Oliver Kraff1,2, Stefan Kruszona1,2, Andreas K. Bitz1,2, Stephan Orzada1,2, Stefan Maderwald1,2, Lena C. Schaefer1,2, Irina Brote1,2, Mark E. Ladd1,2, Harald H. Quick1,2
1Erwin L. Hahn Institute for MRI, Essen, Germany; 2Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
A transmit/receive RF array, build of eight overlapping loop coils, has been developed for imaging the human spine at 7T. We characterize this prototype in simulations and bench measurements as well as in phantom and in vivo measurements. Numerical simulations were performed for design optimization as well as safety validation. In vivo images show a good excitation along the spine over a 40 cm FOV. Anatomic details such as the vertebral bodies, the dens, or the longitudinal ligaments are well visualized. Our results indicate that this phased array coil could open a promising new application field in 7T clinical research.
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