Open-Ended Coaxial Probe for Effective Reconstruction of Biopsy-Excised Tissues' Dielectric Properties.

Dielectric characterization is extremely promising in medical contexts because it offers insights into the electromagnetic properties of biological tissues for the diagnosis of tumor diseases. This study introduces a promising approach to improve accuracy in the dielectric characterization of millimeter-sized biopsies based on the use of a customized electromagnetic characterization system by adopting a coated open-ended coaxial probe. Our approach aims to accelerate biopsy analysis without sample manipulation. Through comprehensive numerical simulations and experiments, we evaluated the effectiveness of a metal-coating system in comparison to a dielectric coating with the aim for replicating a real scenario: the use of a needle biopsy core with the tissue inside. The numerical analyses highlighted a substantial improvement in the reconstruction of the dielectric properties, particularly in managing the electric field distribution and mitigating fringing field effects. Experimental validation using bovine liver samples revealed highly accurate measurements, particularly in the real part of the permittivity, showing errors lower than 1% compared to the existing literature data. These results represent a significant advancement for the dielectric characterization of biopsy specimens in a rapid, precise, and non-invasive manner. This study underscores the robustness and reliability of our innovative approach, demonstrating the convergence of numerical analyses and empirical validation.

Machine Learning for the Design and the Simulation of Radiofrequency Magnetic Resonance Coils: Literature Review, Challenges, and Perspectives.

Radiofrequency (RF) coils for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications serve to generate RF fields to excite the nuclei in the sample (transmit coil) and to pick up the RF signals emitted by the nuclei (receive coil). For the purpose of optimizing the image quality, the performance of RF coils has to be maximized. In particular, the transmit coil has to provide a homogeneous RF magnetic field, while the receive coil has to provide the highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Thus, particular attention must be paid to the coil simulation and design phases, which can be performed with different computer simulation techniques. Being largely used in many sectors of engineering and sciences, machine learning (ML) is a promising method among the different emerging strategies for coil simulation and design. Starting from the applications of ML algorithms in MRI and a short description of the RF coil's performance parameters, this narrative review describes the applications of such techniques for the simulation and design of RF coils for MRI, by including deep learning (DL) and ML-based algorithms for solving electromagnetic problems.

SAR prediction in adults and children by combining measured B1+ maps and simulations at 7.0 Tesla.

PURPOSE: To predict local and global specific absorption rate (SAR) in individual subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SAR was simulated for a head volume coil for two imaging sequences: axial T1-weighted "zero" time-of-echo (ZTE) sequence, sagittal T2-weighted fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR). Two head models (one adult, one child) were simulated inside the coil. For 19 adults and 27 children, measured B1 (+) maps were acquired, and global (head) SAR estimated by the system was recorded. We performed t-test between the B1 (+) in models and human subjects. The B1 (+) maps of individual subjects were used to scale the SAR simulated on the models, to predict local and global (head) SAR. A phantom experiment was performed to validate SAR prediction, using a fiberoptic temperature probe to measure the temperature rise due to ZTE scanning. RESULTS: The normalized B1 (+) standard deviation in subjects was not significantly different from that of the models (P > 0.68 and P > 0.54). The rise in temperature generated in the phantom by ZTE was 0.3°C; from the heat equation it followed that the temperature-based measured SAR was 2.74 W/kg, while the predicted value was 3.1 W/kg. CONCLUSION: For ZTE and FLAIR, limits on maximum local and global SAR were met in all subjects, both adults and children. To enhance safety in adults and children with 7.0 Tesla MR systems, we suggest the possibility of using SAR prediction. J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2016;44:1048-1055.

Investigation of maximum local specific absorption rate in 7 T magnetic resonance with respect to load size by use of electromagnetic simulations.

Local specific absorption rate (SAR) evaluation in ultra high field (UHF) magnetic resonance (MR) systems is a major concern. In fact, at UHF, radiofrequency (RF) field inhomogeneity generates hot-spots that could cause localized tissue heating. Unfortunately, local SAR measurements are not available in present MR systems; thus, electromagnetic simulations must be performed for RF fields and SAR analysis. In this study, we used three-dimensional full-wave numerical electromagnetic simulations to investigate the dependence of local SAR at 7.0 T with respect to subject size in two different scenarios: surface coil loaded by adult and child calves and quadrature volume coil loaded by adult and child heads. In the surface coil scenario, maximum local SAR decreased with decreasing load size, provided that the RF magnetic fields for the different load sizes were scaled to achieve the same slice average value. On the contrary, in the volume coil scenario, maximum local SAR was up to 15% higher in children than in adults.

Introducing energy into marine environments: A lab-scale static magnetic field submarine cable simulation and its effects on sperm and larval development on a reef forming serpulid.

Non-chemical sources of anthropogenic environmental stress, such as artificial lights, noise and magnetic fields, are still an underestimate factor that may affect the wildlife. Marine environments are constantly subjected to these kinds of stress, especially nearby to urbanized coastal areas. In the present work, the effect of static magnetic fields, associated with submerged electric cables, was evaluated in gametes and early life stages of a serpulid polychaete, namely Ficopomatus enigmaticus. Specifically, biochemical/physiological impairments of sperm, fertilization rate inhibition and incorrect larval development were assessed. We evaluated differences between two selected magnetic field induction values (0.5 and 1 mT) along a range of exposure times (30 min-48 h), for a sound evaluation on this species. We found that a magnetic induction of 1 mT, a typical value that can be found at distance of tens of cm from a submerged cable, may be considered a biologically and ecologically relevant for sessile organisms and for coastal environments more generally. This value exerted statistically significant effects on membranes, DNA integrity, kinetic parameters and mitochondrial activity of sperm cells. Moreover, a significant reduction in fertilization rate was observed in sperm exposed to the same magnetic induction level (1 mT) for 3 h, compared to controls. Regarding early larval stages, 48-h exposure did not affect the correct development. Our results represent a starting point for a future focus of research on magnetic field effects on early life stages of aquatic invertebrates, using model species as representative for reef-forming/encrusting organisms and ecological indicators of soft sediment quality.

