Integrated parallel reception, excitation, and shimming (iPRES).

Overview

PURPOSE: To develop a new concept for a hardware platform that enables integrated parallel reception, excitation, and shimming. THEORY: This concept uses a single coil array rather than separate arrays for parallel excitation/reception and B0 shimming. It relies on a novel design that allows a radiofrequency current (for excitation/reception) and a direct current (for B0 shimming) to coexist independently in the same coil. METHODS: Proof-of-concept B0 shimming experiments were performed with a two-coil array in a phantom, whereas B0 shimming simulations were performed with a 48-coil array in the human brain. RESULTS: Our experiments show that individually optimized direct currents applied in each coil can reduce the B0 root-mean-square error by 62-81% and minimize distortions in echo-planar images. The simulations show that dynamic shimming with the 48-coil integrated parallel reception, excitation, and shimming array can reduce the B0 root-mean-square error in the prefrontal and temporal regions by 66-79% as compared with static second-order spherical harmonic shimming and by 12-23% as compared with dynamic shimming with a 48-coil conventional shim array. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate the feasibility of the integrated parallel reception, excitation, and shimming concept to perform parallel excitation/reception and B0 shimming with a unified coil system as well as its promise for in vivo applications.