Construction of a Specialized Radiofrequency Coil for Mouse Cardiac MR Imaging [Ugrad Project]

November 22, 2012

Stavros Gagarelis, B.S.

This project focuses on the simulation of the response of various coil geometries using the software Remcom XFdtd 7.0.2 and Matlab 7.1. The efficiency of all coils is compared and the similarity of the magnetic field simulation response compared for the two employed simulation environments.

Each coil was simulated both in free space and with an integrated mouse mesh (scaled down rodent model), in an effort to show possible magnetic field effects on organs due to the coil presence.

The final step of the project involved the implementation and fabrication of the coils and the subsequent testing on C57BL/6 male mice (in vivo and post-mortem).

Autocad coil designs and imported XFDTD cylindrical design; [Top] (Left to Right) single loop, three-leg flat, and three-leg cylindrical spiral coils; [Mid] XFDTD mouse model superimposed on the cylindrical three-loop spiral surface coil; [Bot] constructed prototype four-leg spiral RF coil.

Mouse XFDTD simulation from the four-spiral cylindrical coil under loaded conditions
with a mouse computational model.