A 3X3 MESH 2-DIMENSIONAL LADDER NETWORK RESONATOR FOR MRI OF THE HUMAN HEAD

A new radiofrequency resonator for MR imaging of the human head is pre sented. The geometry consists of a single end-ring connected to eight legs which extend along a cylinder and are joined in pairs on a hemisp herical dome. The most homogeneous normal mode of this structure is do ubly degenerate and affords quadrature operation. The high sensitivity in the hemispherical end is particularly suited to human brain studie s. This resonator represents a clinical application of two-dimensional ladder network resonant structures whose operation may be understood by analogy to the mechanical problem of oscillating two-dimensional me mbranes. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.