Browsing by Subject "Transmit array"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5

Open Access
Accelerating the co-simulation method for the design of transmit array coils for MRI
(Springer, 2020) Sadeghi‑Tarakameh, Alireza; Kazemivalipour, Ehsan; Gündoğdu, Umut; Erdoğan, Serhat; Atalar, Ergin
Objective: Accelerating the co-simulation method for the design of transmit array (TxArray) coils is studied using equivalent circuit models. Materials and methods: Although the co-simulation method dramatically reduces the complexity of the design of TxArray coils, finding the optimum solution is not trivial since there exist many local minima in the optimization problem. We propose to utilize an equivalent circuit model of the TxArray coil to obtain a proper initial guess for the optimization process of the co-simulation method. To prove the concept, six different TxArray coils (i.e., three degenerate birdcage coils (DBC), two dual-row head coils, and one elliptical body TxArray coil) with two different loading strategies (cylindrical phantom and human head/body model) at 3 T field strength are investigated theoretically; as an example study, an eight-channel head-DBC is constructed using the obtained values. Results: This approach accelerates the design process more than 20-fold for the coils that are investigated in this manuscript. Conclusion: A fast and accurate method for tuning and decoupling of a TxArray coil can be achieved using its equivalent circuit model combined with the co-simulation method.
Open Access
Active decoupling of RF coils using a transmit array system
(Springer Verlag, 2015) Özen, A. C.; Bock, M.; Atalar, Ergin
Objective: Implementation of a decoupling method for isolation of transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) coils for concurrent excitation and acquisition (CEA) MRI in samples with ultra-short T2*. Materials and methods: The new phase and amplitude (PA) decoupling method is implemented in a clinical 3T-MRI system equipped with a parallel transmit array system. For RF excitation, two transmit coils are used in combination with a single receive coil. The transmit coil is geometrically decoupled from the receive coil, and the remaining B1-induced voltages in the receive coil during CEA are minimized by the second transmit coil using a careful adjustment of the phase and amplitude settings in this coil. Isolation of the decoupling scheme and transmit noise behavior are analyzed for different loading conditions, and a CEA MRI experiment is performed in a rubber phantom with sub-millisecond T2* and in an ex vivo animal. Results: Geometrical (20 dB) and PA decoupling (50 dB) provided a total isolation of 70 dB between the transmit and receive coils. Integration of a low-noise RF amplifier was necessary to minimize RF transmit noise. CEA MR images could be reconstructed from a rubber phantom and an ex vivo animal. Conclusion: CEA MRI can be implemented in clinical MRI systems using active decoupling with parallel transmit array capabilities with minor hardware modifications.
Open Access
Design of a birdcage-like radio frequency transmit array coil for the magnetic resonance imaging using equivalent circuit model
(2016-05) Tarakameh, Alireza Sadeghi
One of the conditions to have a good magnetic resonance (MR) image is applying a homogeneous radio-frequency (RF) excitation (magnetic field) with effciently high intensity to the region of interest. However, there are some limitations such as specific absorption rate (SAR) which is not allowed to exceed some standard levels. Since SAR level directly depends on the electric field and the electric field is coupled to the magnetic field, there is a trade-off between high-intensity RF-excitation and low SAR level. Moreover, in conventional RF coils (birdcage) for the MRI, the magnetic field profile is almost constant so that its intensity is pretty high at the center of the coil and decreases toward the coil. In such a coil, it is not possible to aim an off-center small region of interest and make the homogeneity concentrated at that region. Transmit array (Tx-array) coils provide high controllability on both electric and magnetic field, so, they would be good solutions for all of these issues, although, they come across the effciency problem at the center when the same performance of a conventional RF coil is required. This problem has been already handled using a birdcage-like Tx-array coil, however, there are some diffculties to design and tune such a coil. In this thesis, we proposed a novel design method for birdcage-like Tx-array coil; an eight-channel birdcage-like Tx-array coil is designed using the equivalent lumped-element circuit model. This design profits controllability feature of an array and high transmit effciency of a birdcage coil at the center, simultaneously. A capacitive decoupling method is utilized in order to get rid of reactive interactions between channels of the array. Then, an optimization (the steepest-descent method) with constraints based on minimizing the electric field and smoothing the magnetic field is applied to the voltage-excitations of the Tx-array coil. The proposed decoupling method provides 15dB matching for each channel and higher than 12dB decoupling between adjacent channels and at least 19dB for nonadjacent channels. This Tx-array coil provides only 3% less effciency versus the birdcage coil at the center of the coil, while, at the regions close to the surface of the phantom we achieved more than 72% better effciency in comparison to the birdcage coil. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the Tx-array is capable to produce a homogeneous magnetic field at an arbitrary (off-center) region of interest. This adjustment can be performed for the electric field as well such that the electric field and so the SAR can be minimized locally. Consequently, the proposed configuration of the Tx-array coil provides an ef- ficient excitation while capability of local RF shimming and local electric-fieldreduction can be achieved.
