title: Interchangeable neck shape-specific coils for a clinically realizable anterior neck phased array system.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate the interchangeable neck shape-specific (NSS) coil concept that supplements standard commercial spine and head/neck coils to provide simultaneous high-resolution (hi-res) head/neck imaging with high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two NSS coils were constructed on formers designed to fit two different neck shapes. A 7-channel (7ch) ladder array was constructed on a medium neck former, and a 9-channel (9ch) ladder array was constructed on large neck former. Both coils were interchangeable with the same preamp housing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 7ch and 9ch coils demonstrate SNR gains of approximately 4 times and 3 times over the Siemens 20-channel head/neck coil in the carotid arteries of our volunteers, respectively. Coupling between the Siemens 32-channel spine coil, Siemens 20-channel head/neck coil, and the NSS coils was negligible, allowing for simultaneous hi-res head/neck imaging with high SNR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that supplementing existing commercial spine and head/neck coils with an NSS coil allows uniform simultaneous hi-res imaging with high SNR in the anterior neck, while maintaining SNR of the commercial coil in the head and posterior neck. Magn Reson Med 78:2460-2468, 2017. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
authors.affiliation: Utah Center for Advanced Imaging Research, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.affiliation: Utah Center for Advanced Imaging Research, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
authors.forename: Dennis L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: Siemens Healthcare, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
authors.forename: Bradley D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Bolster
authors.affiliation: Utah Center for Advanced Imaging Research, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
authors.forename: Seong-Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Utah Center for Advanced Imaging Research, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
authors.forename: J Scott
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: McNally
authors.affiliation: Utah Center for Advanced Imaging Research, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.|Department of Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.|Veterans Affairs Department of Surgery (VASLCHCS), Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
authors.forename: Gerald S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Treiman
authors.affiliation: Utah Center for Advanced Imaging Research, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
authors.forename: J Rock
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hadley
mesh_terms: D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002680:Chin / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004867:Equipment Design; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio
keywords: RF coil; cervical; magnetic resonance imaging; neck; phased array; signal-to-noise ratio