An 8-channel transceiver and 56-channel receive array for combined brain and c-spine imaging at 7 tesla

Motivation: Current methods for neuroimaging at 7T require separate coils for brain and c-spine imaging or rely on a 16-channel transmission setup for combined imaging. Goal(s): To develop a neurovascular (NV) coil with eight transmit channels (industry standard) with extended longitudinal coverage from the brain to the neck region. Approach: Based on coupled electromagnetic and circuit optimization, a modified coil configuration with six-upper and two-lower transceiver elements was constructed and integrated with a 56-channel receive array. Results: Measurements in vivo suggest that the proposed NV coil delivers diagnostic-quality images of the brain and spinal cord in a single acquisition. Impact: The 7T neurovascular coil, designed for concurrent brain and c-spine imaging, will extend the high-resolution capability of 7T-MRI to the routine diagnosis of diseases affecting soft tissues and vessels in the head and neck regions in clinical practice.