No Arabic abstract
Here we propose double-coil setup to allow high signal-to-noise ratio broad-range heteronuclear magnetic resonance imaging experiments: two independent coils, one of them tuned to $^{1}$H frequency to perform anatomical $^{1}$H imaging, and another one, metamaterial-inspired coil, tuned to the X-nucleus frequency. In this work our goal was to design a broad-range X-nuclei coil to cover $^{2}$H, $^{11}$B, $^{13}$C, $^{23}$Na, $^{7}$Li and $^{31}$P nuclear magnetic resonance frequencies, and to combine it with $^{1}$H coil in one setup. The system was designed for 11.7 T scanner, i.e., with 76-203 MHz frequency tuning range for the X-nuclei and tuned to 500 MHz for the proton coil. X-nuclei coil operates via excitation of the fundamental eigenmode of an array of parallel non-magnetic wires. The excitation of the array is provided via non-resonant feeding loop inductively coupled to the resonator. In order to tune the X-coil over such a wide range, both structural capacitance and inductance of the coil were made variable; narrow range tuning of the $^{1}$H coil is achieved via conventional tuning-matching circuit. Here, the design principle and setup tunability were investigated in simulations and experimentally.
In this paper we propose, design and test a new dual-nuclei RF-coil inspired by wire metamaterial structures. The coil operates due to resonant excitation of hybridized eigenmodes in multimode flat periodic structures comprising several coupled thin metal strips. It was shown that the field distribution of the coil (i.e. penetration depth) can be controlled independently at two different Larmor frequencies by selecting a proper eigenmode in each of two mutually orthogonal periodic structures. The proposed coil requires no lumped capacitors for tuning and matching. In order to demonstrate the performance of the new design, an experimental preclinical coil for $^{19}$F/$^{1}$H imaging of small animals at 7.05T was engineered and tested on a homogeneous liquid phantom and in-vivo. The presented results demonstrate that the coil was well tuned and matched simultaneously at two Larmor frequencies and capable of image acquisition with both the nuclei reaching large homogeneity area along with a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio. In an in-vivo experiment it has been shown that without retuning the setup it was possible to obtain anatomical $^{1}$H images of a mouse under anesthesia consecutively with $^{19}$F images of a tiny tube filled with a fluorine-containing liquid and attached to the body of the mouse.
The design of a loop-gap-resonator RF coil optimized for ex vivo mouse brain microscopy at ultra high fields is described and its properties characterized using simulations, phantoms and experimental scans of mouse brains fixed in 10% formalin containing 4 mM Magnevist. The RF (B1) and magnetic field (B0) homogeneities are experimentally quantified and compared to electromagnetic simulations of the coil. The coils performance is also compared to a similarly sized surface coil and found to yield double the sensitivity. A three-dimensional gradient-echo (GRE) sequence is used to acquire high resolution mouse brain scans at 47 {mu}m3 resolution in 1.8 hours and a 20x20x19 {mu}m3 resolution in 27 hours. The high resolution obtained permitted clear visualization and identification of multiple structures in the ex vivo mouse brain and represents, to our knowledge, the highest resolution ever achieved for a whole mouse brain. Importantly, the coil design is simple and easy to construct.
Contrast agents with a strong $R_1$ dispersion have been shown to be effective in generating target-specific contrast in MRI. The utilization of this $R_1$ field dependence requires the adaptation of a MRI scanner for fast field-cycling (FFC). Here, we present the first implementation and validation of FFC-MRI at a clinical field strength of 3 T. A field-cycling range of $pm$100 mT around the nominal $B_0$ field was realized by inserting an additional insert coil into an otherwise conventional MRI system. System validation was successfully performed with selected iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles and comparison to FFC-NMR relaxometry measurements. Furthermore, we show proof-of-principle $R_1$ dispersion imaging and demonstrate the capability of generating R1 dispersion contrast at high field with suppressed background signal. With the presented ready-to-use hardware setup it is possible to investigate MRI contrast agents with a strong R1 dispersion at a field strength of 3 T.
Radio-frequency (RF) systems deliver the power to change the energy of a charged particle beam, and they are integral parts of linear and circular accelerators. A longitudinal electrical field in the direction of the beam is generated in a resonant structure, the RF cavity. As it directly interacts with the bunches of charged particles, the cavity can be considered as a coupler to transport energy from an RF power power amplifier to the beam. The power amplifier itself is driven by a low-level RF system assuring that frequency and phase are suitable for acceleration, and feedback loops improve the longitudinal beam stability. The spectrum of RF systems in particle accelerators in terms of frequency range and RF voltage is wide. Special emphasis is given to the constraints and requirements defined by the beam, which guides the appropriate choices for the RF systems.
Purpose: To develop a robust and flexible low power water excitation pulse that enables effective fat suppression at high magnetic field strength. Methods: A water excitation method that uses spatially non-selective pulses was optimized in numerical simulations, and implemented and tested in phantoms and healthy volunteers at 3T. The lipid insensitive binomial off-resonant excitation (LIBRE) pulse comprises two low power rectangular sub-pulses that have a variable frequency offset, phase offset and duration. The capability and extent of LIBRE fat suppression was quantitatively compared with conventional fat saturation (FS) and water excitation (WE) techniques. Results: LIBRE enables simultaneous water excitation and near complete fat suppression in large volumes at 3T as demonstrated by numerical simulations, and experiments. In phantoms and in human subjects, the frequency responses matched well with those from the numerical simulation. Comparing FS and WE, LIBRE demonstrated an improved robustness to magnetic field inhomogeneities, and a much more effectively suppressed fat signal. This applied for a range of pulse durations and pulses as short as 1.4 ms. Conclusion: A flexible water excitation method was developed that shows robust, near complete fat suppression at 3T.