Measurements of RF power reflected and radiated by multichannel transmit MR coils at 7T.

OBJECTIVE: The power balance of multichannel transmit coils is a central consideration in assessing performance and safety issues. At ultrahigh fields, in addition to absorption and reflection, radiofrequency (RF) radiation into the far field becomes a concern. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We engineered a system for in situ measurement of complex-valued scattering parameter (S-parameter) matrices of multichannel transmit coils that allows for the calculation of the reflected and accepted power for arbitrary steering conditions. The radiated power from an RF coil inside a large single-mode waveguide couples to that mode. Finite-difference time-domain simulations were used for the calculations, and E-field probes were used to measure the electric field distribution, and hence the radiated power, in the waveguide. To test this concept, an eight-channel shielded-loop array for 7T imaging was studied inside a 280-cm-long cylindrical waveguide with a 60-cm diameter. RESULTS: For a 7T parallel-transmit coil, the S-parameters were measured and the reflected power calculated as a function of steering conditions. Maximum radiated power was observed for the circularly polarized mode. CONCLUSION: A system was developed for in situ S-parameter measurements combined with a method for determining radiated power, allowing a complete assessment of the power balance of multichannel transmit coils at 7T.

On the RF heating of coronary stents at 7.0 Tesla MRI.

PURPOSE: Examine radiofrequency (RF) induced heating of coronary stents at 7.0 Tesla (T) to derive an analytical approach which supports RF heating assessment of arbitrary stent geometries and RF coils. METHODS: Simulations are performed to detail electromagnetic fields (EMF), local specific absorption rates (SAR) and temperature changes. For validation E-field measurements and RF heating experiments are conducted. To progress to clinical setups RF coils tailored for cardiac MRI at 7.0T and coronary stents are incorporated into EMF simulations using a human voxel model. RESULTS: Our simulations of coronary stents at 297 MHz were confirmed by E-field and temperature measurements. An analytical solution which describes SAR(1g tissue voxel) induced by an arbitrary coronary stent interfering with E-fields generated by an arbitrary RF coil was derived. The analytical approach yielded a conservative estimation of induced SAR(1g tissue voxel) maxima without the need for integrating the stent into EMF simulations of the human voxel model. CONCLUSION: The proposed analytical approach can be applied for any patient, coronary stent type, RF coil configuration and RF transmission regime. The generalized approach is of value for RF heating assessment of other passive electrically conductive implants and provides a novel design criterion for RF coils.

Heavy metal--a contrasting substance for micro-tomographical visualization of scorpion book lungs.

Remarkable results obtained while searching for suitable contrasting agents for tomographical imaging are presented. Book lungs, the respiratory organs of scorpions (Scorpiones, Arachnida), served as challenging objects in terms of fragility and preparatory requirements, as well in terms of size differences between the entire organ and its functional subunits (the lamellae). The problem of tissue contrast was investigated using various metals, but most successfully addressed using osmium. Gaseous osmium tetroxide exposure with subsequent ethanol treatment yielded the best results. A constant and thorough staining of the book lungs was achieved, easing book-lung visualization using 3D-reconstructions from microCT scans.