Shielded transceiver RF coil array for simultaneous PET-MRI

The complementary information provided by combined MRI-PET modalities promises to facilitate metabolic investigations of complex physiological processes. We developed a radio frequency (RF) coil array that can operate in close proximity (2-mm radial distance) to a miniaturized PET camera insert for simultaneous PET-MRI of a rat brain at high magnetic fields (4 Tesla). All ferromagnetic components in the PET instrument were replaced with non-ferromagnetic components to minimize susceptibility artefacts in MRI, and optical fibres were used to connect the electronics of the PET camera to the acquisition system located outside the MRI scanner room. A passive electromagnetic shielding was developed to minimize the interference between the PET-electronics and MRI RF coil array. MR images of water phantoms and "ex-vivo" rat brains were collected in two different conditions: with and without PET acquisition. Similarly, PET data was acquired in two different conditions: with and without MRI pulses (RF and gradients). The MR images showed good uniform sensitivity profiles for all cases and 66% decrease in SNR for the shielded case. The PET and MRI datasets demonstrated that the electromagnetic shielding successfully minimizes the RF interference between the instruments, minimizing MRI artefacts and protecting the delicate components of the PET electronics from MRI RF pulses.