Dual-Channel Stretchable, Self-Tuning, Liquid Metal Coils and Their Fabrication Techniques
Flexible and stretchable radiofrequency coils for magnetic resonance imaging represent an emerging and rapidly growing field. The main advantage of such coil designs is their conformal nature, enabling a closer anatomical fit, patient comfort, and freedom of movement. Previously, we demonstrated a p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/17/7588 |
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| author | Elizaveta Motovilova Terry Ching Jana Vincent James Shin Ek Tsoon Tan Victor Taracila Fraser Robb Michinao Hashimoto Darryl B. Sneag Simone Angela Winkler |
| author_facet | Elizaveta Motovilova Terry Ching Jana Vincent James Shin Ek Tsoon Tan Victor Taracila Fraser Robb Michinao Hashimoto Darryl B. Sneag Simone Angela Winkler |
| author_sort | Elizaveta Motovilova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Flexible and stretchable radiofrequency coils for magnetic resonance imaging represent an emerging and rapidly growing field. The main advantage of such coil designs is their conformal nature, enabling a closer anatomical fit, patient comfort, and freedom of movement. Previously, we demonstrated a proof-of-concept single element stretchable coil design with a self-tuning smart geometry. In this work, we evaluate the feasibility of scaling this coil concept to a multi-element coil array and the associated engineering and manufacturing challenges. To this goal, we study a dual-channel coil array using full-wave simulations, bench testing, in vitro, and in vivo imaging in a 3 T scanner. We use three fabrication techniques to manufacture dual-channel receive coil arrays: (1) single-layer casting, (2) double-layer casting, and (3) direct-ink-writing. All fabricated arrays perform equally well on the bench and produce similar sensitivity maps. The direct-ink-writing method is found to be the most advantageous fabrication technique for fabrication speed, accuracy, repeatability, and total coil array thickness (0.6 mm). Bench tests show excellent frequency stability of 128 ± 0.6 MHz (0% to 30% stretch). Compared to a commercial knee coil array, the stretchable coil array is more conformal to anatomy and provides 50% improved signal-to-noise ratio in the region of interest. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:12:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-da649006726b46e5b1213c892e2a59bb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:12:49Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-da649006726b46e5b1213c892e2a59bb2023-11-19T08:51:55ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202023-09-012317758810.3390/s23177588Dual-Channel Stretchable, Self-Tuning, Liquid Metal Coils and Their Fabrication TechniquesElizaveta Motovilova0Terry Ching1Jana Vincent2James Shin3Ek Tsoon Tan4Victor Taracila5Fraser Robb6Michinao Hashimoto7Darryl B. Sneag8Simone Angela Winkler9Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USAPillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore 487372, SingaporeGE Healthcare, Aurora, OH 44202, USADepartment of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USADepartment of Radiology and Imaging, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY 10021, USAGE Healthcare, Aurora, OH 44202, USAGE Healthcare, Aurora, OH 44202, USAPillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore 487372, SingaporeDepartment of Radiology and Imaging, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY 10021, USADepartment of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USAFlexible and stretchable radiofrequency coils for magnetic resonance imaging represent an emerging and rapidly growing field. The main advantage of such coil designs is their conformal nature, enabling a closer anatomical fit, patient comfort, and freedom of movement. Previously, we demonstrated a proof-of-concept single element stretchable coil design with a self-tuning smart geometry. In this work, we evaluate the feasibility of scaling this coil concept to a multi-element coil array and the associated engineering and manufacturing challenges. To this goal, we study a dual-channel coil array using full-wave simulations, bench testing, in vitro, and in vivo imaging in a 3 T scanner. We use three fabrication techniques to manufacture dual-channel receive coil arrays: (1) single-layer casting, (2) double-layer casting, and (3) direct-ink-writing. All fabricated arrays perform equally well on the bench and produce similar sensitivity maps. The direct-ink-writing method is found to be the most advantageous fabrication technique for fabrication speed, accuracy, repeatability, and total coil array thickness (0.6 mm). Bench tests show excellent frequency stability of 128 ± 0.6 MHz (0% to 30% stretch). Compared to a commercial knee coil array, the stretchable coil array is more conformal to anatomy and provides 50% improved signal-to-noise ratio in the region of interest.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/17/7588radiofrequency coilliquid metalstretchable electronicsself-tuning3D printingdirect ink writing |
| spellingShingle | Elizaveta Motovilova Terry Ching Jana Vincent James Shin Ek Tsoon Tan Victor Taracila Fraser Robb Michinao Hashimoto Darryl B. Sneag Simone Angela Winkler Dual-Channel Stretchable, Self-Tuning, Liquid Metal Coils and Their Fabrication Techniques Sensors radiofrequency coil liquid metal stretchable electronics self-tuning 3D printing direct ink writing |
| title | Dual-Channel Stretchable, Self-Tuning, Liquid Metal Coils and Their Fabrication Techniques |
| title_full | Dual-Channel Stretchable, Self-Tuning, Liquid Metal Coils and Their Fabrication Techniques |
| title_fullStr | Dual-Channel Stretchable, Self-Tuning, Liquid Metal Coils and Their Fabrication Techniques |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dual-Channel Stretchable, Self-Tuning, Liquid Metal Coils and Their Fabrication Techniques |
| title_short | Dual-Channel Stretchable, Self-Tuning, Liquid Metal Coils and Their Fabrication Techniques |
| title_sort | dual channel stretchable self tuning liquid metal coils and their fabrication techniques |
| topic | radiofrequency coil liquid metal stretchable electronics self-tuning 3D printing direct ink writing |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/17/7588 |
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