Examination of Measurement and Its Method of Compensation of the Sensitivity Distribution Using Phased Array Coil for Body Scan

The influence on the quality of images by measurement of a sensitivity distribution and the use of a sensitivity compensation filter was considered using an opposite-type phased array coil and volume-type phased array coil. With the opposite-type phased array coil, the relation between coil interval and filter was investigated for the IIC filter, SCIC filter (GE), and the Normalize filter (SIEMENS). The SCIC filter and Normalize filter showed distance dependability over the coil interval of SNR and uniformity was observed, and the existence of an optimal coil interval was suggested. Moreover, with the IIC filter, distance dependability over a coil interval was small, and the decrease in contrast with use was remarkable. On the other hand, with the volume-type phased array coil, the overlap of an array element was investigated to determine the influence it had on sensitivity distribution. Although the value stabilized in the arrangement center of an array element, and its near, was shown when volume-type phased array coil was used, SNR and uniformity decreased as it separated from the center. This showed that overlap of an array element does not have an adverse influence on image quality when the already optimized arrangement is used.