AeroCoil: A non-electric switchable RF coil for 1H and 2H imaging

Motivation: While PIN diode-based RF switching is the current standard for tunable radio frequency (RF) coils in MRI, the resistive losses of PIN diodes and the interference from electrical bias circuits are well-known to degrade the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Goal(s): We aim to develop a non-electric RF switching technique to address these issues and improve the SNR. Approach: We introduce AeroCoil, which utilizes air pressure to switch RF coil frequencies. The coil was evaluated through bench testing and MR imaging, compared with single-tuned coils. Results: AeroCoil demonstrated imaging results without artifacts and significant signal loss. Impact: By removing electric components, AeroCoil offers a promising advantage for X-nuclei imaging, where tunable RF coils are essential and maximizing SNR is critical.