An improved method to measure transfer functions using MRI.

PURPOSE: A previously published method for MRI-based transfer function assessment makes use of the so-called transceive phase assumption (TPA). This limits its applicability to shorter leads and/or lower field strengths. A new method is presented where the background electric field is determined from both B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ - and B 1 - $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{-} $$ -field distributions, avoiding the TPA and making it more generally applicable. THEORY AND METHODS: These B 1 $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1 $$ -distributions are determined from a spoiled gradient echo multiflip angle acquisition. From the separated B 1 $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1 $$ -components the background electrical field and the induced current are computed. Further improvement is achieved by recasting the B 1 $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1 $$ -field model as a "magnitude squared least squares" problem. The proposed reconstruction method is used to determine transfer functions of various copper wire lengths up to 40 cm inside an elliptical ASTM phantom. The method is first tested on EM-simulated data and subsequently phantom and bench measurements are used to determine transfer functions experimentally. RESULTS: In silica reconstructions demonstrate the validity of the proposed B 1 $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1 $$ -field model resulting in highly accurate reconstructed B 1 $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1 $$ -fields, currents, incident electric fields and transfer functions. The experimental results show slight deviations in the field model, however, resulting transfer functions are accurately determined with high similarity to simulations and comparable to bench measurements. CONCLUSION: A more generally applicable method for MRI-based transfer function assessment is presented. The proposed method circumvents phase assumptions making it applicable for longer objects and/or higher field strengths. Additional improvements are implemented in the B 1 $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1 $$ -mapping method and the solution algorithm.

The coax monopole antenna: A flexible end-fed antenna for ultrahigh field transmit/receive arrays.

PURPOSE: The coax monopole antenna is presented for body imaging at 7 T. The antenna is fed at one end, eliminating the possibility of cable-coil coupling and simplifying cable routing. Additionally, its flexibility improves loading to the subject. METHODS: Like the coax dipole antenna, an interruption in the shield of the coaxial cable allows the current to extend to the outside of the shield, generating a B1 + field. Matching is achieved using a single inductor at the distal side, and a cable trap enforces the desired antenna length. Finite difference time domain simulations are employed to optimize the design parameters. Phantom measurements are conducted to determine the antenna's B1 + efficiency and to find the S-parameters in straight and bent positions. Eight-channel simulations and measurements are performed for prostate imaging. RESULTS: The optimal configuration is a length of 360 mm with a gap position of 40 mm. Simulation data show higher B1 + levels for the coax monopole (20% in the prostate), albeit with a 5% lower specific absorbance rate efficiency, compared to the fractionated dipole antenna. The S11 of the coax monopole exhibits remarkable robustness to loading changes. In vivo prostate imaging demonstrates B1 + levels of 10-14 µT with an input power of 8 × 800 W, which is comparable to the fractionated dipole antenna. High-quality images and acceptable coupling levels were achieved. CONCLUSION: The coax monopole is a novel, flexible antenna for body imaging at 7 T. Its simple design incorporates a single inductor at the distal side to achieve matching, and one-sided feeding greatly simplifies cable routing.

Deep learning based correction of RF field induced inhomogeneities for T2w prostate imaging at 7 T.

