Safe Imaging at 3 Tesla for Children with Deep Brain Electrodes: A simulation Study of a Double-Row Parallel Transmit Coil Array

Motivation: Safe postoperative MRI imaging is essential for children with DBS devices, as conventional MRI poses risks of tissue heating. This study addresses the challenge of balancing B1+ homogeneity with SAR safety in pediatric DBS patients. Goal(s): To evaluate the performance of double-row pTx coil compared to conventional birdcage coils in pediatric DBS patients. Approach: We compared a 16-channel double-row pTx coil and a birdcage coil on four child models and one adult model using FDTD simulation, applying SAR-regularized-MLS optimisation to balance B1+ homogeneity and SAR1g. Results: The double-row coil demonstrated superior B1+ homogeneity and reduced SAR1g, enhancing MRI safety for pediatric DBS patients. Impact: The double-row pTx coil enhances MRI safety for paediatric DBS patients by balancing B1+ homogeneity and reducing SAR, minimizing tissue heating risks and enabling safer, more reliable imaging protocols with consistent performance across models, potentially improving clinical outcomes.