Zhiyong Zhai1, Michael A. Morich1
1Philips Healthcare, Cleveland, OH, United States
At ultra high fields such as 7T, B1 field distribution is dominated by the tissue dielectric effects. A transmit coil with uniform B1 remains a challenge compared to 1.5T or 3T. Here we suggest a new type of volume transmit coil for 7T and above - a birdcage structure with discontinuous (or broken) rungs. Simulations show that such a coil structure, when tuned properly, can generate similar B1 to that of a birdcage volume coil. It provides a new and more flexible way of making volume transmit coil for ultra-high fields MRI.