Field B0 Research Articles

In situ NMR Investigation of the Photoresponse of Perovskite Crystal

Summary Hybrid perovskites are outstanding candidates for use in optoelectronic devices. Nonetheless, hybrid perovskites present numerous fundamental issues that are not yet fully understood. This study seeks to address this problem by reporting on the occurrence of ultraslow dynamic orientation changes in the methylammonium (MA) cations and the corresponding changes in the inorganic lattice of MAPbI3 perovskite crystals occurring over a time scale of 100 s under continuous illumination based on in situ single-crystal 2H nuclear magnetic resonance and in situ X-ray diffraction results. The demonstrated ultraslow dynamic changes in MAPbI3 are far slower than elementary molecular motions typically having time scales of femtoseconds and picoseconds and have never been reported previously. The ultraslow dynamic changes have been correlated with the reduction of band gap and the increase of absorption coefficient of MAPbI3, providing the molecular origins of the stabilization process in the photoresponse of the MAPbI3 device.

On the well-posedness of the Hall-magnetohydrodynamics system in critical spaces

We investigate the existence and uniqueness issues of the 3D incompressible Hall-magnetohydrodynamic system supplemented with initial velocity u0 and magnetic field B0 in critical regularity spaces. In the case where u0, B0 and the current belong to the homogeneous Besov space and are small enough, we establish a global result and the conservation of higher regularity. If the viscosity is equal to the magnetic resistivity, then we obtain the global well-posedness provided u0, B0 and J0 are small enough in the larger Besov space If then we also establish the local existence for large data, and exhibit continuation criteria for solutions with critical regularity. Our results rely on an extended formulation of the Hall-MHD system that has some similarities with the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations.

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance J-spectroscopy of phantoms containing brain metabolites on a portable 0.05 T MRI scanner

We examined approaches for obtaining 1H NMR spectra of brain metabolites on a low-field (B0 = 0.05 T) portable MRI scanner, which was developed in our laboratory with the aim of bringing cost-effective radiological services to populations in underserved, remote regions. The low static magnetic field B0 dictates low signal to noise ratio for metabolites in the mM concentration range, and results in an overall spectral region for the 1H resonances of these metabolites narrower than the linewidth obtainable in our scanner. The narrow spectral range also precludes the possibility of suppressing the large contribution of the water resonance at the acquisition stage.We used a spectroscopic Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) sequence to acquire multiecho data from solutions of J-coupled brain metabolites, focusing on lactic acid, a metabolite whose concentration is negligible in the healthy brain and increases significantly in several disease conditions. The J spectra we obtained for lactate from the Fourier transformation of the multiecho data are spectrally well-resolved for a range of echo spacing values. We show that the J spectra at different echo spacings fit well with simulations of the evolution of echo train signal of the lactate under the same conditions. Applying a J-refocused variant of the CPMG sequence, the J modulation of the echo decay is removed, providing a way for subtracting the large contribution of the non-modulated component in the J spectrum in conditions where notching it using post-processing methods is impossible. We also demonstrate by means of experimental data and simulations that in our experimental conditions, J-spectra of other prominent brain metabolites, such as the neurotransmitter glutamate, do not yield discernible peaks and only contribute to a broad peak at zero frequency.

Dynamic distortion correction for functional MRI using FID navigators.

