RF flux guides for excitation and reception in 31P spectroscopic and imaging experiments at 2 Tesla

Abstract

AbstractRadio frequency (RF) flux guides consist of microstructured materials that are able to transport magnetic flux even within strong static magnetic fields, such as those found inside a superconducting magnet used for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. This offers the possibility to examine samples whose geometries impose restrictions on the direct accessibility of the sample. In these cases, flux guides can transmit the magnetic flux from a remote resonator into the sample, thereby occupying less space and allowing a wider range of coil designs. An RF flux guide is presented in 31P spectroscopic and imaging experiments on a clinical system operating at 2 T. It is employed for transmission of the excitation pulses as well as the received NMR signal. In this way, RF flux guide/coil combinations can be used in experiments with any nuclei without the need for an additional coil for excitation. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part B (Magn Reson Engineering) 23B: 44–49, 2004.