Advanced intraoperative image quality using multiple surface coils.

Advanced intraoperative MRI (io-MRI) could provide additional guidance during pediatric neurosurgery. Currently, io-MRI sequences are acquired with two surface coils when using the DORO head-frame. We investigated if the addition of two surface coils and higher SENSE-factors would increase signal- and contrast-to-noise ratios (SNR & CNR), image quality, and decrease artefacts. The four coils set-up resulted in higher T1w SNR and CNR that was more homogeneously distributed. Image quality of T1w, T2w, and fiber-tracks did improve with four coils. Higher SENSE factors with four coils of most ASL and diffusion MRI images did not reduce EPI artefacts or improve image quality.