1. Cardiorenal sodium MRI at 7.0 Tesla using a 4/4 channel 1 H/ 23 Na radiofrequency antenna array
- Author
-
Helmar Waiczies, Thoralf Niendorf, Florian von Knobelsdorff-Brenkenhoff, Erdmann Seeliger, Thomas Wilhelm Eigentler, Jeanette Schulz-Menger, Stephanie Funk, Daniel Wenz, Andre Kuehne, Laura Boehmert, and Armin M. Nagel
- Subjects
Electromagnetic field ,Materials science ,Sodium ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Specific absorption rate ,Cardiorenal syndrome ,medicine.disease ,030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging ,Antenna array ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Nuclear magnetic resonance ,chemistry ,medicine ,Sodium MRI ,Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging ,Penetration depth ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Radiofrequency coil - Abstract
Purpose Cardiorenal syndrome describes disorders of the heart and the kidneys in which a dysfunction of 1 organ induces a dysfunction in the other. This work describes the design, evaluation, and application of a 4/4-channel hydrogen-1/sodium (1 H/23 Na) RF array tailored for cardiorenal MRI at 7.0 Tesla (T) for a better physiometabolic understanding of cardiorenal syndrome. Methods The dual-frequency RF array is composed of a planar posterior section and a modestly curved anterior section, each section consisting of 2 loop elements tailored for 23 Na MR and 2 loopole-type elements customized for 1 H MR. Numerical electromagnetic field and specific absorption rate simulations were carried out. Transmission field ( B 1 + ) uniformity was optimized and benchmarked against electromagnetic field simulations. An in vivo feasibility study was performed. Results The proposed array exhibits sufficient RF characteristics, B 1 + homogeneity, and penetration depth to perform 23 Na MRI of the heart and kidney at 7.0 T. The mean B 1 + field for sodium in the heart is 7.7 ± 0.8 µT/√kW and in the kidney is 6.9 ± 2.3 µT/√kW. The suitability of the RF array for 23 Na MRI was demonstrated in healthy subjects (acquisition time for 23 Na MRI: 18 min; nominal isotropic spatial resolution: 5 mm [kidney] and 6 mm [heart]). Conclusion This work provides encouragement for further explorations into densely packed multichannel transceiver arrays tailored for 23 Na MRI of the heart and kidney. Equipped with this technology, the ability to probe sodium concentration in the heart and kidney in vivo using 23 Na MRI stands to make a critical contribution to deciphering the complex interactions between both organs.
- Published
- 2019