Motivation: Intraoperative MRI (iMRI) requires a coil that allows high-quality imaging with easy removal, sterility, and low cost, which conventional arrays struggle to provide. Goal(s): To develop a splittable, wireless resonator array for iMRI that is lightweight, cost-effective, and compatible with surgical needs. Approach: The proposed design includes a two-part, wireless resonator array with a removable top half and a stationary bottom half, inductively coupled for MR signal reception. Results: The wireless array demonstrated comparable SNR and parallel imaging performance to the state-of-the-art head array coil, while maintaining a split design, a much simpler structure, and significantly lower cost. Impact: This design improves iMRI and MR-guided therapy applications by providing a cost-effective, easy-to-use solution that supports advanced imaging capabilities and surgical requirements.
Zhu et al. (Tue,) studied this question.