Introduction: A conformal RF coil array design for use in a MRI system is proposed. In particular, the coil array is designed without the use of any cumbersome mutual decoupling schemes. Coil elements are designed based on orthogonality, which will naturally minimise the problematic mutual coupling effects that inherently exist in most MRI phased-array systems [1]. A prototype of a knee coil co...

Synopsis. A slotted surface coil, inspired on the cavity magnetron was developed for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 4T. Imaging tests using a saline phantom demonstrated that the slotted surface coil has deeper RF-sensitivity than the single-loop RF-coil. High quality images of two rats were acquired simultaneously using standard spin-echo pulse sequences, demonstrating that the slotted su...

Membrane fusion plays a central role in biological processes such as neurotransmission and exocytosis. An important class of proteins that induce membrane fusion are called SNARE (soluble N-ethyl malemeide sensitive factor attachment protein receptors) proteins. To induce membrane fusion, two SNARE proteins embedded in opposing membranes form a four-helix coiled-coil motif together with a third...

To conduct interventional procedures in MRI, reliable visualization of interventional devices such as catheters is necessary. For this purpose, the use of inductively-coupled radio frequency (ICRF) coils has been proposed. Without a wired connection, the signal around the ICRF coil is amplified, enabling catheters to be visualized. The wireless connection allows easy handling of catheters, in s...

We describe a technique used to treat two patients with large, wide-necked aneurysms during the past 2 years. In the initial attempts at embolization, evidence of coil instability within the aneurysm or significant impingement of coil loops on the parent artery was observed. Advancement of a second microcatheter into the aneurysm allowed two coils to be braced across the aneurysmal neck before ...

Introduction: A multi-port array coil provides individual RF field profiles that, under the static control of B1 shimming coefficients or dynamic control of parallel RF pulses, are weighted and superimposed to create the RF field. The coil therefore plays a central role in the induction of a temporally/spatially varying B1 field for creating an excitation profile, and meanwhile, a concomitant E...

Four quasi-axisymmetric compact stellarator plasma and coil configurations are analyzed for their potential as reactors. A 0-D (volume-average) approach for optimizing the main reactor parameters allows study of the relationship between global parameters and the compatibility of different constraints for a given power output including plasma-coil spacing, coil-coil spacing, maximum field and co...

Although in the design of transmit RF coils, B(1) homogeneity is crucial for good image quality, discussion of electric field (E-field) distribution in the literature has been mostly limited to specific absorption rate (SAR) and patient loading (dielectric) effects. In this work, we report on a different aspect of E-field: the receive-only surface coil heating resulting from the voltage drop ac...