Optical Transmission System for High Field Systems

Introduction: Interconnection problems between large number of coil elements and the scanner are critical, particularly in high field MRI. Moreover, SNR and RF safety issues are also significant concerns. Recent investigations on the analog optical transmission of MRI signals may alleviate this problem [1-3]. Although traditionally, the transmission of the MR signals is achieved by coaxial cables, in practice, an optical system with minimized losses and enhanced RF safety compared to coaxial lines can be feasible for high field MRI. In this work, we introduce an optical RF transmission system for a 3T and a 7T system where the electrical MR signal is converted into an optical signal, carried using a fiber optic cable and then converted back to an electrical signal. In the system the detuning signal is also transmitted optically. Here, the details of the optical RF transmission system are shown and the experimental verification of the performance of the system is described.