Limited FOV MR Thermometry using a Local Cardiac RF Coil in Atrial Fibrillation Treatment

Nelly A. Volland^1,2, Eugene G. Kholmovski^1,2, J. R. Hadley¹, Dennis L. Parker¹

Introduction: Limited FOV MR temperature image acquisition in less than 200 ms with high sensitivity was investigated using a local RF cardiac coil. Methods: Loop coil was designed, coated, and tested to assess the feasibility of measurements. Results: SNR gain attainable with local coil in static phantom compared to surface coils was 26 times. Stable MR phase images were acquired within 230 ms on limited FOV imaging volume without aliasing in moving phantom 4 times faster than surface coils could allow. Conclusions: Local cardiac coil was successfully used to perform MR thermometry in static and moving phantoms.