One-Stop MR Neurovascular Vessel Wall Imaging with a 48-Channel Coil System at 3 T

Objective: The purpose of this article was to build a radio frequency (RF) coil system to achieve high vessel wall image quality with coverage extending from the aortic arch to the intracranial vessels. Methods: A 48-channel coil system was built and characterized at a 3 tesla (T) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner (uMR 790, Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare, Shanghai, China). The coil's performance was compared with a commercially available 36-channel coil system. By human studies, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) units were evaluated and g-factors were calculated in the transverse planes of the brain and neck regions. Results: The SNR was increased by at least 28% in the brain region and up to fourfold in the neck region. The average g-factor with the acceleration factor, R = 3, was lowered by 21% in the transverse plane of the neck region. Intracranial and carotid arterial wall images with an isotropic spatial resolution of 0.63 mm were acquired within 7.7 minutes and thoracic aorta wall images with an isotropic spatial resolution of 1.1 mm were acquired within 2.7 minutes with the 48-channel coil system. The vessel wall can be more clearly visualized with the 48-channel coil system compared with the 36-channel coil system. Conclusion: A 48-channel coil system was developed and demonstrated superior performance for vessel wall imaging at the intracranial and cervical carotid arteries compared with a commercial 36-channel coil. Significance: The 48-channel coil system is potentially useful for clinical diagnostics, especially when attempting to diagnose ischemic stroke.