Numerical design of dual resonant phased array RF coil for MRI 3T and 7T system

Receiver radio frequency coil (RF coil) is one of the important components in MRI system, which it operates by receiving RF signal that emitted from the excited body part. In this paper, a novel design of dual resonant RF phased array coil for MRI 3T and 7T system is proposed. Phased array is chosen due to its advantages for parallel imaging, high SNR and large field of view. The design of phased array coil is numerically simulated in order to be able to operate at 127.8 MHz (for 3T MRI) and 298.2 MHz (for 7T MRI). The simulated result shows that the magnitude of the reflection coefficient is less than -10 dB for both operating frequencies. The magnetic field distribution is also simulated to confirm its homogeneity at 127.8 MHz and 298.2 MHz. As a result of the magnetic field distribution, it is uniformly seen in particular at 127.8 MHz. Moreover, the simulated specific absorption rate (SAR) by 0.577 W/kg at 127.8 MHz and 6.680 W/kg at 298.2 MHz is obtained when the RF coil is excited by 50W of input power.