Application of an equivalent circuit to signal-to-noise calculations in MRI.

Transfer functions determined from the component values of an equivalent circuit are used to calculate the relative signal-to-noise ratio of rf coils for magnetic resonance imaging. Experimental verification of the method is obtained by directly measuring signals from three solenoidal coils and by measuring the signal-to-noise ratio of these solenoids. The transfer functions separate the total noise voltage into contributions from the coil resistance and contributions from magnetic and electric field interactions with the sample. The use of this technique in understanding and improving coil design is discussed.