Remarkably enhanced B1 and SNR with uHDC ceramics integrated with novel RF transreceiver array for 2H, 17O, and 1H imaging of human brain at 10.5T

Motivation: 2H and 17O MRSI are useful to study brain energy metabolism, however, have low imaging sensitivity. Goal(s): To develop a RF coil engineering solution offering superior performance for human brain 1H MRI, 2H and 17O MRSI at UHF. Approach: We constructed a novel RF transreceiver array coil, which can operate at 1H, 2H and 17O resonant frequencies at 10.5T. The integration of ultrahigh dielectric constant (uHDC) ceramics enhanced RF transmission field (B1+) and SNR. Results: The new array coil functioned well for performing multinuclear imaging, and the integrated uHDC technology remarkably enhanced B1+ and SNR for performing 2H and 17O MRSI. Impact: In this study, we introduce and demonstrate an advanced RF array coil integrated with the uHDC material enabling imaging of three important nuclei (1H, 2H and 17O) signals with superior performance aiming for human brain applications at UHF of 10.5T.