Can Akgun1, Lance DelaBarre1,
Hyoungsuk Yoo2, Carl J Snyder1, Anand Gopinath3,
Kamil Ugurbil1, John Thomas Vaughan1
1Center for Magnetic
Resonance Imaging, University of MInnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States; 2Department
of Biomedical Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, University of
Ulsan, Ulsan , Korea, Republic of; 3Department of Electrical &
Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
Since its inception in high field MRI volume coils, there have been very few modifications of the traditional microstrip transmission line for optimal performance. In this study, two different microstrip designs with varying impedance lines referred to as stepped impedance resonators (SIRs) are presented. A 3-section SIR can be designed to produce a peak B1+ in the center, while a 7-section SIR can be designed to limit SAR effects when compared to the traditional microstrip resonator. Imaging and simulation results for 8 element volume coils with these designs are obtained at 7T for the human head.