Myocardial skeletal muscle signal spoiling using a crusher coil: a human cardiac phosphorus (31P) MR spectroscopic imaging study at 7 Tesla

Background P-MRS provides direct insights into myocardial energy supply (ATP, ADP, phosphocreatine (PCr) and inorganic phosphate). An initial study demonstrated that 7T cardiac P-MRS has 2.8x greater SNR than at 3T. However, the translation of more sophisticated P-MRS protocols to 7T is particularly challenged by increased RF heating of tissue at 7T. Chen and Ackerman introduced the surface spoiling coil in 1990: a concept that was recently further developed (Boer MRM 2014) for lipid suppression in human brain H-CSI. In this work, we introduce the first crusher coil for cardiac P-MRS at 7T. This allows us to saturate more efficiently skeletal muscle signal removing the RF heating associated with RF saturation bands.