A 32‐channel receive array coil for bilateral breast imaging and spectroscopy at 7T

• DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28425
• Publication Date: 2020-08-09T15:44:03Z
• Authors: Romina Del Bosque; Jiaming Cui; Stephen Ogier; Sergey Cheshkov; Ivan E. Dimitrov; Craig Malloy; Steven M. Wright; Mary McDougall
• Keywords: Radiofrequency coil

Purpose This work describes the construction and evaluation of a bilateral 32‐channel receive array for breast imaging at 7T. Methods The consisted 32 coils, placed on two 3D‐printed hemispherical formers. Each side 16 loops, each loop having corresponding detachable board with match/tune capacitors, active detuning circuitry, balun. Coil performance was evaluated homogeneous canola oil phantoms using Philips Achieva 7T system. Array coil compared forced current excitation volume in transmit/receive mode previously reported 16‐channel unilateral similar design. Results had an increase average SNR throughout both by factor five as coil, increases up to 10 times along periphery three center. Noise measurements showed low interelement noise correlation (average: 5.4%; maximum: 16.8%). Geometry maps were acquired various acceleration factors mean geometry <1.2, combined six. Conclusions improvements achieved demonstrate clear potential use dynamic contrast‐enhanced or diffusion‐weighted MR studies, while maintaining diagnostically relevant spatial temporal resolutions.