6-Channel Radiative Transmit Array with a 16-Channel Surface Receiver Array for Improved Carotid Vessel Wall Imaging At 7T

Wouter Koning¹, Erwin Langenhuizen¹, Alexander J. E. Raaijmakers¹, Cornelis A. T. van den Berg¹, Jaco J. M. Zwanenburg¹, Peter R. Luijten¹, Dennis W. J. Klomp¹

For imaging the carotid arteries in the neck at 7T, a 6 channel radiative transmit array was designed and constructed with low RF power deposition and relative uniform B1+. The array was designed consisting of six separate single-side adapted dipole antennas attached to a neck pillow filled with water. It was able to deliver 20μT at the carotid arteries. Combined with a dedicated 16 channel small element receive coil a TSE sequence could be implemented to show that 7T can be used for clinical high spatial resolution imaging to asses carotid vessel wall integrity.