Travelling wave MRI with a parallel-plate waveguide loaded with a metamaterial at 7 T

Motivation: The utilization of traveling-wave MRI in conjunction with a parallel-plate waveguide provides an alternative for acquiring images at ultrahigh magnetic fields, circumventing the resonant frequency limitations. Goal(s): To improve the image quality and to investigate the application of metamaterials within the waveguide to improve performance. Approach: A bio-inspired surface coil in the transceiver mode and a C-shaped unit metamaterial made from copper sheets laminated onto a nonconductive board within the parallel-plate waveguide filled with a saline solution were used. Results: Images acquired with the metamaterial-loaded waveguide demonstrated improved signal-to-noise ratio and closely matched the image quality achieved with in-house birdcage coilsImpact: To provide an effective alternative for remote detection in MRI, enabling high-quality image acquisition with efficiency.