To develop a method for slice-wise dynamic distortion correction for EPI using rapid spatiotemporal B0 field measurements from FID navigators (FIDnavs) and to evaluate the efficacy of this new approach relative to an established data-driven technique. A low-resolution reference image was used to create a forward model of FIDnav signal changes to enable estimation of spatiotemporal B0 inhomogeneity variations up to second order from measured FIDnavs. Five volunteers were scanned at 3 T using a 64-channel coil with FID-navigated EPI. The accuracy of voxel shift measurements and geometric distortion correction was assessed for experimentally induced magnetic field perturbations. The temporal SNR was evaluated in EPI time-series acquired at rest and with a continuous nose-touching action, before and after image realignment. Field inhomogeneity coefficients and voxel shift maps measured using FIDnavs were in excellent agreement with multi-echo EPI measurements. The FID-navigated distortion correction accurately corrected image geometry in the presence of induced magnetic field perturbations, outperforming the data-driven approach in regions with large field offsets. In functional MRI scans with nose touching, FIDnav-based correction yielded temporal SNR gains of 30% in gray matter. Following image realignment, which accounted for global image shifts, temporal SNR gains of 3% were achieved. Our proposed application of FIDnavs enables slice-wise dynamic distortion correction with high temporal efficiency. We achieved improved signal stability by leveraging the encoding information from multichannel coils. This approach can be easily adapted to other EPI-based sequences to improve temporal SNR for a variety of clinical and research applications.

An integrated RF-receive/B0-shim array coil boosts performance of whole-brain MR spectroscopic imaging at 7\xa0T

Metabolic imaging of the human brain by in-vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) can non-invasively probe neurochemistry in healthy and disease conditions. MRSI at ultra-high field (≥ 7 T) provides increased sensitivity for fast high-resolution metabolic imaging, but comes with technical challenges due to non-uniform B0 field. Here, we show that an integrated RF-receive/B0-shim (AC/DC) array coil can be used to mitigate 7 T B0 inhomogeneity, which improves spectral quality and metabolite quantification over a whole-brain slab. Our results from simulations, phantoms, healthy and brain tumor human subjects indicate improvements of global B0 homogeneity by 55%, narrower spectral linewidth by 29%, higher signal-to-noise ratio by 31%, more precise metabolite quantification by 22%, and an increase by 21% of the brain volume that can be reliably analyzed. AC/DC shimming provide the highest correlation (R2 = 0.98, P = 0.001) with ground-truth values for metabolite concentration. Clinical translation of AC/DC and MRSI is demonstrated in a patient with mutant-IDH1 glioma where it enables imaging of D-2-hydroxyglutarate oncometabolite with a 2.8-fold increase in contrast-to-noise ratio at higher resolution and more brain coverage compared to previous 7 T studies. Hence, AC/DC technology may help ultra-high field MRSI become more feasible to take advantage of higher signal/contrast-to-noise in clinical applications.

The effects of coupled B1 fields in B1 encoded TRASE MRI - A simulation study

Transmit Array Spatial Encoding (TRASE) is a novel MRI technique that encodes spatial information by introducing phase gradients in the transmit RF (B1) magnetic field. Since TRASE relies on the use of multiple RF fields (B1 fields with different phase gradients) for k-space traversal, a TRASE pulse sequence requires RF pulses that are produced by switching between the transmit coils (B1 fields). However, interactions among the transmit RF coils can cause un-driven coils to produce unwanted B1 fields that impair the spatial encoding. Therefore, TRASE is sensitive to B1 field perturbations arising from inductive coupling among the RF transmit coils and any B1 field isolation (coil decoupling) technique requires an understanding of the effects of the B1 field interactions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of B1 field coupling using Bloch equation based simulations and to determine the acceptable level of B1 field interactions for 2D TRASE imaging. The simulations show that 2D TRASE MRI (using a 3-coil setup) displays ideal performance for pairwise coupling constant lower than k = 0.01 while having acceptable performance up to k = 0.1. This translates into S12 measurements of range ~(− 50 dB to −30 dB) required for successful 2D TRASE MRI in this study. This result is of crucial importance for designers of practical TRASE transmit array systems.

Metal artifacts of hip arthroplasty implants at 1.5-T and 3.0-T: a closer look into the B1 effects.

