Double-tuned Radiofrequency Coil for 19F and 1H Imaging

We developed a double-tuned radiofrequency (RF) coil using a novel circuit method to double tune for fluorine-19 (F-19) and H-1 magnetic resonance imaging, whose frequencies are very close to each other. The RF coil consists of 3 parallel-connected series inductor capacitor circuits. A computer simulation for our double-tuned RF coil with a phantom demonstrated that the coil has tuned resonant frequency and high sensitivity for both F-19 and H-1. Drug distribution was visualized at 7 tesla using this RF coil and a rat administered perfluoro 15-crown-5-ether emulsion. The double-tune RF coil we developed may be a powerful tool for F-19 and H-1 imaging.