A Multi-Purpose Cardiac and Abdominal Surface Coil with Up to 36 Elements

Karsten Jahns¹, Markus Adriany¹, Stephan Biber¹, Wilhelm Horger¹, Sonia Nielles-Vallespin¹, Michaela Schmidt¹, Hubertus Fischer¹

With the advent of multi channel array coils, the limits of parallel imaging using large numbers of small loop antennas have been investigated. In research applications, head coils at 1.5T have been developed up to 32 channels, and up to 96 elements at 3T. Commercial products are available with up to 32 channels for head coils and for cardiac coils at 1.5T and 3T. One major challenge especially for anterior thorax/abdominal coils with high channel count is to integrate both the electronics and the antennas in a housing which is mechanically flexible along the x- and the z-direction. Flexibility in both directions is important for optimum adaption of the antenna to the variations in human anatomy which is largest in the abdominal region. We present the design of a mechanically flexible 36 element multi-purpose anterior coil for 3T and demonstrate its performance for both cardiac as well as abdominal imaging applications. Acceleration factors up to 4 with high image quality and decreased breathhold time could be shown.