• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.129-132
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• 1998

A new one-channel phased-array quadrature RF coil is developed for spine MR imaging. Quadrature RF coils for MRI have been used to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by$"\squt{2}"$ using two orthogonal RF coils in combination. More recently, the phased-array RF coil has been proposed for more improvement of SNR by using an array of reduced-size RF coil elements. Two schemes proposed for the new phased-array quadrature RF coil are:(1) Proper overlapping of two quadrature RF coils thus removing the mutual inductance and (2) Attaching preamplifiers right after the coil section and combining the signal with proper phase delays. The coil has been implemented for receive-only mode, and tested by phantom and volunteer imaging. The experimental results show the utility of the proposed RF coil.d RF coil.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1997 no.05
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• pp.227-229
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• 1997

A new phased-array quadrature RF coil for one or two RF acquisition channels is developed for spine MR imaging. Quadrature RF coils for MRI have been useful to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by $"\sqrt{2}"$ using two orthogonal RF coils in combination [1]. More recently, the phased-array RF coil has been proposed for more improvement of SNR by using an array of RF coil elements with a reduced size and coverage for each element. Two new schemes are proposed for the new phased-array quadrature RF coil as follows : (1) Proper overlapping of two quadrature RF coils thus removing the mutual inductance and (2) Attaching preamplifiers right after the coil section and combining the signal with proper phase delays. The coil has been implemented for receive- only mode. It has been tested through phantom and volunteer imaging. The experimental results show the utility of the proposed RF coil.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.36-42
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• 2005

Purpose : To develop a novel approach to calculate the sensitivity profiles of the phased array coil for use in non-uniform intensity correction. Materials and Methods : The proposed intensity correction method estimates the sensitivity profile of the coil to extract intensity variations that represent the scanned image. The sensitivity profile is estimated by fitting a non-linear curve to various angles of projections through the imaged object in order to eliminate the high-frequency image content. Filtered back projection is then used to compute the estimates of the sensitivity profile of each coil. The method was applied both to phantom and brain images from 8-channel phased-array coil and 4-channel phased-array coil, respectively. Results : Intensity-corrected images from the proposed method have more uniform intensity than those from the commonly used 'sum-of-squares' approach. By using the proposed correction method, the intensity variation was reduced to $6.1\%$ from $13.1\%$, acquired from the 'sum-of-squares'. Conclusion : The proposed method is more effective at correcting the intensity non-uniformity of the phased-array surface-coil images than the conventional 'sum-of-squares' method.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.107-119
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• 2014

Purpose : To efficiently evaluate phased array coil performance using a software tool box with which we can make visual comparison of the sensitivity of every coil element between the real experiment and EM simulation. Materials and Methods: We have developed a $C^{{+}{+}}$- and MATLAB-based software tool called Phased Array Coil Evaluator (PACE). PACE has the following functions: Building 3D models of the coil elements, importing the FDTD simulation results, and visualizing the coil sensitivity of each coil element on the ordinary Cartesian coordinate and the relative coil position coordinate. To build a 3D model of the phased array coil, we used an electromagnetic 3D tracker in a stylus form. After making the 3D model, we imported the 3D model into the FDTD electromagnetic field simulation tool. Results: An accurate comparison between the coil sensitivity simulation and real experiment on the tool box platform has been made through fine matching of the simulation and real experiment with aids of the 3D tracker. In the simulation and experiment, we used a 36-channel helmet-style phased array coil. At the 3D MRI data acquisition using the spoiled gradient echo sequence, we used the uniform cylindrical phantom that had the same geometry as the one in the FDTD simulation. In the tool box, we can conveniently choose the coil element of interest and we can compare the coil sensitivities element-by-element of the phased array coil. Conclusion: We expect the tool box can be greatly used for developing phased array coils of new geometry or for periodic maintenance of phased array coils in a more accurate and consistent manner.

• Proceedings of the KSMRM Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.95-95
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• 2002

목적： 기존의 척추용 코일은 phased array 코일을 주로 많이 사용하여 왔다. Phased array 코일은 여러개의 표면 코일로 구성되어 있어 RE 자기장의 영역이 표면코일과 비슷하다. 그래서, 척추 영상을 얻기 위해서는 다른 부위의 핵 스핀을 포화시키는 불편함이 있다. 기존의 표면 코일보다 RF penetration depth가 적은 theta coil을 이용하여, 척추에 적합한 코일을 개발했다. 대상 및 방법： theta coil을 길게 제작하여 척추에 적합하게 하였다. 코일의 길이는 약 35cm, 폭은 16cm이다. 수신 전용으로 하기 위해서, 다이오드를 이용하여 detune 회로를 포함하였다. 기존의 코일과 비교하기 위해 theta coil과 GE사의 척추용 코일로부터 각각 영상을 획득하였다.

• Proceedings of the KSMRM Conference
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• 1996.10a
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• pp.73-73
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• 1996

• Journal of Digital Contents Society
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.283-290
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• 2010

The effectiveness of 3.0T phase array coil images was tested by comparing signal-to-noise ratios for the same coil images relative to 1.5T endorectal coil images. Signal intensities were measured in the three regions of prostate, central and peripheral (right and left) after 40 patients with prostate cancer were imaged during the period between Jan. 2008 and Oct. 2009 with T2 W, T1 W, and DW images obtained respectively using endorectal coil on a 1.5T MR scanner and phase array coil on a 3.0T MR scanner. For quantitative analysis, comparisons of average SNRs for the same ROIs were made between groups scanned with a 1.5T and a 3.0T MR scanner. The signal-to-noise ratios were shown to increase more sharply when using a phase array coil at a 3.0T MR scanner compared to using an endorectal coil at a 1.5T MR scanner.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.373-379
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• 2010

EMAT has been applied in various fields for flaw detection and material characterization because it has noncontact property in wave generation and a good mode selectivity. Unfortunately, however, EMAT shows low signal to noise ratio relative to commercial contact transducer because of low energy conversion efficiency. If the phase matching through the control of time delay between each coil consisting of the array EMAT is accomplished, it is expected that it will be a solution for the improvement of low signal to noise ratio. In this experiment, the phased array EMATs which consists of 3 or 4 meander coils and one big magnet were fabricated for surface and vertical shear wave generation. Effect of phased delay control on signal directivity and amplitude enhancement was verified. A slit with the depth of 0.5 mm and a side-drill hole of 0.5 mm diameter were clearly detected by fabricated phased array EMATs, respectively.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.229-251
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• 2021

Arteriosclerosis is the leading cause of stroke, with a fatality rate surpassing that of ischemic heart disease. High-resolution vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging is generally recognized as a non-invasive and panoramic method for the evaluation of arterial plaque; however, this method requires improved signal-to-noise ratio and scanning speed. Recent advances in high-density head and neck coil arrays are characterized by broad coverage, multiple channels, and closefitting designs. This review analyzes fast magnetic resonance imaging from the perspective of accelerated algorithms for vessel wall imaging and demonstrates the need for effective algorithms for signal acquisition using advanced radiofrequency system. We summarize different phased-array structures under various experimental objectives and equipment conditions, introduce current research results, and propose prospective research studies in the future.

• Proceedings of the KSMRM Conference
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• 1999.11a
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• pp.91-91
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• 1999