Comparison of three multichannel transmit/receive radiofrequency coil configurations for anatomic and functional cardiac MRI at 7.0T: implications for clinical imaging

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Item Type:	Article
Title:	Comparison of three multichannel transmit/receive radiofrequency coil configurations for anatomic and functional cardiac MRI at 7.0T: implications for clinical imaging
Creators Name:	Winter, L., Kellman, P., Renz, W., Graessl, A., Hezel, F., Thalhammer, C., von Knobelsdorff-Brenkenhoff, F., Tkachenko, V., Schulz-Menger, J. and Niendorf, T.
Abstract:	OBJECTIVES: To implement, examine, and compare three multichannel transmit/receive coil configurations for cardiovascular MR (CMR) at 7T. METHODS: Three radiofrequency transmit-receive (TX/RX) coils with 4-, 8-, and 16-coil elements were used. Ten healthy volunteers (seven males, age 28 ± 4 years) underwent CMR at 7T. For all three RX/TX coils, 2D CINE FLASH images of the heart were acquired. Cardiac chamber quantification, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) analysis, parallel imaging performance assessment, and image quality scoring were performed. RESULTS: Mean total examination time was 29 ± 5 min. All images obtained with the 8- and 16-channel coils were diagnostic. No significant difference in ejection fraction (EF) (P > 0.09) or left ventricular mass (LVM) (P > 0.31) was observed between the coils. The 8- and 16-channel arrays yielded a higher mean SNR in the septum versus the 4-channel coil. The lowest geometry factors were found for the 16-channel coil (mean ± SD 2.3 ± 0.5 for R = 4). Image quality was rated significantly higher (P < 0.04) for the 16-channel coil versus the 8- and 4-channel coils. CONCLUSIONS: All three coil configurations are suitable for CMR at 7.0T under routine circumstances. A larger number of coil elements enhances image quality and parallel imaging performance but does not impact the accuracy of cardiac chamber quantification. KEY POINTS: Cardiac chamber quantification using 7.0T magnetic resonance imaging is feasible. Examination times for cardiac chamber quantification at 7.0T match current clinical practice. Multichannel transceiver RF technology facilitates improved image quality and parallel imaging performance. Increasing the number of RF channels does not influence cardiac chamber quantification.
Keywords:	Ultra-High Field MRI, Cardiovascular MRI, Transceiver Array, Parallel Imaging, Cardiac Chamber Quantification
Source:	European Radiology
ISSN:	0938-7994
Publisher:	Springer
Volume:	22
Number:	10
Page Range:	2211-2220
Date:	October 2012
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-012-2487-1
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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