Comparison of parallel imaging performance between planar strip arrays and surface loop arrays at high field based on simulation

Abstract

Parallel imaging performance of overlapped, nonoverlapped loop arrays, and planar strip arrays are investigated at 220 MHz quantitatively based on simulations with finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. Their signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and geometry factors (g-factors) in different axial and coronal slices are compared. The average SNR of planar strip arrays is up to 6% better than loop coil arrays in the vicinity of coil array plane. The g-factors of planar strip arrays are significantly better when the acceleration factor approaches the number of array elements. Specifically, the four-channel planar strip array modeled in this work gains 46% improvement at acceleration factor four compared with its loop array counterpart. Based on the simulation at 220 MHz, it is demonstrated that planar strip arrays have better parallel imaging performance than loop arrays in the vicinity of the coil array and for high acceleration factors. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part B (Magn Reson Engineering) 29B: 84–94, 2006.