Attenuation of the dark band artifact in MR-guided focused ultrasound using an ultra-flexible high-sensitivity head coil

TitleAttenuation of the dark band artifact in MR-guided focused ultrasound using an ultra-flexible high-sensitivity head coil
Publication TypeConference Proceedings
Year of Conference2021
AuthorsSaniour I, Robb F, Taracila V, Voss HU, Kaplitt M, J. Chazen L, Winkler SA
Conference NameISMRM Virtual Conference
Abstract

Transcranial magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) has shown dramatic success in the treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases. However,black band artifacts arise in MR images due to the high-permittivity water bath and the metallically lined helmet-shaped transducer together with the vendor-installedbody coil. In this work, we present electromagnetic simulations of a very thin, flexible, and acoustic transparent head coil design (FUS-Flex). Simulations show a signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) increase of 3.5× and 5× compared to a body coil with and without the transducer, respectively, and an attenuation of the black band artifact in theregions of interest.