B1(+) interferometry for the calibration of RF transmitter arrays

Magn Reson Med. 2009 Jun;61(6):1480-8. doi: 10.1002/mrm.21893.

Abstract

Multiple-channel RF transmission holds great promise for MRI, especially for human applications at high fields. For calibration it requires mapping the effective RF magnetic fields, B(1) (+), of the transmitter array. This is challenging to do accurately and fast due to the large dynamic range of B(1) (+) and tight SAR constraints. In the present work, this problem is revisited and solved by a novel mapping approach relying on an interference principle. The B(1) (+) fields of individual transmitter elements are measured indirectly by observing their interference with a SAR-efficient baseline RF field. In this fashion even small RF fields can be observed in the B(1) (+) -sensitive large-flip-angle regime. Based on a set of such experiments B(1) (+) maps of the individual transmitter channels are obtained by solving a linear inverse problem. Confounding relaxation and off-resonance effects are addressed by an extended signal model and nonlinear fitting. Using the novel approach, 2D mapping of an 8-channel transmitter array was accomplished in less than a minute. For validation it is demonstrated that mapping results do not vary with T(1) or parameters of the mapping sequence. In RF shimming experiments it is shown that the measured B(1) (+) maps accurately reflect the linearity of RF superposition.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms*
  • Calibration
  • Image Enhancement / standards*
  • Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / standards*
  • Interferometry / methods*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / instrumentation
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / standards*
  • Phantoms, Imaging
  • Radio Waves
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Switzerland
  • Transducers