Design of microstrip transmission line array for magnetic resonance imaging at 300 MHz for spinal cord examination

Abstract

In this simulation study, we describe a microstrip transmission line (MTL) array coil, designed to provide a uniform |B1| field along the spinal cord in 7 T MRI. The coil structure was designed by segmenting the spinal cord into four sections according to its shape. The geometry and properties of the MTL coils were optimized individually to obtain a uniform |B1| field distributed according to the shape of the spinal cord in each section. On combining the individually-optimized MTL coils, we present a microstrip array design that produces a highly uniform |B1| field for the whole spinal cord. Furthermore, with this design, the |B1­| field contour lines followed the shape of the spinal cord. A comparison with a standard 8-channel loop array coil shows that our design produces a more uniform |B1­| field in the target imaging area, demonstrating its potential for spinal cord imaging. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.