A simulation study on the design of gradient coils in MRI for the imaging area above the patient bed

Abstract

A novel method is proposed for the simulation study the design of gradient coils in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system which generate linear magnetic field gradients only in the region above the patient’s bed. In MRI, the gradient coils are usually designed to create linear-varying magnetic gradient fields in a region that is typically described as a diameter of spherical volume (DSV). In practice, the space under the patient’s bed is not used for imaging, but is still treated as part of the design target in conventional approaches. This work proposes a new design scheme in which only the DSV space above the patient’s bed is considered. In the simulation study, the coil patterns have been obtained using a boundary element method (BEM). Compared to conventional gradient coil design methods, the new scheme produces similar fields above the patient’s bed with much sparser wire spacing (for the case tested: the primary layer and shielding layer have 36%/10% and 6%/17% larger wire spacing for X- and Y-gradient coils, respectively). The new design therefore has reduced inductance compared to conventional coils; a reduction of approximately 23% and 11% for the X- and Y-gradient coils, respectively. The resistances of the coils are also reduced. Based on an acoustic analysis, the new gradient coils are slightly quieter (3 dB for the typical operating frequency) than conventional gradient systems.