Bei Zhang1, Martijn Cloos1, Gang Chen1, and Graham C. Wiggins1
A major challenge in 7T coil array design for body imaging is to achieve
optimum distribution in different body sizes with only one coil array. In this
work, we propose a flexible 8
channel dipole array with trellis-like substrate which can expand and contract
to fit various body sizes and hold electric dipole antenna elements in the
optimum distribution around the body for all subjects. The performance of the trellis
array was compared with a flexible yet fixed-element-spaced folded dipole body
array [1] in terms of flip angle maps and SNR on two different sizes of body
phantoms. Both phantom and invivo images show that the trellis array does not
have common nulls between the circular polarized (CP) and gradient modes.