At ultrahigh field strengths images of the body are hampered by B1 -field inhomogeneities. These present themselves as inhomogeneous signal intensity and contrast, which is regarded as a "bias field" to the ideal image. Current bias field correction methods, such as the N4 algorithm, assume a low frequency bias field, which is not sufficiently valid for T2w images at 7 T. In this work we propose a deep learning based bias field correction method to address this issue for T2w prostate images at 7 T. By combining simulated B1 -field distributions of a multi-transmit setup at 7 T with T2w prostate images at 1.5 T, we generated artificial 7 T images for which the homogeneous counterpart was available. Using these paired data, we trained a neural network to correct the bias field. We predicted either a homogeneous image (t-Image neural network) or the bias field (t-Biasf neural network). In addition, we experimented with the single-channel images of the receive array and the corresponding sum of magnitudes of this array as the input image. Testing was carried out on four datasets: the test split of the synthetic training dataset, volunteer and patient images at 7 T, and patient images at 3 T. For the test split, the performance was evaluated using the structural similarity index measure, Wasserstein distance, and root mean squared error. For all other test data, the features Homogeneity and Energy derived from the gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) were used to quantify the improvement. For each test dataset, the proposed method was compared with the current gold standard: the N4 algorithm. Additionally, a questionnaire was filled out by two clinical experts to assess the homogeneity and contrast preservation of the 7 T datasets. All four proposed neural networks were able to substantially reduce the B1 -field induced inhomogeneities in T2w 7 T prostate images. By visual inspection, the images clearly look more homogeneous, which is confirmed by the increase in Homogeneity and Energy in the GLCM, and the questionnaire scores from two clinical experts. Occasionally, changes in contrast within the prostate were observed, although much less for the t-Biasf network than for the t-Image network. Further, results on the 3 T dataset demonstrate that the proposed learning based approach is on par with the N4 algorithm. The results demonstrate that the trained networks were capable of reducing the B1 -field induced inhomogeneities for prostate imaging at 7 T. The quantitative evaluation showed that all proposed learning based correction techniques outperformed the N4 algorithm. Of the investigated methods, the single-channel t-Biasf neural network proves most reliable for bias field correction.

Simulation-based evaluation of SAR and flip angle homogeneity for five transmit head arrays at 14 T.

INTRODUCTION: Various research sites are pursuing 14 T MRI systems. However, both local SAR and RF transmit field inhomogeneity will increase. The aim of this simulation study is to investigate the trade-offs between peak local SAR and flip angle uniformity for five transmit coil array designs at 14 T in comparison to 7 T. METHODS: Investigated coil array designs are: 8 dipole antennas (8D), 16 dipole antennas (16D), 8 loop coils (8D), 16 loop coils (16L), 8 dipoles/8 loop coils (8D8L) and for reference 8 dipoles at 7 T. Both RF shimming and kT-points were investigated by plotting L-curves of peak SAR levels vs flip angle homogeneity. RESULTS: For RF shimming, the 16L array performs best. For kT-points, superior flip angle homogeneity is achieved at the expense of more power deposition, and the dipole arrays outperform the loop coil arrays. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: For most arrays and regular imaging, the constraint on head SAR is reached before constraints on peak local SAR are violated. Furthermore, the different drive vectors in kT-points alleviate strong peaks in local SAR. Flip angle inhomogeneity can be alleviated by kT-points at the expense of larger power deposition. For kT-points, the dipole arrays seem to outperform loop coil arrays.

An RF coil design to enable quintuple nuclear whole-brain MRI.

PURPOSE: To bring metabolic imaging based on multi-NMR toward practical use from the RF hardware perspective. METHODS: A highly integrated RF coil is designed for whole-brain MRI and MRS targeted to five nuclear species: 1 H, 19 F, 31 P, 23 Na, and 13 C. Dipole antennas and closely loaded local receiver loops are combined in this setup. RESULTS: High-quality in vivo scan results of 1 H, 31 P, 23 Na, and 13 C on healthy volunteers have been achieved. For 1 H, the transmit efficiency is 77% of a single-tuned commercial head coil (NOVA 8-transmit [Tx]/32-receive [Rx]; NOVA Medical, Wilmington, MA, USA). For 31 P, 110% SNR of a dual-tuned close-fit head-birdcage was achieved at the center of the subject, based on MR experiments on a phantom. For 31 P, 23 Na, and 13 C, bench measurements indicate SNR loss of 15%, 27%, and 30% compared with single-tuned conditions. 19 F performance has been proven to be similar to that of 1 H through bench tests and electromagnetic simulations. CONCLUSION: With this device, 1 H-based anatomic images that are expected to meet clinical requirements, as well as high-quality multi-NMR images and spectra, can be acquired within one scan session without hardware replacement or patient repositioning, enabling morphologic and metabolic MRI within acceptable scan time.

Multi-echo MR thermometry in the upper leg at 7 T using near-harmonic 2D reconstruction for initialization.

