Nikita Garnov1, Gregor Thrmer1,
Wilfried Grnder2, Robert Trampel3, Michael Moche1,
Thomas Kahn1, Harald Busse1
1Diagnostic and Interventional
Radiology, Leipzig University Hospital, Leipzig, Germany; 2Institute
of Medical Physics and Biophysics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; 3Max
Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
Small
inductively coupled RF coils in solenoid design were systematically evaluated
as MR-visible markers at 1.5T. Coil performance was assessed for different
flip angles, 240 mm translations from the isocenter, and tilting of the coil
axis with respect to the transverse plane using a balanced SSFP sequence.
Marker contrast was highest at very low FAs (0.2-0.6) and was also
sufficiently high for automatic marker detection throughout the entire FOV
and for tilt angles up to 55. Coil heating was measured during 10-minute RF
expositions using different clinical pulse sequences (SAR<2 W/kg) and
found to be tolerable (<5C) for extracorporal application.