Design of a dedicated circular coil for Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy studies in small phantoms and animal acquisition with a 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance clinical scanner

Introduction: Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) is a very powerful tool to explore the tissue components, by allowing a selective identification of molecules and molecular distribution mapping. Due to intrinsic Signal-to-Noise Ratio limitations (SNR), MRS in small phantoms and animals with a clinical scanner requires the design and development of dedicated radiofrequency (RF) coils, a task of fundamental importance. In this article, the authors describe the simulation, design, and application of a 1H transmit/receive circular coil suitable for MRS studies in small phantoms and small animal models with a clinical 3T scanner. In particular, the circular coil could be an improvement in animal experiments for tumor studies in which the lesions are localized in specific areas.Material and methods: The magnetic field pattern was calculated using the Biot–Savart law and the inductance was evaluated with analytical calculations. Finally, the coil sensitivity was measured with the perturbing sphere method. Successively, a prototype of the coil was built and tested on the workbench and by the acquisition of MRS data.Results: In this work, we demonstrate the design trade-offs for successfully developing a dedicated coil for MRS experiments in small phantoms and animals with a clinical scanner. The coil designed in the study offers the potential for obtaining MRS data with a high SNR and good spectral resolution.Conclusions: The paper provides details of the design, modelling, and construction of a dedicated circular coil, which represents a low cost and easy to build answer for MRS experiments in small samples with a clinical scanner.