From Jackson Homework to Quality Electrodynamics – Hiroyuki Fujita

Date: Thu. December 6th, 2007, 4:15 pm-5:15 pm
Location: Rockefeller 301

Recent advances of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner design involve an ever-increasing number of receiver channels (32-128), which is required to realize the full potential of the so-called parallel imaging techniques that have been very rapidly developed over the last few years to improve the temporal and spatial resolution of MRI. In particular, 1.5-Tesla and 3-Tesla fast MRI clinical applications enabled by parallel imaging techniques are now realized and accepted as everyday routine clinical practices. At both of the field strengths, within the crucial constraints of maximum patient comfort and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the key requirement is an optimized multi-detector radiofrequency (RF) array coil leading to more advanced and faster clinical MR scans. In this talk, I will briefly review the principles of MRI RF coils from a perspective of physics, classical electrodynamics (i.e., “Jackson”), and state-of-the-art RF array coils, while adding comments from the perspective of my experience in industry, and explain to you the challenges we face in taking a prototype coil to a next-generation high-performance product while insuring safety and complying with all necessary and appropriate regulations as a medical equipment/device manufacturer, which is the business of Quality Electrodynamics.