Alternative winding patterns for twisted solenoid coils with improved characteristics for TRASE MRI

TL;DR

This paper evaluates various winding patterns for twisted solenoid coils in TRASE MRI, finding that discrete loop designs improve magnetic field uniformity and phase linearity while requiring less wire, thus enhancing practical coil construction.

Contribution

It introduces and compares novel winding patterns for twisted solenoid coils, highlighting the discrete loop design as an efficient and effective option for TRASE MRI systems.

Findings

Discrete loop pattern requires less wire than double-wound design.

Both double-wound and discrete loop designs improve magnetic field uniformity.

Discrete loop pattern offers practical advantages for coil construction.

Abstract

Transmit Array Spatial Encoding (TRASE) is an MRI technique in which spatial encoding is achieved using phase gradients of the B1 field. This approach offers potential advantages such as hardware simplicity and reduced acoustic noise. In this study, we present an assessment of various winding patterns for twisted solenoid phase-gradient coils, including the simple twisted solenoid (with and without return wire), a double-wound twisted solenoid, and a discrete-loop twisted solenoid. We analyze the magnetic field uniformity and phase linearity of these configurations using Biot-Savart simulations. Our results show that both the double-wound and discrete loop designs offer similar improvements over the simple twisted solenoid with return wire. The discrete loop pattern requires less wire than the double-wound version, making it the preferred option for practical coil construction and operation in a TRASE MRI system.