To evaluate the effect of circular polarization (CP) and elliptical polarization (EP) of the B1 field on metal implant-induced artifacts of titanium (Ti) and cobalt-chromium (CoCr) hip arthroplasty implants at 1.5-T and 3.0-T field strengths. In vitro Ti and CoCr total hip arthroplasty implants were evaluated using high transmit and receive bandwidth turbo spin echo (HBW-TSE) and slice encoding for metal artifact correction (SEMAC) metal artifact reduction techniques. Each technique was implemented at 1.5-T, which only allows for CP of B1 field as the system default, as well as 3.0-T, which permitted CP and EP. Manual segmentation quantified the size of the metal artifacts at the level of the acetabular cup, femoralneck, and femoral shaft. In the acetabular cup and femoral neck, 1.5-T CP achieved smaller artifact sizes than 3.0-T CP (28-29% on HBW-TSE, p = 0.002-0.005; 17-34% on SEMAC, p = 0.019-0.102) and 3.0-T EP (25-28% on HBW-TSE, p = 0.010-0.011; 14-36% on SEMAC, p = 0.058-0.135) techniques. In the femoral stem region, 3.0-T EP achieved more efficient artifact suppression than 3.0-T CP (HBW-TSE 44-45%, p < 0.001-0.022; SEMAC 76-104%, p < 0.001-0.022) and 1.5-T CP (HBW-TSE 76-96%, p < 0.001-0.003; SEMAC 138-173%, p = 0.003-0.005) techniques. Despite slightly superior metal reduction ability of the 1.5-T in the region of the acetabular cup and prosthesis neck, 3.0-T MRI of hip arthroplasty implants using elliptically polarized RF pulses may overall be more effective in reducing metal artifacts than the current standard 1.5-T MRI techniques, which by default implements circularly polarized RF pulses.

Imaging of Stroke in Rodents Using a Clinical Scanner and Inductively Coupled Specially Designed Receiver Coils.

Imaging of small laboratory animals in clinical MRI scanners is feasible but challenging. Compared with dedicated preclinical systems, clinical scanners have relatively low B0 field (1.5-3.0 T) and gradient strength (40-60 mT/m). This work explored the use of wireless inductively coupled coils (ICCs) combined with appropriate pulse sequence parameters to overcome these two drawbacks, with a special emphasis on the optimization of the coil passive detuning circuit for this application. A Bengal rose photothrombotic stroke model was used to induce cortical infarction in rats and mice. Animals were imaged in a 3T scanner using T2 and T1-weighted sequences. In all animals, the ICCs allowed acquisition of high-quality images of the infarcted brain at acute and chronic stages. Images obtained with the ICCs showed a substantial increase in SNR compared to clinical coils (by factors of 6 in the rat brain and 16-17 in the mouse brain), and the absence of wires made the animal preparation workflow straightforward.

Investigating the influence of dielectric pads in 7T magnetic resonance imaging – simulated and experimental assessment

Abstract Dipole radiofrequency (RF) elements have been successfully used to compose multi-channel RF coils for ultrahigh fields (UHF) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). As magnetic components of RF fields (B1) can be very inhomogeneous at UHF (B0≥7T), dielectric pads with high dielectric constants were proposed to improve the B1 efficiency and homogeneity [1]. Dielectric pads can be used as a passive B1 shimmimg technique thanks to inducing a strong secondary magnetic field in their vicinity. The use of such dielectric pads affect not only the B1 field but also the electric field. This in turn affects the specific absorption rate (SAR) and consequently the temperature distribution inside the patient’s body. To study these effects, a 29 cm-long transmission dipole RF coil element terminated by two meander was used for 7T MRI [2]. Using a cylindrical agarose-gel phantom, numerical and experimental results were analyzed with respect to homogeneity and amplitude of the magnetic and electric fields generated by the RF element in various configurations with and without dielectric pads. Calculated and measured B1 results were cross-checked and found to be in good agreement. When using dielectric pads B1 homogeneity and magnitude increase in regions where it was previously weak or insufficient. Calculations suggest that SAR distribution will change when using the pads.

Dynamic B0 shimming for multiband imaging using high order spherical harmonic shims.

