Description and Characterization of a Custom Coil for Low-Field 0.1T MRI Application

The development of portable and cost-effective Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) systems is critical for improving access to diagnostic imaging. This study validates the use of a loop-solenoid RF coil for good-quality MRI signal acquisition in a low-field 0.1 T system. The coil achieved an <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$S_{11}$</tex> of -13.3 dB at 4.55 MHz, with a bandwidth of 19.44 kHz, corresponding to a quality factor of 234.05. NMR signals exhibited a 9.5 ppm magnetic field homogeneity, and gradient echo images were acquired with a calculated Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of minimum 34. These results confirm the feasibility of low-field MRI for clinical applications.