Choi Chang-Hoon, Hong Suk-Min, Felder Jörg, Bruch Maximilian, Worthoff Wieland A, Krause Sandra, Shah N Jon
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine - 4, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Juelich, Germany.
Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Jülich, Germany.
Med Phys. 2024 Dec;51(12):8761-8767. doi: 10.1002/mp.17448. Epub 2024 Oct 9.
In ovo MR presents a promising and viable alternative to traditional in vivo small animal experiments. Sodium MRI complements proton MRI by providing potential access to tissue cellular metabolism. Despite its abundance, sodium MRI is challenged by lower MR sensitivity and faster relaxation times compared to proton MRI. Ensuring a high signal-to-noise ratio and effective B shimming is essential. Double-tuned coils combining Na and H are frequently employed to achieve structural imaging and efficient shim adjustment.
This study introduces a novel, highly optimized, double-tuned coil design, specifically for MR scans of chick embryos.
A tapered-spiral, double-tuned coil was designed and constructed following careful consideration of design parameters. The performance of the coil was rigorously assessed through bench tests, and final validation was conducted on a 7 T MRI scanner using a chick embryo.
Bench tests demonstrated that the return losses for both H and Na coils were better than - 30 dB, and isolation factors were better than - 21 dB, indicating that the double-tuned coil was well-set, with negligible coupling between channels. MR images of chick embryos, obtained using the coil, validated the feasibility of utilizing the design concept for in ovo applications.
The innovative design of the proposed double-tuned coil, characterized by its unique arrangement, offers improved performance. This design has the potential to significantly enhance the quality of in ovo H and Na measurements.
胚胎磁共振成像为传统的活体小动物实验提供了一种有前景且可行的替代方法。钠磁共振成像通过提供获取组织细胞代谢的潜在途径来补充质子磁共振成像。尽管钠元素丰富，但与质子磁共振成像相比，钠磁共振成像受到较低的磁共振灵敏度和更快的弛豫时间的挑战。确保高信噪比和有效的B场匀场至关重要。结合钠和氢的双调谐线圈经常被用于实现结构成像和有效的匀场调整。
本研究介绍一种新颖、高度优化的双调谐线圈设计，专门用于鸡胚的磁共振扫描。
在仔细考虑设计参数后，设计并构建了一种锥形螺旋双调谐线圈。通过台架测试对线圈性能进行了严格评估，并在7T磁共振成像扫描仪上使用鸡胚进行了最终验证。
台架测试表明，氢和钠线圈的回波损耗均优于-30dB，隔离因子优于-21dB，表明双调谐线圈设置良好，通道间耦合可忽略不计。使用该线圈获得的鸡胚磁共振图像验证了将该设计概念用于胚胎应用的可行性。
所提出的双调谐线圈的创新设计，以其独特的布局为特征，具有更好的性能。这种设计有可能显著提高胚胎氢和钠测量的质量。