To describe and implement a strategy for dynamic slice-by-slice and multiband B0 shimming using spherical harmonic shims in the human brain at 7T. For thin axial slices, spherical harmonic shims can be divided into pairs of shims (z-degenerate and non-z-degenerate) that are spatially degenerate, such that only ½ of the shims (non-z-degenerate) are required for single slice optimizations. However, when combined, the pairs of shims can be used to simultaneously generate the same in-plane symmetries but with different amplitudes as a function of their z location. This enables multiband shimming equivalent to that achievable by single slice-by-slice optimization. All data were acquired at 7T using a spherical harmonic shim insert enabling shimming up through 4th order with two additional 5th order shims (1st-4th+). Dynamic shim updating was achieved using a 10A shim power supply with 2 ms ramps and constrained optimizations to minimize eddy currents. In groups of eight subjects, we demonstrated that: 1) dynamic updating using 1st-4th+ order shims reduced the SD of the B0 field over the whole brain from 32.4 ± 2.6 and 24.9 ± 2 Hz with 1st-2nd and 1st-4th+ static global shimming to 15.1 ± 1.7 Hz; 2) near equivalent performance was achieved when dynamically updating only the non-z-degenerate shims (14.3 ± 1.5 Hz), or when a using multiband shim factor of 2, MBs = 2, and all shims (14.4 ± 2.0 Hz). High order spherical harmonics provide substantial improvements over static global shimming and enable dynamic multiband shimming with near equivalent performance to that of dynamic slice-by-slice shimming. This reduces distortion in echo planar imaging.

Thermal performance due to magnetohydrodynamics mixed convection flow in a triangular cavity with circular obstacle

Abstract The present study is about the numerical analysis of convection heat transfer inside lid-driven triangular cavity. Based upon magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) theory, constant magnetic field of strength B0 is applied in the direction of horizontal x − a x i s . The geometry of the cavity is such that the inclined sidewalls are adiabatic, and temperature of upper moving wall is set as T h * . Moreover, a cylinder of comparatively lower temperature T c * , such that T c * T h * , is placed at the center of cavity. Convection heat transfer takes place due to moving upper wall and varying temperature surfaces in the cavity. Flow and heat transfer phenomenon are governed by the set of nonlinear partial differential equations with defined boundary conditions. Finite Element Method is adopted to seek the numerical solution. Simulation is performed against the range of emerging physical parameter, such as, Reynolds number (200 ≤ Re ≤ 600), Richardson number (0.01 ≤ Ri ≤ 1.0) and Hartmann number (0 ≤ Ha ≤ 20). The study found that heat transfer rate augments due to increasing of Richardson number, while inverse trend is observed due to increase in Hartmann number.

Modeling of vascular space occupancy and BOLD functional MRI from first principles using real microvascular angiograms.

The vascular space occupancy (VASO) is a functional MRI technique for probing cerebral blood volume changes noninvasively, including during neuronal activation in humans. An important consideration when implementing VASO is the BOLD effect in the signal. Assessing the physical origin of this BOLD contamination and the capabilities of correction methods could improve the quantification of cerebral blood volume changes with VASO. Given the heterogeneity of cerebral microvascular architecture, the vascular geometry within an MRI voxel can influence both BOLD and VASO signals. To investigate this effect, 3D high-resolution images of mouse cerebral vasculature measured with two-photon microscopy were used to model BOLD and VASO signals from first principles using Monte Carlo diffusion of water protons. Quantitative plots of VASO together with intravascular and extravascular BOLD signals as a function of TE at B0 fields 1.5 T to 14 T were obtained. The BOLD contamination of the VASO response was on the order of 50% for gradient echo and 5% for spin echo at 7 T and TE = 6 ms and significantly increased with TE and B0 . Two currently used correction schemes were shown to account for most of this contamination and recover accurate relative signal changes, with optimal correction obtained using TEs as short as possible. These results may provide useful information for optimizing sequence parameters in VASO and BOLD functional MRI, leading the way to a wider application of these techniques in healthy and diseased brain.

B0 shimming of the human heart at 7T.