PURPOSE: The aim of this work is the development of a thermometry method to measure temperature increases in vivo, with a precision and accuracy sufficient for validation against thermal simulations. Such an MR thermometry model would be a valuable tool to get an indication on one of the major safety concerns in MR imaging: the tissue heating occurring due to radiofrequency (RF) exposure. To prevent excessive temperature rise, RF power deposition, expressed as specific absorption rate, cannot exceed predefined thresholds. Using these thresholds, MRI has demonstrated an extensive history of safe usage. Nevertheless, MR thermometry would be a valuable tool to address some of the unmet needs in the area of RF safety assessment, such as validation of specific absorption rate and thermal simulations, investigation of local peak temperatures during scanning, or temperature-based safety guidelines. METHODS: The harmonic initialized model-based multi-echo approach is proposed. The method combines a previously published model-based multi-echo water/fat separated approach with an also previously published near-harmonic 2D reconstruction method. The method is tested on the human thigh with a multi-transmit array at 7 T, in three volunteers, and for several RF shims. RESULTS: Precision and accuracy are improved considerably compared to a previous fat-referenced method (precision: 0.09 vs. 0.19°C). Comparison of measured temperature rise distributions to subject-specific simulated counterparts show good relative agreement for multiple RF shim settings. CONCLUSION: The high precision shows promising potential for validation purposes and other RF safety applications.

Tier-based formalism for safety assessment of custom-built radio-frequency transmit coils.

The purpose of this work is to propose a tier-based formalism for safety assessment of custom-built radio-frequency (RF) coils that balances validation effort with the effort put in determinating the safety factor. The formalism has three tier levels. Higher tiers require increased effort when validating electromagnetic simulation results but allow for less conservative safety factors. In addition, we propose a new method to calculate modeling uncertainty between simulations and measurements and a new method to propagate uncertainties in the simulation into a safety factor that minimizes the risk of underestimating the peak specific absorption rate (SAR). The new safety assessment procedure was completed for all tier levels for an eight-channel dipole array for prostate imaging at 7 T and an eight-channel dipole array for head imaging at 10.5 T, using data from two different research sites. For the 7 T body array, the validation procedure resulted in a modeling uncertainty of 77% between measured and simulated local SAR distributions. For a situation where RF shimming is performed on the prostate, average power limits of 2.4 and 4.5 W/channel were found for tiers 2 and 3, respectively. When the worst-case peak SAR among all phase settings was calculated, power limits of 1.4 and 2.7 W/channel were found for tiers 2 and 3, respectively. For the 10.5 T head array, a modeling uncertainty of 21% was found based on B1 + mapping. For the tier 2 validation, a power limit of 2.6 W/channel was calculated. The demonstrated tier system provides a strategy for evaluating modeling inaccuracy, allowing for the rapid translation of novel coil designs with conservative safety factors and the implementation of less conservative safety factors for frequently used coil arrays at the expense of increased validation effort.

A perturbation approach for ultrafast calculation of RF field enhancements near medical implants in MRI.

Patients with medical implants often are deprived of magnetic resonance imaging examination because of safety risks. One specific risk is the enhancement of the radiofrequency fields around the medical implant potentially resulting in significant tissue heating and damage. The assessment of this enhancement is a computationally demanding task, with simulations taking hours or days to converge. Conventionally the source of the radiofrequency fields, patient anatomy, and the medical implant are simulated concurrently. To alleviate the computational burden, we reformulate a fast simulation method that views the medical implant as a small perturbation of the simulation domain without the medical implant and calculates the radiofrequency fields associated with this perturbation. Previously, this method required an extensive offline stage where the result is intractable for large simulation domains. Currently, this offline stage is no longer required and the method is completely online. The proposed method results in comparable radiofrequency fields but is orders of magnitude faster compared to standard simulation technique; the finite-difference time-domain, the finite-sums, and the finite element methods. This acceleration could enable patient-specific and potentially online radiofrequency safety assessment.

The Coax Dipole: A fully flexible coaxial cable dipole antenna with flattened current distribution for body imaging at 7 Tesla.

