Bore-integrated single-channel dipole antenna for whole-body MRI at 7T

Motivation: Unmet need for whole-body RF excitation at 7T. Goal(s): Proposed a whole-body RF excitation method with large coverage, improved homogeneity, reduced SAR and simplified workflow. Approach: To mitigate the standing wave effect, a bore-integrated single-channel dipole antenna, as opposed to a phased array, was proposed for whole-body imaging. Additionally, the phase-match and wave-match methods were employed to enhance homogeneity and penetration. Results: Our method demonstrates good performance in large coverage in both coronal plane and sagittal plane, as well as improved homogeneity and reduced SAR. Impact: Our results provided valuable insights for the design of future UHF body coil MRI systems. This approach has the potential to significantly streamline workflow and decrease RF hardware costs.