A twenty-eight channel coil array for improved optic nerve imaging

The purpose of this work was to design and construct a radio-frequency coil optimized for imaging the Optic Nerve (ON) on a Siemens 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. The specific goals were to optimize signal sensitivity from the orbit to the optic chiasm and improve SNR over designs currently in use. The constructed coil features two fiberglass formers that can slide over each other to accommodate any arbitrary head size, while maintaining close coupling near the eyes and around the head in general. This design eliminates the air void regions that occur between the coil elements and the forehead when smaller heads are imaged in one-piece, nonadjustable coil formers. The 28 coil elements were placed using a soccer-ball pattern layout to maximize head coverage. rSNR profiles from phantom imaging studies show that the ON coil provides approximately 55% greater rSNR at the region of the optic chiasm and approximately 400% near the orbits compared to the 12-channel commercial coil. The improved rSNR in the optic nerve region allows performance of high resolution DTI, which provides a qualitative measurement for evaluating optic neuritis. Images from volunteer and patient studies with the ON coil reveal plaques that correspond well with the patient disease history of chronic bilateral optic neuritis. Correspondence of image findings with patient disease histories demonstrates that optic neuritis can be visualized and detected in patients using 3T MRI with advanced imaging coils, providing improved patient care.