A 6-dipole preamplifier-decoupled parallel-transceive array with a 16-loop receive array for NHP brain imaging at 7 T.

Motivation: Imaging the brains of non-human primates (NHPs) at ultra-high field (UHF) is challenging, especially for whole-brain functional imaging in awake NHPs where high SNR is needed. Goal(s): To design a dedicated system that overcomes challenges associated with UHF imaging and enhances signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for high-quality NHP brain imaging. Approach: We developed a 6-dipole parallel-transceive array, and a 16-loop receive array, optimized through electromagnetic simulations. We implemented preamplifier-decoupled dipoles to reduce coupling issues. Results: The system showed good preamplifier-decoupling levels. Our dipoles’ implementation reduced experimental noise matching issues and EM simulations shows an SNR improvement. Impact: Our 6pTx/22Rx antenna should improve awake NHP brain imaging at UHF, including transceive preamplifier-decoupled dipoles, designed for a specific imaging setup.