Abstract

In order to improve the performance of magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy of atherosclerotic plaque the potential use of novel radiofrequency coil structures with sensitive detection volumes tailored to the geometry of the arterial wall was investigated. It was found that a cylindrical meanderline (zig-zag) coil design provides a sensitive volume that is restricted to a cylindrical shell, thereby maximizing the filling factor and signal-to-noise ratio for plaques while reducing the intense blood signal. The cylindrical meanderline coil has the added advantages of an open interior, which allows for unimpeded blood flow during scanning, and the potential to be expanded against the walls of the artery, thereby stabilizing the coil against the pulsatile blood flow and minimizing motion artifacts. The performance of cylindrical meanderline coils with theoretical simulations of the electromagnetic fields as well as with experimental images of test objects (phantoms) and human endarterectomy surgical specimens is demonstrated. This radically new RF coil geometry offers the potential to improve the efficiency of MR data acquisition in medical applications in which curved surfaces or slabs contain the material of interest.