Xiaoqing Hu1, Lei Zhang1, Xiaoliang Zhang2, Huabin Zhu3, Xiao Chen1, Yongqin Zhang4, Yiu-Cho Chung1, Xin Liu1, Hairong Zheng1, Ye Li1. 1. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China and Shenzhen Key Laboratory for MRI, Shenzhen 518055, China. 2. Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158 and UCSF/UC Berkeley Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, San Francisco, California 94720. 3. Suzhou Zhongzhi Medical Technology Co., Ltd., Suzhou 215123, China. 4. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory for MRI, Shenzhen 518055, China; and School of Information Science and Technology, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Carotid artery diseases due to plaque buildup at the carotid bifurcation are a leading cause of stroke. Accurate plaque quantification and characterization of plaque composition and morphology by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is essential to identifying high-risk patients. Difficulties in detecting plaque, which is physically small, and the unique physiological structure of the carotid artery make use of a radio frequency (RF) coil array with high resolution, large longitudinal coverage, and deep penetration ideal for clinical examinations. The goal of this project was to design and fabricate a sensitive RF coil array with sufficient imaging coverage and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for carotid artery imaging at 3 T. METHODS: Based on clinical requirements and the anatomical structure of the human carotid artery, an 8-channel carotid coil array was designed and fabricated for 3 T MRI of the carotid artery in humans. The performance of the proposed 8-channel carotid coil array was validated through bench tests and MR imaging experiments on a 3 T whole body MRI scanner. Its performance was also compared experimentally to the performance of a commercial 4-channel phased array carotid coil designed by Machnet BV (Machnet BV coil, Roden, Netherlands). RESULTS: The 8-channel carotid coil array performed significantly better in imaging the carotid artery than the commercial 4-channel Machnet BV coil in terms of the SNR, coverage, and penetration depth. In parallel imaging, the proposed 8-channel carotid coil array demonstrated a much lower maximum value and average value of the geometry factor in the region of interest. Carotid artery images acquired in vivo using the proposed 8-channel carotid artery coil and the commercial 4-channel Machnet BV coil were also compared, demonstrating the former's potential for clinical diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the analyses of phantom and in vivo imaging studies, the proposed 8-channel carotid coil array has the potential for use in clinical diagnosis, performing better in terms of SNR, imaging coverage, and penetration depth than the commercial 4-channel carotid artery coil array at 3 T. In future studies, the proposed 8-channel carotid coil array can also serve as an important part of a large-scale multichannel coil array for imaging the whole carotid artery system, including the extracranial and intracranial arteries.
PURPOSE: Carotid artery diseases due to plaque buildup at the carotid bifurcation are a leading cause of stroke. Accurate plaque quantification and characterization of plaque composition and morphology by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is essential to identifying high-risk patients. Difficulties in detecting plaque, which is physically small, and the unique physiological structure of the carotid artery make use of a radio frequency (RF) coil array with high resolution, large longitudinal coverage, and deep penetration ideal for clinical examinations. The goal of this project was to design and fabricate a sensitive RF coil array with sufficient imaging coverage and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for carotid artery imaging at 3 T. METHODS: Based on clinical requirements and the anatomical structure of the human carotid artery, an 8-channel carotid coil array was designed and fabricated for 3 T MRI of the carotid artery in humans. The performance of the proposed 8-channel carotid coil array was validated through bench tests and MR imaging experiments on a 3 T whole body MRI scanner. Its performance was also compared experimentally to the performance of a commercial 4-channel phased array carotid coil designed by Machnet BV (Machnet BV coil, Roden, Netherlands). RESULTS: The 8-channel carotid coil array performed significantly better in imaging the carotid artery than the commercial 4-channel Machnet BV coil in terms of the SNR, coverage, and penetration depth. In parallel imaging, the proposed 8-channel carotid coil array demonstrated a much lower maximum value and average value of the geometry factor in the region of interest. Carotid artery images acquired in vivo using the proposed 8-channel carotid artery coil and the commercial 4-channel Machnet BV coil were also compared, demonstrating the former's potential for clinical diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the analyses of phantom and in vivo imaging studies, the proposed 8-channel carotid coil array has the potential for use in clinical diagnosis, performing better in terms of SNR, imaging coverage, and penetration depth than the commercial 4-channel carotid artery coil array at 3 T. In future studies, the proposed 8-channel carotid coil array can also serve as an important part of a large-scale multichannel coil array for imaging the whole carotid artery system, including the extracranial and intracranial arteries.
Authors: Michael J Beck; Dennis L Parker; Bradley D Bolster; Seong-Eun Kim; J Scott McNally; Gerald S Treiman; J Rock Hadley Journal: Magn Reson Med Date: 2017-02-10 Impact factor: 4.668