Abstract #1495

Towards uncompromised merging of 1H and 31P receive arrays for multi nuclear metabolic imaging in the brain at 7T

Ines Chavarria^1,2, Dimitri Welting¹, Marco Fantasia¹, Quincy van Houtum¹, Jannie Wijnen¹, Dennis W.J. Klomp¹, and Bart R. Steensma¹

¹Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands, ²University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands

In order to optimally integrate ³¹P MRS and ¹H MRI, a ¹H birdcage coil is combined with a 16 channel dual-tuned ³¹P/¹H receive loop array for 7T, inserted in a³¹P bodycoil. ¹H performance was compared to the existent NOVA head coil. Similar SAR levels and B₁⁺ distributions were obtained, but the SNR decreased in the unshielded birdcage. SNR results might be improved upon by detuning the unshielded birdcage coil during receive mode, yet the ³¹P MRSI results show very high SNR. It is concluded that the unshielded birdcage coil has an adequate ¹H transmit performance and has the potential for accelerated imaging with the 16 double-tuned receive loops.

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