Meeting Banner
Abstract #2682

Open-Source Acquisition-speed slice-by-slice controller for 32 coil B0 shimming.

Nicolas Arango1, Jason P. Stockmann2,3, Thomas Witzel2,3, Lawrence L. Wald2,3, and Jacob White1

1Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States, 2A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, 3Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

Accurate B0 shimming with close-fitting coil arrays can improve brain imaging at 3T and 7T, but slice-optimizing the shimming during acquisition requires fast redistribution of dozens of multi-amp coil currents. Our open-source, low-cost ($80/channel) driver system can redistribute fifty amps to thirty-two coils in milliseconds, with milliamp accuracy. The system uses an easily reprogrammed microcontroller, optical fiber isolation, and thirty-two current-feedback coil-drivers (described previously). When used to drive sixty-four slice-specific sets of currents in a novel 32-coil shim array, stretching in an EPI brain scan was substantially reduced, without introducing driver artifacts.

This abstract and the presentation materials are available to members only; a login is required.

Join Here