Customized Radiofrequency Phased-Array Coil Combining Transmit-Only, Receive-Only, and Transmit/Receive Coils for Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Visual Cortex at 7 Tesla

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using an ultra-high magnetic field (7 Tesla) enables detailed and non-invasive studies of the function and anatomy of the human visual cortex, which is the brain region responsible for visual signal processing. However, 7T human MRI often suffers from image shading in the occipital region due to the radiofrequency (RF) wave propagation effect. Dedicated visual cortex coils, on the other hand, often lack the capability to visualize the whole brain which is necessary for image registration. We propose a novel RF coil structure in which a 2-channel transmit and receive (TRx) coil is grafted onto the frontal part of a multi-channel transmit-only/receive-only (TORO, 4Tx/14Rx) visual cortex coil. This coil was tested for high-resolution functional MRI with an in-plane resolution of 0.5 mm. The results showed that the proposed coil achieved a higher (x2.5) temporal signal-to-noise ratio (tSNR) in functional imaging of the visual cortex area than that of a commercial 7T whole-head coil. The added 2-channel TRx elements allowed whole-brain edge images to be acquired, enabling successful brain segmentation and atlas registration without the need for a second scan using a whole-head coil. The proposed coil structure can be useful for high-resolution visual functional MRI at very high magnetic fields due to its sensitivity, open geometry, and compatibility with the standard image processing workflow.