PURPOSE: The coax dipole antenna, a flexible antenna for body imaging at 7T is presented. Similar to the high impedance coil, this coaxial cable antenna is fed on the central conductor and through gaps in the shield, the current passes to the outside of the antenna to generate B1 field. This could achieve more favorable current distributions and better adaptation to the body curvature. METHODS: Finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations are performed to optimize the positions of the gaps in the shield for a flat current profile. Lumped inductors are added to each end to reduce losses. The performance of a single antenna is compared to a fractionated dipole using B1 maps and MR thermometry. Finally, an array of eight coax dipoles is evaluated in simulations and used for in-vivo scanning. RESULTS: An optimal configuration is found with gaps located at 10 cm from the center and inductor values of 28 nH. In comparison to the fractionated dipole antenna, in single antenna phantom measurements the coax dipole achieves similar B1 amplitude with 18% lower peak temperature. In simulations, the eight-channel array of coax dipoles improved B1 homogeneity by 18%, along with small improvements in transmit efficiency and specific absorption rate (SAR). MRI measurements on three volunteers show more consistent performance for the coax dipoles. CONCLUSION: The coax dipole is a novel antenna design with a flattened current distribution resulting in beneficial properties. Also, the flexible design of the coax dipoles allows better adaptation to the body curvature and can potentially be used for a wide range of imaging targets.

RF Coil Setup for 31P MRSI in Tongue Cancer in vivo at 7 T.

Surgery for tongue cancer often results in a major loss in quality of life. While MRI may be used to minimise the volume of excised tissue, often the full tumour extent is missed. This tumour extent may be detected with metabolic imaging. One of the main reasons for the lack of metabolic information on tongue cancer would be the absence of an x-nuclear coil with the tongue as a focus target. Metabolic MRI through 31P MRSI is known as a powerful tool to non-invasively study elevated cell proliferation and disturbed energy metabolism in tumours. Severe magnetic field non-uniformities are inherently caused by the substantial difference in magnetic susceptibilities of tissue and air in the mouth and its environs. Despite this, the wide chemical shift dispersion of 31P could still facilitate precise detection of the cell proliferation biomarkers, phospomonoesters and diesters, as well as energy metabolites ATP, inorganic phosphate, and phosphocreatine potentially mapped over the tongue or tumour in vivo. In this study, we present the first 31P MRSI data of the human tongue in vivo from healthy volunteers and a patient with a tongue tumour at 7 T MRI using a 1H 8-channel transceiver setup placed inside a body 31P transmitter, which is able to get a uniform excitation from the tongue while providing comfortable access to the patient. In addition, a user-friendly external 31P receiver array is used to provide high sensitivity (80%) comparable to an uncomfortable inner mouth loop coil positioned on the tongue. The primary aim is the demonstration of 31P metabolite profiles in the tongue and the differences between healthy and malignant tissue. Indeed, clear elevated cell proliferation expressed as enhanced phosphomonoesters is observed in the tumour vs. the healthy part of the tongue. This can be performed within a total scan duration of 30 min, comparable to clinical scans, with a spatial resolution of 1.5 cm for the 10-min 31P MRSI scan.

SAR and temperature distributions in a database of realistic human models for 7 T cardiac imaging.

PURPOSE: To investigate inter-subject variability of B1+ , SAR and temperature rise in a database of human models using a local transmit array for 7 T cardiac imaging. METHODS: Dixon images were acquired of 14 subjects and segmented in dielectric models with an eight-channel local transmit array positioned around the torso for cardiac imaging. EM simulations were done to calculate SAR distributions. Based on the SAR distributions, temperature simulations were performed for exposure times of 6 min and 30 min. Peak local SAR and temperature rise levels were calculated for different RF shim settings. A statistical analysis of the resulting peak local SAR and temperature rise levels was performed to arrive at safe power limits. RESULTS: For RF shim vectors with random phase and uniformly distributed power, a safe average power limit of 35.7 W was determined (first level controlled mode). When RF amplitude and phase shimming was performed on the heart, a safe average power limit of 35.0 W was found. According to Pennes' model, our numerical study suggests a very low probability of exceeding the absolute local temperature limit of 40 °C for a total exposure time of 6 min and a peak local SAR of 20 W/kg. For a 30 min exposure time at 20 W/kg, it was shown that the absolute temperature limit can be exceeded in the case where perfusion does not change with temperature. CONCLUSION: Safe power constraints were found for 7 T cardiac imaging with an eight-channel local transmit array, while considering the inter-subject variability of B1+ , SAR and temperature rise.

