MULTIPLY-TUNED MRS, LOCAL GRADIENT HEAD COIL

THE OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP A VOLUME COIL FOR MULTI-FREQUENCY MR SPECTROSCOPY OF THE HUMAN BRAIN. THIS DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED TO SUBSTANTIALLY AID CLINICAL SPECTROSCOPIC RESEARCH IN PROVIDING A NON-INVASIVE METHOD OF MONITORING BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY IN A LESION. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS ARE EXPECTED IN SENSITIVITY, UNIFORMITY, AND APPLICATION FEATURES OVER EXISTING COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS. THESE FEATURES ARE: MULTIPLE TUNING TO FACILITATE PROTON IMAGINING AS WELL AS COLLECTION OF HYDROGEN, PHOSPHOROUS, AND FLURINE SPECTRA; QUADRATURE DETECTION BIRDCAGE DESIGN TO ENHANCE SIGNAL-TO-NOISE (S/N) AND INIFORMITY; CUT-OUTS TO FACILITATE PATIENT POSITIONING AND REDUCE CLAUSTROPHOBIA-INDUCED ANXIETY; AND FARADAY SCREENING TO ACCOMMODATE COMBINATION WITH LOCAL GRADIENT COILS. A THREE-AXIS LOCAL GRADIENT COIL WILL BE DESIGNED (IN PHASE I) CONCENTRIC WITH THE MULTI-TUNED BIRDCAGE COIL. LOCAL GRADIENT COILS IMPROVE THE TEMPORAL RESOLUTION AND ACCOMADATE SHORTER ECHO TIMES IN THE DATA ACQUISITION PHASE, THEREBY IMPROVING THE SELECTIVITY OF THE VOLUME-OF-INTEREST AND INCREASING THE NUMBER OF CONTRACT ENHANCEMENT PROTOCOLS (RESPECTIVELY). THESE EFFORTS WILL LEAD DIRECTLY INTO THE PHASE II IMPLEMENTATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF A THREE-AXIS LOCAL GRADIENT COIL COMBINED WITH THE MULTI-FREQUENCY SPECTROSCOPY HEAD COIL.