RF technology for human MRI at 10.5T

The objective of this work is to develop and apply the world´s highest field strength, whole-body MRI system for biomedical research of the human body in health, disease, and therapeutic intervention. Due to the better than linear proportion of signal-to-noise to field strength, this system has the inherent potential of being the most power instrument yet, for noninvasive investigation, In-vivo. However, because the 450 MHz Larmor wavelength of the energy stimulating and receiving the nuclear magnetic signal response in high water content human tissues is on the order of 7cm, conventional MRI technology and methods used at lower field strengths and frequencies will not realize the full potential of this system. RF field non-uniformities and losses associated with current approaches will compromise both the success and the safety of 10.5T studies. New solutions to these short-wave problems must be found to realize the full benefit of this MRI at this unprecedented field strength. These new solutions for RF technology for MRI at 10.5T is the topic of this work.