In vivo MR imaging of the human skin at subnanoliter resolution using a superconducting surface coil at 1.5 tesla

Purpose To demonstrate the feasibility of a highly sensitive superconducting surface coil for microscopic MRI of the human skin in vivo in a clinical 1.5 Tesla (T) scanner. Materials and Methods A 12.4‐mm high‐temperature superconducting coil was used at 1.5T for phantom and in vivo skin imaging. Images were inspected to identify fine anatomical skin structures. Signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) improvement by the high‐temperature superconducting (HTS) coil, as compared to a commercial MR microscopy coil was quantified from phantom imaging; the gain over a geometrically identical coil made from copper (cooled or not) was theoretically deduced. Noise sources were identified to evaluate the potential of HTS coils for future studies. Results In vivo skin images with isotropic 80 μm resolution were demonstrated revealing fine anatomical structures. The HTS coil improved SNR by a factor 32 over the reference coil in a nonloading phantom. For calf imaging, SNR gains of 380% and 30% can be expected over an identical copper coil at room temperature and 77 K, respectively. Conclusion The high sensitivity of HTS coils allows for microscopic imaging of the skin at 1.5T and could serve as a tool for dermatology in a clinical setting. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2015;41:496–504.© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.