A single setup approach for the MRI-based measurement and validation of the transfer function of elongated medical implants.

PURPOSE: To propose a single setup using the MRI to both measure and validate the transfer function (TF) of linear implants. Conventionally, the TF of an implant is measured in one bench setup and validated using another. METHODS: It has been shown that the TF can be measured using MRI. To validate this measurement, the implant is exposed to different incident electric fields, while the temperature increase at the tip is monitored. For a good validation, the incident electric fields that the implant is exposed to should be orthogonal. We perform a simulation study on six different methods that change the incident electric field. Afterward, a TF measurement and validation study using the best method from the simulations is performed. This is done with fiberoptic temperature probes at 1.5 T for four linear implant structures using the proposed single setup. RESULTS: The simulation study showed that positioning local transmit coils at different locations along the lead trajectory has a similar validation quality compared with changing the implant trajectory (ie, the conventional validation method). For the validation study that was performed, an R2 ≥ 0.91 was found for the four investigated leads. CONCLUSION: A single setup to both measure and validate the transfer function using local transmit coils has been shown to work. The benefits of using the proposed validation method are that there is only one setup required instead of two and the implant trajectory is not varied; therefore, the relative distance between the leap tip and the temperature probe is constant.

Real-time assessment of potential peak local specific absorption rate value without phase monitoring: Trigonometric maximization method for worst-case local specific absorption rate determination.

PURPOSE: Multi-transmit MRI systems are typically equipped with dedicated hardware to sample the reflected/lost power in the transmit channels. After extensive calibration, the amplitude and phase of the signal at the feed of each array element can be accurately determined. However, determining the phase is more difficult and monitoring errors can lead to a hazardous peak local specific absorption rate (pSAR10g ) underestimation. For this purpose, methods were published for online maximum potential pSAR10g estimation without relying on phase monitoring, but these methods produce considerable overestimation. We present a trigonometric maximization method to determine the actual worst-case pSAR10g without any overestimation. THEORY AND METHOD: The proposed method takes advantage of the sinusoidal relation between the SAR10g in each voxel and the phases of input signals, to return the maximum achievable SAR10g in a few iterations. The method is applied to determine the worst-case pSAR10g for three multi-transmit array configurations at 7T: (1) body array with eight fractionated dipoles; (2) head array with eight fractionated dipoles; (3) head array with eight rectangular loops. The obtained worst-case pSAR10g values are compared with the pSAR10g values determined with a commonly used method and with a more efficient method based on reference-phases. RESULTS: For each voxel, the maximum achievable SAR10g is determined in less than 0.1 ms. Compared to the reference-phases-based method, the proposed method reduces the mean overestimation of the actual pSAR10g up to 52%, while never underestimating the true pSAR10g . CONCLUSION: The proposed method can widely improve the performance of parallel transmission MRI systems without phase monitoring.

Explaining RF induced current patterns on implantable medical devices during MRI using the transfer matrix.

PURPOSE: In this work a simulation study is performed to gain insights in the patterns of induced radiofrequency (RF) currents for various implant-like structures at 1.5 T. The previously introduced transfer matrix (TM) is used to determine why certain current patterns have a tendency to naturally occur. This can benefit current safety assessment techniques and may enable the identification of critical exposure conditions. THEORY AND METHODS: The induced current on an elongated implant can be determined by multiplication of the incident electric field along the implant with its TM. The eigenmode spectrum of the TMs for various lengths and various types of implants are determined. The eigenvector with the highest eigenvalue describes the incident electric field pattern that induces the highest current which in turn will lead to highest heating. Subsequently, a statistical probability analysis is performed using a wide range of potential incident electric field distributions in a representative human subject model during a 1.5 T MR exam which are determined by means of electromagnetic FDTD simulations. These incident electric field distributions and the resulting induced current patterns are projected onto eigenvectors of the TM to determine which eigenmodes of the implant dominate the current patterns. RESULTS: The eigenvectors of the TM of bare and insulated wires resemble sinusoidal harmonics of a string fixed at both ends similar to the natural-current distribution on thin antennas(1). The currents on implants shorter than 20 cm are generally dominated by the first harmonic (similar to half a sine wave). This is firstly because for these implant lengths (relative to the RF wavelength), the first eigenvalue is more than three times bigger than the second showing the ability of an implant to accommodate one eigenmode better than another. Secondly, the incident electric fields have a high likelihood (≳95,7%) to project predominantly on this first eigenmode. CONCLUSION: The eigenmode spectrum of the TM of an implant provides insight into the expected shape of induced current distributions and worst-case exposure conditions. For short implants, the first eigenvector is dominant. In addition, realistic incident electric field distributions project more heavily on this eigenvector. Both effects together cause significant currents to always resemble the dominant eigenmode of the TM for short implants at 1.5 T.

