Characterization of Coaxial-End Dipoles and Comparison with Meander Stripline-Elements for Prostate Imaging at 7T

Motivation: To improve the SNR and receive performance of 7T pelvic MRI with densely populated coaxial-end dipoles. Goal(s): Construction of a coaxial dipole body array with variable positioning of the RF elements and comparison with an established meander stripline body coil in phantom and in-vivo measurements. Approach: A total of 12 coaxial-end dipole elements were constructed and arranged in a 3D-printed housing that allows different population of transceiver elements. The transmit and receive performance was compared for various configurations of the array. Results: The 12 channel coaxial-end dipole coil array demonstrated benefits in receive performance compared to meander stripline elements. Impact: The coaxial-end dipole array demonstrated superior transmission efficiency over meander stripline elements. Due to the higher channel count increases in SNR and receive performance are possible. However, the dipoles were more sensitive to loading than meander stripline elements.