A 16-Ch Elastic Thin RF Coil Array for Whole Brain Concurrent TMS-fMRI

Motivation: The low TMS efficiency and complexity of the setup for whole brain concurrent TMS-fMRI remain challenging due to the lack of feasible RF coil arrays. Goal(s): We proposed a 16-channel elastic whole brain RF coil array to increase the TMS efficiency and flexibility. Approach: We developed a highly flexible close-fitting coil former with 3D printing and evenly placed the 16 coil loops made of flexible shielding sleeves on the former. Results: The measured TMS efficiency was about 80% at the inner wall of the coil array. The SNRs of experimental images were comparable with those acquired using Nova 32-ch coil array. Impact: The proposed 16-ch elastic coil array was capable of significantly improving the TMS efficiency and simplifying the setup of whole brain concurrent TMS-fMRI.