Traveling-wave Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Articles

Subwavelength dielectric waveguide for efficient travelling-wave magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has diverse applications in physics, biology, and medicine. Uniform excitation of nuclei spins through circular-polarized transverse magnetic component of electromagnetic field is vital for obtaining unbiased tissue contrasts. However, achieving this in the electrically large human body poses a significant challenge, especially at ultra-high fields (UHF) with increased working frequencies (≥297 MHz). Canonical volume resonators struggle to meet this challenge, while radiative excitation methods like travelling-wave (TW) show promise but often suffer from inadequate excitation efficiency. Here, we introduce a new technique using a subwavelength dielectric waveguide insert that enhances both efficiency and homogeneity at 7 T. Through TE11-to-TM11 mode conversion, power focusing, wave impedance matching, and phase velocity matching, we achieved a 114% improvement in TW efficiency and mitigated the center-brightening effect. This fundamental advancement in TW MRI through effective wave manipulation could promote the electromagnetic design of UHF MRI systems.

Direct imaging of radio-frequency modes via traveling wave magnetic resonance imaging

We demonstrate an experimental method for direct 2D and 3D imaging of magnetic radio-frequency (rf) field distribution in metal-dielectric structures based on traveling wave (TW) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at ultra-high field (>7 T). The typical apparatus would include an ultra-high field whole body or small bore MRI scanner, waveguide elements filled with MRI active dielectrics with predefined electric and magnetic properties, and TW rf transmit-receive probes. We validated the technique by obtaining TW MR images of the magnetic field distribution of the rf modes of circular waveguide filled with deionized water in a 16.4 T small-bore MRI scanner and compared the MR images with numerical simulations. Our MRI technique opens up a practical non-perturbed way of imaging of previously inaccessible rf field distribution of modes inside various shapes metal waveguides with inserted dielectric objects, including waveguide mode converters and transformers.

Numerical study of remote detection outside the magnet with travelling wave Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 3T

The use of the travelling wave approach for high magnetic field magnetic resonance imaging has been used recently with very promising results. This approach offer images one with greater field-of-view and a reasonable signal-to-noise ratio using a circular waveguide. This scheme has been proved to be successful at 7 T and 9.4 T with whole-body imager. Images have also been acquired with clinical magnetic resonance imaging systems whose resonant frequencies were 64 MHz and 128 MHz. These results motivated the use of remote detection of the magnetic resonance signal using a parallel-plate waveguide together with 3 T clinical scanners, to acquired human leg images. The cut-off frequency of this waveguide is zero for the principal mode, allowing us to overcome the barrier of transmitting waves at lower frequency than 300 MHz or 7 T for protons. These motivated the study of remote detection outside the actual magnet. We performed electromagnetic field simulations of a parallel-plate waveguide and a phantom. The signal transmission was done at 128 MHz and using a circular surface coil located almost 200 cm away for the magnet isocentre. Numerical simulations demonstrated that the magnetic field of the principal mode propagate inside a waveguide outside the magnet. Numerical results were compared with previous experimental-acquired image data under similar conditions.