7T MR Safety.

Magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRI/MRS) at 7T represents an exciting advance in MR technology, with intriguing possibilities to enhance image spatial, spectral, and contrast resolution. To ensure the safe use of this technology while still harnessing its potential, clinical staff and researchers need to be cognizant of some safety concerns arising from the increased magnetic field strength and higher Larmor frequency. The higher static magnetic fields give rise to enhanced transient bioeffects and an increased risk of adverse incidents related to electrically conductive implants. Many technical challenges remain and the continuing rapid pace of development of 7T MRI/MRS is likely to present further challenges to ensuring safety of this technology in the years ahead. The recent regulatory clearance for clinical diagnostic imaging at 7T will likely increase the installed base of 7T systems, particularly in hospital environments with little prior ultrahigh-field MR experience. Informed risk/benefit analyses will be required, particularly where implant manufacturer-published 7T safety guidelines for implants are unavailable. On behalf of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, the aim of this article is to provide a reference document to assist institutions developing local institutional policies and procedures that are specific to the safe operation of 7T MRI/MRS. Details of current 7T technology and the physics underpinning its functionality are reviewed, with the aim of supporting efforts to expand the use of 7T MRI/MRS in both research and clinical environments. Current gaps in knowledge are also identified, where additional research and development are required. Level of Evidence 5 Technical Efficacy 2 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2021;53:333-346.

Conditional safety margins for less conservative peak local SAR assessment: A probabilistic approach.

PURPOSE: The introduction of a linear safety factor to address peak local specific absorption rate (pSAR10g ) uncertainties (eg, intersubject variation, modeling inaccuracies) bears one considerable drawback: It often results in over-conservative scanning constraints. We present a more efficient approach to define a variable safety margin based on the conditional probability density function of the effectively obtained pSAR10g value, given the estimated pSAR10g value. METHODS: The conditional probability density function can be estimated from previously simulated data. A representative set of true and estimated pSAR10g samples was generated by means of our database of 23 subject-specific models with an 8-fractionated dipole array for prostate imaging at 7 T. The conditional probability density function was calculated for each possible estimated pSAR10g value and used to determine the corresponding safety margin with an arbitrary low probability of underestimation. This approach was applied to five state-of-the-art local SAR estimation methods, namely: (1) using just the generic body model "Duke"; (2) using our model library to assess the maximum pSAR10g value over all models; (3) using the most representative "local SAR model"; (4) using the five most representative local SAR models; and (5) using a recently developed deep learning-based method. RESULTS: Compared with the more conventional safety factor, the conditional safety-margin approach results in lower (up to 30%) mean overestimation for all investigated local SAR estimation methods. CONCLUSION: The proposed probabilistic approach for pSAR10g correction allows more accurate local SAR assessment with much lower overestimation, while a predefined level of underestimation is accepted (eg, 0.1%).

Introduction of the snake antenna array: Geometry optimization of a sinusoidal dipole antenna for 10.5T body imaging with lower peak SAR.

