Wideband coil based on microstrip line for multiheteronuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Abstract

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of X-nucleus is a method for mapping metabolite quantity in-vivo in the desired region of the human body. However, this method has a lot of difficulties. Since natural abundance of X-nucleus is much lower than for hydrogen, to improve SNR of the spectrum we need to work in higher static magnetic fields. But, even at such high fields, X-nuclei imaging still a very difficult process. One of the problems are RF-coils, which are required for transmission and reception of signals. Traditionally, for human body X-nuclei MRS multi-tuned loop coils are used. However, such coils suffer from additional losses in the circuits required for double-frequency tuning and high complexity. In this work, we propose an alternative approach, based on a recently introduced leaky-wave antenna for MRI, that allows creating wideband excitation which provides wideband transmit and receive. This wideband frequency range covering 13C, 23Na and 31P Larmor resonant frequencies.