Inhomogeneities of the static magnetic B0 field are a major limiting factor in cardiac MRI at ultrahigh field (≥ 7T), as they result in signal loss and image distortions. Different magnetic susceptibilities of the myocardium and surrounding tissue in combination with cardiac motion lead to strong spatio-temporal B0 -field inhomogeneities, and their homogenization (B0 shimming) is a prerequisite. Limitations of state-of-the-art shimming are described, regional B0 variations are measured, and a methodology for spherical harmonics shimming of the B0 field within the human myocardium is proposed. The spatial B0 -field distribution in the heart was analyzed as well as temporal B0 -field variations in the myocardium over the cardiac cycle. Different shim region-of-interest selections were compared, and hardware limitations of spherical harmonics B0 shimming were evaluated by calibration-based B0 -field modeling. The role of third-order spherical harmonics terms was analyzed as well as potential benefits from cardiac phase-specific shimming. The strongest B0 -field inhomogeneities were observed in localized spots within the left-ventricular and right-ventricular myocardium and varied between systolic and diastolic cardiac phases. An anatomy-driven shim region-of-interest selection allowed for improved B0 -field homogeneity compared with a standard shim region-of-interest cuboid. Third-order spherical harmonics terms were demonstrated to be beneficial for shimming of these myocardial B0 -field inhomogeneities. Initial results from the in vivo implementation of a potential shim strategy were obtained. Simulated cardiac phase-specific shimming was performed, and a shim term-by-term analysis revealed periodic variations of required currents. Challenges in state-of-the-art B0 shimming of the human heart at 7 T were described. Cardiac phase-specific shimming strategies were found to be superior to vendor-supplied shimming.

Deep learning using a biophysical model for robust and accelerated reconstruction of quantitative, artifact-free and denoised images.

To introduce a novel deep learning method for Robust and Accelerated Reconstruction (RoAR) of quantitative and B0-inhomogeneity-corrected maps from multi-gradient recalled echo (mGRE) MRI data. RoAR trains a convolutional neural network (CNN) to generate quantitative maps free from field inhomogeneity artifacts by adopting a self-supervised learning strategy given (a) mGRE magnitude images, (b) the biophysical model describing mGRE signal decay, and (c) preliminary-evaluated F-function accounting for contribution of macroscopic B0 field inhomogeneities. Importantly, no ground-truth images are required and F-function is only needed during RoAR training but not application. We show that RoAR preserves all features of maps while offering significant improvements over existing methods in computation speed (seconds vs. hours) and reduced sensitivity to noise. Even for data with SNR = 5 RoAR produced maps with accuracy of 22% while voxel-wise analysis accuracy was 47%. For SNR = 10 the RoAR accuracy increased to 17% vs. 24% for direct voxel-wise analysis. RoAR is trained to recognize the macroscopic magnetic field inhomogeneities directly from the input magnitude-only mGRE data and eliminate their effect on measurements. RoAR training is based on the biophysical model and does not require ground-truth maps. Since RoAR utilizes signal information not just from individual voxels but also accounts for spatial patterns of the signals in the images, it reduces the sensitivity of maps to the noise in the data. These features plus high computational speed provide significant benefits for the potential usage of RoAR in clinical settings.

Motion correction methods for MRS: experts' consensus recommendations.

Long acquisition times due to intrinsically low signal-to-noise ratio and the need for highly homogeneous B0 field make MRS particularly susceptible to motion or scanner instability compared with MRI. Motion-induced changes in both localization and shimming (ie B0 homogeneity) degrade MRS data quality. To mitigate the effects of motion three approaches can be employed: (1) subject immobilization, (2) retrospective correction, and (3) prospective real-time correction using internal and/or external tracking methods. Prospective real-time correction methods can simultaneously update localization and the B0 field to improve MRS data quality. While localization errors can be corrected with both internal (navigators) and external (optical camera, NMR probes) tracking methods, the B0 field correction requires internal navigator methods to measure the B0 field inside the imaged volume and the possibility to update the scanner shim hardware in real time. Internal and external tracking can rapidly update the MRS localization with submillimeter and subdegree precision, while scanner frequency and first-order shims of scanner hardware can be updated by internal methods every sequence repetition. These approaches are most well developed for neuroimaging, for which rigid transformation is primarily applicable. Real-time correction greatly improves the stability of MRS acquisition and quantification, as shown in clinical studies on subjects prone to motion, including children and patients with movement disorders, enabling robust measurement of metabolite signals including those with low concentrations, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutathione. Thus, motion correction is recommended for MRS users and calls for tighter integration and wider availability of such methods by MR scanner manufacturers.

