9.4 T Double-Tuned 13C/1H Human Head Array Using a Combination of Surface Loops and Dipole Antennas

Dipole antennas have been successfully utilized at ultra-high fields (UHF, >7 T) for human body and head imaging. Combining X-nuclei surface loops and 1H dipoles can substantially simplify the design of a double-tuned UHF human head coil. In this work, we developed and constructed a novel 13C/1H human head 9.4 T array coil consisting of eight 13C surface loops and eight 1H folded-end dipoles surrounding the head. We showed that coupling between loops and dipoles can be minimized by placing four 1H traps into each 13C loop. The new coil demonstrated an improved 1H longitudinal coverage and reasonable Tx efficiency