Simulation-Based Phased-Array Optimization using an Efficient Method for Realistic Coil Modeling

Matthias Korn¹, Simon Lambert¹, Xavier Matre¹, Luc Darrasse¹

An efficient procedure for modeling and simulating phased-array coils is presented. The method uses a full wave EM simulation to calculate the EM-fields, while the effect of the port circuitry is substituted by the impedance of a discrete impedance. The value of this impedance is derived directly from the reflection coefficient of the preamplifier input and the coil impedance. The presented approach also includes sample losses, distributed capacitors, and geometrical and capacitive element decoupling. The method is demonstrated on a 6-channel receive-only coil to compare baseline sensitivity and g-factor performance of three different geometrical element configurations (gap, shared-conductor and overlap design).