RF Components Characterization Improves MRI Image Quality
Case Studies
Performing RF characterization of the components in an MRI system is crucial to ensuring excellent signal and image quality, uniform excitation from the RF coils, and patient safety. RF coils, also known as MRI coils, are the main component of a complete MRI system. They act as the near-field antennas of the MRI in generating an image of the patient’s scans. The RF components, such as the coils, amplifiers, and filters, play a vital role in transmitting and receiving the MRI’s RF signals. The quality of MRI images is highly dependent on the efficiency of the RF components. Greater efficiency leads to improved image quality with better contrast, resolution, and signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio.
A leading healthcare solutions and services provider headquartered in Germany aims to move the needle in MRI productivity by characterizing RF components to improve MRI image quality. The head of test engineers in the provider’s research and development (R&D) department needs test solutions for RF characterization of components, including MRI coils, amplifiers, and preamplifiers. The engineers must ensure that the components have the maximum SNR ratio to obtain the best image quality. Matching the coil’s impedance helps ensure maximum power transfer from the amplifier to the coil and minimizes the reflected power from the coil. The better the tuning and matching of an RF coil, the stronger the signals are.
Read this case study to see how Keysight helped the customer implement the recommended solutions in R&D and manufacturing to reduce test setup time by 80%, accommodating up to 32 channels of the coil under test.