Prostate MR imaging at 3T with a longitudinal array endorectal surface coil and phased array body coil

Abstract

Purpose: To demonstrate the feasibility of using a double loop phased array endorectal coil combined with a phased array body coil to image the prostate at 3T. Materials and Methods: We designed and constructed a novel prostate coil employing two arrayed 4.0 x 5.0 cm loops, tuned the device for optimal performance at 3T, and characterized the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) associated with it. Results: The coil Q factor was calculated to be ≈50 unloaded, and 30 when loaded on human tissue, SNR maps at multiple orientations were constructed and images were acquired on both a phantom and a human. As expected, SNR was highest along the midpoint of the array and demonstrated strong signal even at 4 cm from the coil. Conclusion: The double loop phased array endorectal coil combined with a phased array body coil at 3T is feasible in vivo and compelling enough to warrant future clinical trials to evaluate its efficacy. These triads are currently under way. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.