Non-thermal effects of 2.45 GHz microwaves on spindle assembly, mitotic cells and viability of Chinese hamster V-79 cells.

The production of mitotic spindle disturbances and activation of the apoptosis pathway in V79 Chinese hamster cells by continuous 2.45 GHz microwaves exposure were studied, in order to investigate possible non-thermal cell damage. We demonstrated that microwave (MW) exposure at the water resonance frequency was able to induce alteration of the mitotic apparatus and apoptosis as a function of the applied power densities (5 and 10mW/cm(2)), together with a moderate reduction in the rate of cell division. After an exposure time of 15 min the proportion of aberrant spindles and of apoptotic cells was significantly increased, while the mitotic index decreased as well, as compared to the untreated V79 cells. Additionally, in order to understand if the observed effects were due to RF exposure per se or to a thermal effect, V79 cells were also treated in thermostatic bath mimicking the same temperature increase recorded during microwave emission. The effect of temperature on the correct assembly of mitotic spindles was negligible up to 41°C, while apoptosis was induced only when the medium temperature achieved 40°C, thus exceeding the maximum value registered during MW exposure. We hypothesise that short-time MW exposures at the water resonance frequency cause, in V79 cells, reversible alterations of the mitotic spindle, this representing, in turn, a pro-apoptotic signal for the cell line.

Numerical and Workbench Design of 2.35 T Double-Tuned (¹H/²³Na) Nested RF Birdcage Coils Suitable for Animal Size MRI.

The birdcage Radio Frequency (RF) coil is one of the most used configurations in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners for the detection of the proton (1H) signal over a large homogeneous volume. More recently, birdcage RF coils have been successfully used also in the field of X-nuclei MRI, where the signal of a second nucleus (e.g. 13C, 23Na, 31P, and many others) needs to be detected with high sensitivity and spatial homogeneity. To this purpose several technical solutions have been adopted to design Double Tuned (DT) volume RF coils, including the recent configuration of the nested birdcage RF coils. One of the main problems in the design of DT RF coils is the decoupling between the 1H and X channels, and a number of solutions have been adopted over the years. In this work, based on numerical and workbench methods, we report the decoupling optimization of DT (1H/23Na) nested RF birdcage coils suitable for 2.35 T MRI scanners encompassing an inner Low-Pass (LP) birdcage used for X-nuclei, an outer High-Pass (HP) birdcage for 1H and an external cylindrical RF shield. We show that a suitable geometrical selection of the two coaxial RF birdcage coils (relative angular orientation, diameters and lengths) and RF shield (diameter, length) allows a significant decoupling optimization. We also provide valuable information about the RF B1+ field homogeneity and efficiency. Our approach was validated both with numerical simulations and workbench testing using DT nested RF coil prototypes.

Design of Distributed Spiral Resonators for the Decoupling of MRI Double-Tuned RF Coils.

OBJECTIVE: A systematic analytical approach to design Spiral Resonators (SRs), acting as distributed magnetic traps (DMTs), for the decoupling of concentric Double-Tuned (DT) RF coils suitable for Ultra-High Field (7 T) MRI is presented. METHODS: The design is based on small planar SRs placed in between the two RF loops (used for signal detection of the two nuclei of interest). We developed a general framework based on a fully analytical approach to estimate the mutual coupling between the RF coils and to provide design guidelines for the geometry and number of SRs to be employed. Starting from the full-analytical estimations of the SRs geometry, electromagnetic simulations for improving and validating the performance can be carried out. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: We applied the method to a test case of a DT RF coil consisting of two concentric and coplanar loops used for 7 T MRI, tuned at the Larmor frequencies of the proton (1H, 298 MHz) and sodium (23Na, 79 MHz) nuclei, respectively. We performed numerical simulations and experimental measurements on fabricated prototypes, which both demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed design procedure. SIGNIFICANCE: The decoupling is achieved by printing the SRs on the same dielectric substrate of the RF coils thus allowing a drastic simplification of the fabrication procedure. It is worth noting that there are no physical connections between the decoupling SRs and the 1H/23Na RF coils, thus providing a mechanically robust experimental set-up, and improving the transceiver design with respect to other traditional decoupling techniques.

Evaluation of 3D radio-frequency electromagnetic fields for any matching and coupling conditions by the use of basis functions.

A procedure for evaluating radio-frequency electromagnetic fields in anatomical human models for any matching and coupling conditions is introduced. The procedure resorts to the extraction of basis functions: such basis functions, which represent the fields produced by each individual port without any residual coupling, are derived through an algebraic procedure which uses the S parameter matrix and the fields calculated in one (only) full-wave simulation. The basis functions are then used as building-blocks for calculating the fields for any other S parameter matrix. The proposed approach can be used both for volume coil driven in quadrature and for parallel transmission configuration.