Open Access
Enhancing ﬁne-tuning efﬁciency and design optimizationof an eight-channel 3T transmit array via equivalent circuitmodeling and Eigenmode analysis
(Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc., 2025-01-15) Kazemivalipour, Ehsan; Atalar, Ergin
BackgroundRadiofrequency (RF) transmit arrays play a crucial role in various MRI applications, offering enhanced field control and improved imaging capabilities. Designing and optimizing these arrays, particularly in high-field MRI settings, poses challenges related to coupling, resonance, and construction imperfections. Numerical electromagnetic simulation methods effectively aid in the initial design, but discrepancies between simulated and fabricated arrays often necessitate fine-tuning. Fine-tuning involves iteratively adjusting the array's lumped elements, a complex and time-consuming process that demands expertise and substantial experience. This process is particularly required for high-Q-factor arrays or those with decoupling circuitries, where the impact of construction variations and coupling between elements is more pronounced. In this context, our study introduces and validates an accelerated fine-tuning approach custom RF transmit arrays, leveraging the arrays equivalent circuit modeling and eigenmode analysis of the scattering (S) parameters.PurposeThis study aims to streamline the fine-tuning process of lab-fabricated RF transmit arrays, specifically targeting an eight-channel degenerate birdcage coil designed for 3T MRI. The objective is to minimize the array's modal reflected power values and address challenges related to coupling and resonance.MethodsAn eight-channel 3T transmit array is designed and simulated, optimizing capacitor values via the co-simulation strategy and eigenmode analysis. The resulting values are used in constructing a prototype. Experimental measurements of the fabricated coil's S-parameters and fitting them into an equivalent circuit model, enabling estimation of self/mutual-inductances and self/mutual-resistances of the fabricated coil. Capacitor adjustments in the equivalent circuit model minimize mismatches between experimental and simulated results.ResultsThe simulated eight-channel array, optimized for minimal normalized reflected power, exhibits excellent tuning and matching and an acceptable level of decoupling (|Snn|<=-23 dB and |Smn|<=-11 dB). However, the fabricated array displays deviations, including resonances at different frequencies and increased reflections. The proposed fine-tuning approach yields an updated set of capacitor values, improving resonance frequencies and reducing reflections. The fine-tuned array demonstrates comparable performance to the simulation (|Snn|<=-15 dB and |Smn|<=-9 dB), mitigating disparities caused by construction imperfections. The maximum error between the calculated and measured S-parameters is -7 dB.ConclusionThis accelerated fine-tuning approach, integrating equivalent circuit modeling and eigenmode analysis, effectively optimizes the performance of fabricated transmit arrays. Demonstrated through the design and refinement of an eight-channel array, the method addresses construction-related disparities, showcasing its potential to enhance overall array performance. The approach holds promise for streamlining the design and optimization of complex RF coil systems, particularly for high Q-factor arrays and/or arrays with decoupling circuitry.
Open Access
Novel techniques and innovative designs for the RF chain of magnetic resonance imaging scanners
(2020-07) Tarakameh, Alireza Sadeghi
In this dissertation, novel techniques and innovative designs are proposed to serve one of the main goals of MRI, which is achieving the best image quality by improving signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) while conﬁned to the patient’s safety restrictions determined by speciﬁc absorption rate (SAR) limits. This dissertation comprises ﬁve different contributions to the ﬁeld. First, the co-simulation method is accelerated using the equivalent circuit model of the intended coil and introduced as a compact novel technique for the fast design of transmit array (TxArray) coils. It is shown that the existing co-simulation method can be accelerated by more than 20-fold for different types of TxArray coils. In another study, a simple strategy is introduced for optimizing the topography of transmit elements to reduce the local SAR at ultra-high ﬁeld (UHF, B0 ≥ 7 T) MRI. It is shown that the peak local 10g-averaged SAR can be reduced more than 20% for different types of transmit elements at two different ﬁeld strengths (i.e., 7 T and 10.5 T). As another contribution, conﬁning to the safety limits, the ﬁrst in vivo human head images at 10.5 T is acquired. To ensure the safety of subjects, the EM simulation model of the radiofrequency (RF) coil is validated using an expanded validation workﬂow, then, safe RF power levels were calculated. In another study, a novel short dipole-like element with improved SAR performance, non-unform dielectric substrate (NODES) antenna, is introduced which provides an opportunity to design highly-dense TxArray coils for UHF-MRI. Eventually, a nine-channel transmit/receive coil is built and human cadaver spine images are acquired at 10.5 T. In the ﬁnal study, a new parameter, ultimate intrinsic SAR efﬁciency (UISARE), is introduced and calculated as the upper bound for SAR performance of the transmit coils at different ﬁeld strengths. Overall, this dissertation proposes novel techniques and innovative structures for designing the TxArray coils, which mainly contribute to enhancing image quality and patient safety by improving SNR and reducing SAR.