Phased Array Coils for Upper Extremity MRA

A phased array coil was constructed for imaging the upper extremity vasculature for patients undergoing dialysis treatment. The phased array coil exhibits improved signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) over the body coil and allows imaging of the entire upper extremity. SNR as a function of depth was measured on a homogeneous phantom with the arm coil and compared with the body coil. Near the coil there is an improvement of a factor of 7 and at a depth of approximately 6–7 cm, there is an improvement of factor 2. In vivo SNR measurements resulted in similar improvements. Images of the upper extremity vasculature of healthy volunteers were generated using 2D‐time‐of‐flight (2DTOF) angiography. Blood flow velocity was assessed in a CINE‐phase contrast study.