Adam Maunder1, Madhwesha Rao1, Fraser Robb2, and Jim Wild1
1Unit of Academic Radiology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom, 2GE Healthcare, Aurora, OH, United States
Mutli-nuclear lung MRI using
inhaled inert fluorinated 19F gas and 1H
provide complementary structural-functional information. The close MR resonance
frequencies of the two nuclei preclude the use of dual-tuned coils using trap
circuits. Thus, we introduce the use of Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)
in a quadrature transmit-receive RF coil to switch between two resonance
frequencies of 19F and 1H at 1.5T. Characterization of the additional loss and
co-registered imaging of 19F and 1H with a custom-built body sized phantom is
demonstrated.
