Design, Fabrication, and Testing of an Insertable Double-Imaging-Region Gradient Coil

We have constructed a small-bore insertable gradient coil with two linear gradient imaging regions and interfaced it with an MRI scanner. We have also constructed an RF system capable of transmitting or receiving in both regions simultaneously. Designs for conductor placement for two-region X-, Y-, and Z-gradient coils were optimized by simulated annealing. Wire patterns for each axis were chosen that gave low inductance, reasonable homogeneity over a large imaging volume and high efficiency (gradient held per-unit-current). Imaging was performed on a Siemens 3T TIM Trio scanner equipped with three additional gradient amplifier channels and a second RF/gradient array controller. Phantoms were placed in the two imaging regions as well as the central non-imaging region to test gradient homogeneity and crosstalk between regions. Images acquired simultaneously in the two regions showed very little signal crosstalk between imaging regions and even less signal from the central, non-imaging region. When combined with an overlapping single-region gradient insert, extended field-of-view (FOV) imaging will be possible without moving the table or the subject and without increasing nerve stimulation. Construction and testing of a two-region gradient coil insert is a necessary intermediate step as a proof of concept for an extended field of view, contiguous, three-region human-sized gradient system. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part B (Magn Reson Engineering) 3513: 98-105, 2009