B0 field homogeneity recommendations, specifications, and measurement units for MRI in radiation therapy.

The purpose is: (a) Relate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) quality recommendations for radiation therapy (RT) to B0 field homogeneity; (b) Evaluate manufacturer specifications of B0 homogeneity for 34 commercial whole-body MRI systems based on the MRI quality recommendations and RT application; (c) Measure field homogeneity in five commercial MRI systems and one commercial MRI-Linac used in RT and compare the results with their B0 homogeneity specifications. Magnetic resonance imaging quality recommendations for spatial integrity, image blurring, fat saturation, and null banding in RT were developed based on the literature. Guaranteed (maximum) and typical B0 field homogeneity specifications for various diameter spherical volumes (DSVs) were provided by GE, Philips, Siemens, and Canon. For each system, the DSV that conforms to each MRI quality recommendation and anatomical RT application was estimated based on the manufacturer specifications. B0 field homogeneity was measured on six MRI systems including Philips (1.5T), Siemens (1.5 and 3T), and ViewRay MRI (0.35T) systems using 24 and 35cm DSV spherical phantoms. Two measurement techniques were used: (a) MRI using phase contrast field mapping to measure peak-to-peak (pk-pk), volume root mean square (VRMS), and standard deviation (SD); and (b) Magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy by acquiring a volumetric free induction decay (FID) to measure full width at half maximum (FWHM). The measurements were used to assess: (a) conformance with the manufacturer specifications; and (b) the relationship between the various field homogeneity measurement units. Measurements were made with and without gradient shimming (gradshim) or second-order active shimming. Multiple comparisons, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlations were performed to assess the dependence of pk-pk, VRMS, SD, and FWHM measurements of field homogeneity on shim volume, level of shim, and MRI system. For a 40cm DSV, the B0 homogeneity specifications ranged from 0.35 to 5ppm (median=0.75ppm) VRMS for 1.5T systems and 0.2 to 1.4ppm (median=0.5ppm) VRMS for 3T systems. The usable DSVs ranged from 16 to 49cm (median=35cm) based on the image quality recommendations and the manufacturer specifications. There was general compliance between the six measured field homogeneities and manufacturer specifications although signal dephasing was observed in two systems at<35cm DSV. The relationships between pk-pk, VRMS, SD, and FWHM varied based on MRI system, shim volume, and quality of shim. However, VRMS and SD measurements were highly correlated. The delineation of the diseased lesion from organs at risk is the main priority for RT. Therefore, field homogeneity performance for RT must minimize image blurring and image artifacts (null bands and signal dephasing) while optimizing spatial integrity and fat saturation. Based on the specifications and recommendations for field homogeneity, some MRI systems are not well suited to meet the strict demands of RT particularly for the large imaging volumes used in body MRI. VRMS and SD measurements of B0 field homogeneity tend to be more stable and sensitive to field inhomogeneities in RT applications than pk-pk and FWHM.