PURPOSE: To improve imaging performance for body MRI with a local transmit array at 10.5T, the geometry of a dipole antenna was optimized to achieve lower peak specific absorption rate (SAR) levels and a more uniform transmit profile. METHODS: Electromagnetic simulations on a phantom were used to evaluate the SAR and B 1 + -performance of different dipole antenna geometries. The best performing antenna (the snake antenna) was simulated on human models in a 12-channel array configuration for safety assessment and for comparison to a previous antenna design. This 12-channel array was constructed after which electromagnetic simulations were validated by B 1 + -maps and temperature measurements. After obtaining approval by the Food and Drug Administration to scan with the snake antenna array, in vivo imaging was performed on 2 volunteers. RESULTS: Simulation results on a phantom indicate a lower SAR and a higher transmit efficiency for the snake antenna compared to the fractionated dipole array. Similar results are found on a human body model: when comparing the trade-off between uniformity and peak SAR, the snake antenna performs better for all imaging targets. Simulations and measurements are in good agreement. Preliminary imaging result were acquired in 2 volunteers with the 12-channel snake antenna array. CONCLUSION: By optimizing the geometry of a dipole antenna, peak SAR levels were lowered while achieving a more uniform transmit field as demonstrated in simulations on a phantom and a human body model. The array was constructed, validated, and successfully used to image 2 individuals at 10.5T.

MRI-based transfer function determination through the transfer matrix by jointly fitting the incident and scattered B1+ field.

PURPOSE: A purely experimental method for MRI-based transfer function (TF) determination is presented. A TF characterizes the potential for radiofrequency heating of a linear implant by relating the incident tangential electric field to a scattered electric field at its tip. We utilize the previously introduced transfer matrix (TM) to determine transfer functions solely from the MR measurable quantities, that is, the B1+ and transceive phase distributions. This technique can extend the current practice of phantom-based TF assessment with dedicated experimental setup toward MR-based methods that have the potential to assess the TF in more realistic situations. THEORY AND METHODS: An analytical description of the B1+ magnitude and transceive phase distribution around a wire-like implant was derived based on the TM. In this model, the background field is described using a superposition of spherical and cylindrical harmonics while the transfer matrix is parameterized using a previously introduced attenuated wave model. This analytical description can be used to estimate the transfer matrix and transfer function based on the measured B1+ distribution. RESULTS: The TF was successfully determined for 2 mock-up implants: a 20-cm bare copper wire and a 20-cm insulated copper wire with 10 mm of insulation stripped at both endings in respectively 4 and 3 different trajectories. The measured TFs show a strong correlation with a reference determined from simulations and between the separate experiments with correlation coefficients above 0.96 between all TFs. Compared to the simulated TF, the maximum deviation in the estimated tip field is 9.4% and 12.2% for the bare and insulated wire, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A method has been developed to measure the TF of medical implants using MRI experiments. Jointly fitting the incident and scattered B1+ distributions with an analytical description based on the transfer matrix enables accurate determination of the TF of 2 test implants. The presented method no longer needs input from simulated data and can therefore, in principle, be used to measure TF's in test animals or corpses.

Accelerating implant RF safety assessment using a low-rank inverse update method.

PURPOSE: Patients who have medical metallic implants, e.g. orthopaedic implants and pacemakers, often cannot undergo an MRI exam. One of the largest risks is tissue heating due to the radio frequency (RF) fields. The RF safety assessment of implants is computationally demanding. This is due to the large dimensions of the transmit coil compared to the very detailed geometry of an implant. METHODS: In this work, we explore a faster computational method for the RF safety assessment of implants that exploits the small geometry. The method requires the RF field without an implant as a basis and calculates the perturbation that the implant induces. The inputs for this method are the incident fields and a library matrix that contains the RF field response of every edge an implant can occupy. Through a low-rank inverse update, using the Sherman-Woodbury-Morrison matrix identity, the EM response of arbitrary implants can be computed within seconds. We compare the solution from full-wave simulations with the results from the presented method, for two implant geometries. RESULTS: From the comparison, we found that the resulting electric and magnetic fields are numerically equivalent (maximum error of 1.35%). However, the computation was between 171 to 2478 times faster than the corresponding GPU accelerated full-wave simulation. CONCLUSIONS: The presented method enables for rapid and efficient evaluation of the RF fields near implants and might enable situation-specific scanning conditions.