Travelling wave magnetic resonance imaging at 3 T

Waveguides have been successfully used to generate magnetic resonance images at 7 T with whole-body systems. The bore diameter limits the magnetic resonance signal transmitted because its specific cut-off frequency is greater than the majority of resonant frequencies in magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy. This restriction can be overcome by using a parallel-plate waveguide whose cut-off frequency is zero for the transverse electromagnetic modes and it can propagate any frequency. To study the potential benefits of travelling-wave excitation for whole-body imaging at 3 T, we compare numerical simulations of the principal mode propagation for a parallel-plate waveguide filled with a cylindrical phantom and two surface coils for all simulations at 1.5 T, 3 T, 4.7, 7 T, and 9.4 T. The principal mode shows very little variation of the field magnitude along the propagation direction at 3 T when compared to other higher resonant frequencies. Unlike the standard method for travelling-wave magnetic resonance imaging, a parallel-plate waveguide prototype was built and used together with a whole-body birdcage coil for signal transmission and a pair of circular coils for reception. Experimental B1 mapping was computed to investigate the feasibility of this approach and, the point spread function method was used to measure the imager performance. Human leg images were acquired to experimentally validate this approach. The numerical magnetic field and specific absorption rate of a simulated leg were computed and results are within the safety limits. The B1 mapping and point spread function results showed that it is possible to conduct travelling-wave imaging experiments with good imager performance. Human leg images were also obtained with the whole-body birdcage coil for comparison purposes. The simulated and in vivo travelling-wave results of the human leg correspond very well for the signal received. A similar image signal-to-noise ratio was observed for the travelling-wave approach and the conventional one. We have demonstrated the feasibility of travelling-wave magnetic resonance imaging at 3 T and whole-body magnetic resonance systems, using a parallel-plate waveguide with standard pulse sequences and only one coil array. This extends the use of the waveguide approach to a wider range of resonant frequencies.

OpenEMS – a free and open source equivalent‐circuit (EC) FDTD simulation platform supporting cylindrical coordinates suitable for the analysis of traveling wave MRI applications

SUMMARYIn this paper, we present a free and open source platform by using the equivalent‐circuit finite‐difference time‐domain (FDTD) method adapted to cylindrical coordinates to efficiently model cylindrically shaped objects. We will address the special characteristics of a cylindrical FDTD mesh such as the mesh singularity at r = 0 and discuss how cylindrical subgrids for small radii can reduce the simulation time considerably. Furthermore, we will demonstrate the applicability and advantages of this cylindrical equivalent‐circuit FDTD method to evaluate new types of conformal ring antennas used in the context of high‐field (7T) traveling wave magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Parallel traveling‐wave MRI: A feasibility study

Traveling-wave magnetic resonance imaging utilizes far fields of a single-piece patch antenna in the magnet bore to generate radio frequency fields for imaging large-size samples, such as the human body. In this work, the feasibility of applying the "traveling-wave" technique to parallel imaging is studied using microstrip patch antenna arrays with both the numerical analysis and experimental tests. A specific patch array model is built and each array element is a microstrip patch antenna. Bench tests show that decoupling between two adjacent elements is better than -26-dB while matching of each element reaches -36-dB, demonstrating excellent isolation performance and impedance match capability. The sensitivity patterns are simulated and g-factors are calculated for both unloaded and loaded cases. The results on B 1- sensitivity patterns and g-factors demonstrate the feasibility of the traveling-wave parallel imaging. Simulations also suggest that different array configuration such as patch shape, position and orientation leads to different sensitivity patterns and g-factor maps, which provides a way to manipulate B(1) fields and improve the parallel imaging performance. The proposed method is also validated by using 7T MR imaging experiments.

Whole body traveling wave magnetic resonance imaging at high field strength: Homogeneity, efficiency, and energy deposition as compared with traditional excitation mechanisms

In 7 T traveling wave imaging, waveguide modes supported by the scanner radiofrequency shield are used to excite an MR signal in samples or tissue which may be several meters away from the antenna used to drive radiofrequency power into the system. To explore the potential merits of traveling wave excitation for whole-body imaging at 7 T, we compare numerical simulations of traveling wave and TEM systems, and juxtapose full-wave electrodynamic simulations using a human body model with in vivo human traveling wave imaging at multiple stations covering the entire body. The simulated and in vivo traveling wave results correspond well, with strong signal at the periphery of the body and weak signal deep in the torso. These numerical results also illustrate the complicated wave behavior that emerges when a body is present. The TEM resonator simulation allowed comparison of traveling wave excitation with standard quadrature excitation, showing that while the traveling wave B +1 per unit drive voltage is much less than that of the TEM system, the square of the average B +1 compared to peak specific absorption rate (SAR) values can be comparable in certain imaging planes. Both systems produce highly inhomogeneous excitation of MR signal in the torso, suggesting that B(1) shimming or other parallel transmission methods are necessary for 7 T whole body imaging.