Design of a new LWD NMR tool with high mechanical reliability

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) provides useful information for formation evaluation on pore size and pore volume. Depending on field operations, there are two types of borehole NMR: wireline logging and logging-while-drilling (LWD). The latter type is more convenient. But due to the high mechanical failure risk caused by insufficient mechanical strength of the tool and vibrations during measurement, the quality of LWD NMR measurements are severely affected. In this paper, to enable high reliability and vibration tolerance, we propose a new design and implement a new LWD NMR tool, whose features includes a double hollow cylindric magnet (DHCM) structure and a solenoid-optimized antenna. The DHCM structure greatly reduces the proportion of the magnet in the cross-section of the tool without reducing B0 field strength. Thus, the mechanical strength and the reliability of the tool is greatly improved. The antenna is improved by optimizing the parameters of each coil of the solenoid for finding the generated B1 distribution best matching B0. The new design has a saddle sensing area in the axial and radial plane with a width greater than 50 mm, which is wide enough to ensure the validity of the T2 measurement under strong vibrations. We had demonstrated that this new tool performs well when TE = 0.6 ms, ensuring the measurement richness is suitable for LWD prospecting for unconventional oil and gas reservoirs. Besides, this design is suitable for that in slim holes.

Ultrashort echo time quantitative susceptibility mapping (UTE-QSM) for detection of hemosiderin deposition in hemophilic arthropathy: A feasibility study.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of ultrashort echo time quantitative susceptibility mapping (UTE-QSM) for assessment of hemosiderin deposition in the joints of hemophilic patients. The UTE-QSM technique was based on three sets of dual-echo 3D UTE Cones data acquired with TEs of 0.032/2.8, 0.2/3.6, and 0.4/4.4 ms. The images were processed with iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation to estimate the B0 field map in the presence of fat. Then, the projection onto dipole field (PDF) algorithm was applied to acquire a local field map generated by tissues, followed by application of the morphology-enabled dipole inversion (MEDI) algorithm to estimate a final susceptibility map. Three healthy volunteers and three hemophilic patients were recruited to evaluate the UTE-QSM technique's ability to assess hemosiderin in the knee or ankle joint at 3T. One patient subsequently underwent total knee arthroplasty after the MR scan. The synovial tissues harvested from the knee joint during surgery were processed for histological analysis to confirm iron deposition. UTE-QSM successfully yielded tissue susceptibility maps of joints in both volunteers and patients. Multiple regions with high susceptibility over 1 ppm were detected in the affected joints of hemophilic patients, while no localized regions with high susceptibility were detected in asymptomatic healthy volunteers. Histology confirmed the presence of iron in regions where high susceptibility was detected by UTE-QSM. The UTE-QSM technique can detect hemosiderin deposition in the joint, and provides a potential sensitive biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of hemophilic arthropathy.

Eight‐channel parallel transmit‐receive system for 7 T MRI with optically controlled and monitored on‐coil current‐mode RF amplifiers

To demonstrate a practical implementation of an eight-channel parallel-transmit system for brain imaging at 7 T based on on-coil amplifier technology. An eight-channel parallel transmit-receive system was built with optimized on-coil switch-mode current RF power amplifiers. The amplifiers were optically controlled from an eight-channel interface that was connected to a 7 T MRI scanner. The interface also optically received a down-converted version of the coil current sensed in each amplifier for monitoring and feedback adjustments. Each on-coil amplifier delivered more than 100 W peak power and provided enough amplifier decoupling (<-15 dB) for the implemented eight-channel array configuration. Phantom and human images were acquired to demonstrate practical operation of this new technology in a 7 T MRI scanner. Further development and improvement of previously demonstrated on-coil technology led to successful implementation of an eight-channel parallel-transmit system able to deliver strong B1 fields for typical brain imaging applications. This is an important step forward toward implementation of on-coil RF amplification for high-field MRI.

The design of power supply for HF MRI superconducting magnet

High-field (HF) magnet resonance imaging (MRI) is designed as a large aperture human body imaging system. The superconducting magnet provides magnetic field B0 for HF MRI. The power supply is a key component, provides excitation and demagnetization functions for superconducting magnet. According to the requirements, the superconducting magnet power supply needs to be designed and developed with small volume and high reliability and bidirectional energy flow. A combination topology is proposed, including a pulse-width-modulation (PWM) rectifier, a dual-active-bridge (DAB), and a H-bridge. In this paper, the principle of the combination topology is introduced briefly. Meanwhile, the analysis and test results of a PWM rectifier based on hybrid active-neutral-point-clamped (ANPC) three-level are given.