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A Platform for 4-Channel Parallel Transmission MRI at 3 T: Demonstration of Reduced Radiofrequency Heating in a Test Object Containing an Implanted Wire

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Abstract

Objective

To describe a platform for 4-channel parallel transmission (pTx) integrated on a 3 T MRI system; to demonstrate utility of the platform with a pTx method to reduce localized radiofrequency (RF) heating during MRI of a test object implanted with an electrically conductive wire; and to compare the pTx results with those from a standard birdcage (BC) head coil.

Methods

A 4-channel pTx system with independent amplitude and phase control was added to a Siemens Prisma MRI system. Turbo spin echo pTx MRI of a homogenous tissue-mimicking head phantom, including an implanted wire to simulate a deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrode, was performed in (a) circular-polarized “quadrature” transmission mode to demonstrate localized RF heating effects, and (b) an optimized RF shim “suppression” mode to counteract RF heating at the tip of the implanted wire. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and temperature results from the pTx experiment were compared with imaging using a Siemens BC head coil.

Results

The pTx platform provided effective control of RF amplitude and phase to minimize localized RF heating at the wire tip. No temperature elevation was detected for pTx in suppression mode, whereas maximum increases of 6.9 °C and 2.7 °C were observed for pTx quadrature mode and imaging using the BC head coil, respectively.

Conclusion

The platform has been adapted to a Siemens MRI system without impacting the standard RF transmission pathway, while providing accurate RF signal modulation. Demonstration of the platform showed substantial reduction of localized RF heating in a simulated DBS implant without significant SNR loss.

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Funding

Canada Foundation for Innovation (grant number: 30729), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Grant Number: 238911).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada

    Benson Yang, Pei-Shan Wei, Fred Tam & Simon J. Graham

  2. Baylis Medical, 2645 Matheson Blvd E, Mississauga, ON, L4W 5S4, Canada

    Clare E. McElcheran

  3. Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, 101 College Street Suite 15-701, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada

    Simon J. Graham

Authors
  1. Benson Yang
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Contributions

Study conception and design: Yang, Wei, McElcheran, Tam, Graham. Simulation and Acquisition of data: Yang, Wei, McElcheran. Analysis and interpretation of data: Yang. Manuscript Writing: Yang, Graham.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Benson Yang.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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Yang, B., Wei, PS., McElcheran, C.E. et al. A Platform for 4-Channel Parallel Transmission MRI at 3 T: Demonstration of Reduced Radiofrequency Heating in a Test Object Containing an Implanted Wire. J. Med. Biol. Eng. 39, 835–844 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40846-019-00478-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40846-019-00478-7

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