@article{YazdanbakhshSolbachBitz2012,
  author    = {Yazdanbakhsh, Pedram and Solbach, Klaus and Bitz, Andreas},
  title     = {Variable power combiner for RF mode shimming in 7-T MR imaging},
  series = {IEEE Transaction on Biomedical Engineering},
  volume    = {59},
  journal   = {IEEE Transaction on Biomedical Engineering},
  number    = {9},
  publisher = {IEEE},
  address   = {New York},
  issn      = {1558-2531},
  doi       = {10.1109/TBME.2012.2205926},
  pages     = {2549 -- 2557},
  year      = {2012},
  abstract  = {This contribution discusses the utilization of RF power in an MRI system with RF mode shimming which enables the superposition of circularly polarized modes of a transmit RF coil array driven by a Butler matrix. Since the required power for the individual modes can vary widely, mode-shimming can result in a significant underutilization of the total available RF power. A variable power combiner (VPC) is proposed to improve the power utilization: it can be realized as a reconfiguration of the MRI transmit system by the inclusion of one additional matrix network which receives the power from all transmit amplifiers at its input ports and provides any desired (combined) power distribution at its output ports by controlling the phase and amplitude of the amplifiers' input signals. The power distribution at the output ports of the VPC is then fed into the "mode" ports of the coil array Butler matrix in order to superimpose the spatial modes at the highest achievable power utilization. The VPC configuration is compared to the standard configuration of the transmit chain of our MRI system with 8 transmit channels and 16 coils. In realistic scenarios, improved power utilization was achieved from 17\% to 60\% and from 14\% to 55\% for an elliptical phantom and a region of interest in the abdomen, respectively, and an increase of the power utilization of 1 dB for a region of interest in the upper leg. In general, it is found that the VPC allows significant improvement in power utilization when the shimming solution demands only a few modes to be energized, while the technique can yield loss in power utilization in cases with many modes required at high power level.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KobusBitzUdenetal.2012,
  author    = {Kobus, Thiele and Bitz, Andreas and Uden, Mark J. van and Lagemaat, Miram W. and Rothgang, Eva and Orzada, Stephan and Heerschap, Arend and Scheenen, Tom W. J.},
  title     = {In vivo 31P MR spectroscopic imaging of the human prostate at 7 T: safety and feasibility},
  series = {Magnetic Resonance in Medicine},
  volume    = {68},
  journal   = {Magnetic Resonance in Medicine},
  number    = {6},
  publisher = {Wiley-Liss},
  address   = {New York},
  issn      = {1522-2594},
  doi       = {10.1002/mrm.24175},
  pages     = {1683 -- 1695},
  year      = {2012},
  abstract  = {31P MR spectroscopic imaging of the human prostate provides information about phosphorylated metabolites that could be used for prostate cancer characterization. The sensitivity of a magnetic field strength of 7 T might enable 3D 31P MR spectroscopic imaging with relevant spatial resolution in a clinically acceptable measurement time. To this end, a 31P endorectal coil was developed and combined with an eight-channel 1H body-array coil to relate metabolic information to anatomical location. An extensive safety validation was performed to evaluate the specific absorption rate, the radiofrequency field distribution, and the temperature distribution of both coils. This validation consisted of detailed Finite Integration Technique simulations, confirmed by MR thermometry and Burn:x-wiley:07403194:media:MRM24175:tex2gif-stack-1 measurements in a phantom and in vivo temperature measurements. The safety studies demonstrated that the presence of the 31P endorectal coil had no influence on the specific absorption rate levels and temperature distribution of the external eight-channel 1H array coil. To stay within a 10 g averaged local specific absorption rate of 10 W/kg, a maximum time-averaged input power of 33 W for the 1H array coil was allowed. For transmitting with the 31P endorectal coil, our safety limit of less than 1°C temperature increase in vivo during a 15-min MR spectroscopic imaging experiment was reached at a time-averaged input power of 1.9 W. With this power setting, a second in vivo measurement was performed on a healthy volunteer. Using adiabatic excitation, 3D 31P MR spectroscopic imaging produced spectra from the entire prostate in 18 min with a spatial resolution of 4 cm3. The spectral resolution enabled the separate detection of phosphocholine, phosphoethanolamine, inorganic phosphate, and other metabolites that could play an important role in the characterization of prostate cancer.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{OrzadaMaderwaldPoseretal.2012,
  author    = {Orzada, S. and Maderwald, S. and Poser, B. A. and Johst, S. and Kannengiesser, S. and Ladd, M. E. and Bitz, Andreas},
  title     = {Time-interleaved acquisition of modes: an analysis of SAR and image contrast implications},
  series = {Magnetic Resonance in Medicine},
  volume    = {67},
  journal   = {Magnetic Resonance in Medicine},
  number    = {4},
  publisher = {Wiley-Liss},
  address   = {New York},
  issn      = {1522-2594},
  doi       = {10.1002/mrm.23081},
  pages     = {1033 -- 1041},
  year      = {2012},
  abstract  = {s the magnetic field strength and therefore the operational frequency in MRI are increased, the radiofrequency wavelength approaches the size of the human head/body, resulting in wave effects which cause signal decreases and dropouts. Especially, whole-body imaging at 7 T and higher is therefore challenging. Recently, an acquisition scheme called time-interleaved acquisition of modes has been proposed to tackle the inhomogeneity problems in high-field MRI. The basic premise is to excite two (or more) different Burn:x-wiley:07403194:media:MRM23081:tex2gif-stack-1 modes using static radiofrequency shimming in an interleaved acquisition, where the complementary radiofrequency patterns of the two modes can be exploited to improve overall signal homogeneity. In this work, the impact of time-interleaved acquisition of mode on image contrast as well as on time-averaged specific absorption rate is addressed in detail. Time-interleaved acquisition of mode is superior in Burn:x-wiley:07403194:media:MRM23081:tex2gif-stack-2 homogeneity compared with conventional radiofrequency shimming while being highly specific absorption rate efficient. Time-interleaved acquisition of modes can enable almost homogeneous high-field imaging throughout the entire field of view in PD, T2, and T2*-weighted imaging and, if a specified homogeneity criterion is met, in T1-weighted imaging as well.},
  language  = {en}
}