-channel head-neck array and a 7T four-channel spine array. The performance of the array was qualitatively demonstrated in human volunteers using high-resolution imaging (down to 300 μm in-plane).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The transmit and receive arrays showed good bench performance. The SNR was approximately 4.2-fold higher in the 7T receive array at the location of the cord with respect to the 3T coil. The g-factor results showed an additional acceleration was possible with the 7T array. In vivo imaging was feasible and showed high SNR and tissue contrast.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The highly parallel transmit and receive arrays were demonstrated to be fit for spinal cord imaging at 7T. The high sensitivity of the receive coil combined with ultra-high field will likely improve investigations of microstructure and tissue segmentation in the healthy and pathological spinal cord.
authors: A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Zhao
authors: Julien
authors: J
authors: Cohen-Adad
authors: Jonathan R
authors: JR
authors: Polimeni
authors: Boris
authors: B
authors: Keil
authors: Bastien
authors: B
authors: Guerin
authors: Kawin
authors: K
authors: Setsompop
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Serano
authors: Azma
authors: A
authors: Mareyam
authors: Philipp
authors: P
authors: Hoecht
authors: Lawrence L
authors: LL
authors: Wald
mesh_terms: D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D011846:Radio Waves; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*
keywords: RF coil; cervical spinal cord MRI; high-field MRI; receive array; transmit array
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