Practical design of a high-strength breast gradient coil.

A high-strength three-axis local gradient coil set was constructed for MRI of the breast. Gradient fields with good uniformity (<10% deviation from the desired gradient) over most of the volume required for breast imaging were generated with efficiencies of up to 3.3 mT/m/A. The coils will allow diffusion breast imaging in clinically acceptable examination times. The electrical design, water cooling system, and fabrication techniques are described. Preliminary tests of the coil included images of a grid phantom and diffusion measurements in a short-T2 agarose gel phantom.