Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Magn Reson Med. 2009 Dec;62(6):1379-84. doi: 10.1002/mrm.22168.
Seven tesla (T) MR imaging is potentially promising for the morphologic evaluation of coronary arteries because of the increased signal-to-noise ratio compared to lower field strengths, in turn allowing improved spatial resolution, improved temporal resolution, or reduced scanning times. However, there are a large number of technical challenges, including the commercial 7 T systems not being equipped with homogeneous body radiofrequency coils, conservative specific absorption rate constraints, and magnified sample-induced amplitude of radiofrequency field inhomogeneity. In the present study, an initial attempt was made to address these challenges and to implement coronary MR angiography at 7 T. A single-element radiofrequency transmit and receive coil was designed and a 7 T specific imaging protocol was implemented, including significant changes in scout scanning, contrast generation, and navigator geometry compared to current protocols at 3 T. With this methodology, the first human coronary MR images were successfully obtained at 7 T, with both qualitative and quantitative findings being presented.
七特斯拉（T）磁共振成像是评估冠状动脉形态学的一种很有前途的方法，因为与较低的场强相比，它具有更高的信噪比，从而可以提高空间分辨率、时间分辨率或减少扫描时间。然而，存在大量技术挑战，包括商业 7T 系统未配备均匀的体部射频线圈、保守的特定吸收率限制以及放大的样本诱导的射频场不均匀性。在本研究中，我们首次尝试解决这些挑战，并在 7T 下实现冠状动脉磁共振血管造影。设计了一个单元素射频发射和接收线圈，并实施了一个 7T 特定的成像方案，与 3T 下的当前方案相比，在导航扫描、对比生成和导航器几何形状方面有了显著的变化。采用这种方法，首次成功地在 7T 下获得了人体冠状动脉磁共振图像，并呈现了定性和定量结果。
