A Horn Antenna Improves the Transmit Field Homogeneity in the Human Brain Using the Travelling Wave Technique

Bobo Hu¹, Sedig Farhat², Paul Glover²

The RF field inhomogeneity in the human brain imaging utilizing the travelling wave technique is a fundamental obstacle of its clinical implementation. This work proposes a horn antenna type of structure to improve the coupling of the travelling wave to the head and also enhance the field homogeneity, especially at the upper cerebrum area. Both the simulated B1 field map and Poynting vector plot shows the field homogeneity has been improved and more power flows into the head. The hot-spots at top of the cerebrum and forehead area are greatly reduced. A comparison of its performances against patch antenna and patch antenna with a match load were studied by using the numerical simulation (xFDTD, Remcom. Inc, PA).