Magnetic Resonance imaging (MRI), used in combination with Positron Emission Tomography (PET) or radiation therapy has the potential to improve patient safety and clinical management. However, these dual modality systems are currently limited by attenuation caused by the local radio-frequency (RF) coils that allow for high resolution and fast imaging in MR. These attenuation caused by these coils causes information loss and degradation of image quality in MR/PET, and can be a patient concern due to poor treatment planning and additional scattering in MR-guided radiation therapy (MRgRT). Current solutions on the market use engineering adjustments and post processing correction methods to deal with this attenuation. Though this removes artifacts and allows for better treatment planning, this solution does not solve the fundamental problem of MR receive coil attenuation in the radiation field of view. Screen-printed RF coils provide a distinct advantage in this market. Screen-printed electronics technology allows for dramatic attenuation reduction over traditional antenna manufacturing techniques. Combined with an effort to remove high-density electronics out of the radiation field-of-view, local receive coils manufactured in this way could remove the need for attenuation correction in MR/PET and MRgRT altogether. The goal of this application is to develop the first radiation-transparent, flexible, RF coil for MR/PET and MRgRT. This technology will be leveraged to develop a prototype 24-channel flexible body array with state-of-the-art MR performance that does not require attenuation correction.
This proposal addresses a clinical need for hardware used in dual-modality imaging. When Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is used in combination with Positron Emission Tomography (PET) or radiation therapy, it requires local receive antennae that cause minimal radiation attenuation. By using screen-printed electronics we plan to generate the first radiation-invisible coils for dual modality imaging, which will feel like a blanket to a patient and appear invisible at PET or radiation therapy energies.
