¹H-¹³C independently tuned radiofrequency surface coil applied for in vivo hyperpolarized MRI

Purpose: To develop a lump-element double-tuned common-mode-differential-mode (CMDM) radiofrequency (RF) surface coil with independent frequency tuning capacity for MRS and MRI applications. Methods: The presented design has two modes that can operate with different current paths, allowing independent frequency adjustment. The coil prototype was tested on the bench and then examined in phantom and in vivo experiments. Results: Standard deviations of frequency and impedance fluctuations measured in one resonator, while changing the tuning capacitor of another resonator, were less than 13 kHz and 0.55 Ω. The unloaded S21 was −36 dB and −41 dB, while the unloaded Q factor was 260 and 287, for ¹³C and ¹H, respectively. In vivo hyperpolarized ¹³C MR spectroscopy data demonstrated the feasibility of using the CMDM coil to measure the dynamics of lactate, alanine, pyruvate and bicarbonate signal in a normal rat head along with acquiring ¹H anatomical reference images. Conclusion: Independent frequency tuning capacity was demonstrated in the presented lump-element double-tuned CMDM coil. This CMDM coil maintained intrinsically decoupled magnetic fields, which provided sufficient isolation between the two resonators. The results from in vivo experiments demonstrated high sensitivity of both the ¹H and ¹³C resonators. Magn Reson Med 76:1612–1620, 2016.