An Anatomically Shaped 16-channel Receive Array Coil for UHF Shoulder Imaging at 7T

Motivation: To improve the SNR and receive performance of 7T shoulder MRI with a 16ch densely populated loop array. Goal(s): Demonstrate prototyping approach for developing an anatomically shaped and geometrically decoupled 16ch receive loop array on a planar plane and then transform it on an anatomical body model. Show improvements in receive performance inside an 8ch meander stripline transceiver array. Approach: A total of 16-elements were constructed and arranged in a 3D-printed housing. The receive performance was compared with 8-channel TX/RX array in phantom and in-vivo measurements. Results: The 16-channel receive array demonstrated benefits in receive performance compared to meander stripline transceiver elements. Impact: The prototyping approach simplifies the geometrical decoupling and rendered a receive array with superior efficiency over the transceiver coil alone. Increases in SNR and g-factor performance are expected to improve clinically oriented UHF shoulder MRI at 7T.