An insertable P-31 RF coil for dual-frequency magnetic resonance imaging & spectroscopy

Application of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in metabolic studies usually includes simultaneous excitation at two different frequencies. RF coupling between the two coils has been a problem in the past, resulting in reduced field strength from the ¹H coil. A modular surface coil was designed and constructed for ¹H and ³¹P at 4.7 Tesla; RF traps were designed and optimized to minimize the field-degrading coupling current, and trap performance was analyzed in terms of improvement in signal-to-noise-ratio and field sensitivity pattern of the proton coil. The modular design in conjunction with the optimized traps permits the possibility of insertion of the phosphorus coil as an “add on” into any other hydrogen coil.