Abstract #2609

Lee J, Bradshaw K, Avdievich N, Hetherington H

Due to the presence of end ring currents, split unshielded birdcage coils require an electrical connection between two halves of the coil. For shielded high-field RF coils not only the coil itself but also the shield must be split and reliably connected electrically. Using TEM volume coils can solve this problem due to inductive coupling between elements. We have developed and tested 4 T split TEM volume coils for the head and knee. Splitting the shield does not degrade the coil performance but improves patient comfort and accessibility. For the leg, it also enhances sensitivity by reducing the coil size.