The Polarean XENOVIEW 3.0T Chest Coil (hereafter Chest Coil) is a flexible, single channel, transmit-receive (T/R) RF coil tuned to 129Xe frequency on a 3.0T MRI magnetic field in order to image 129Xe nuclei while the patient is positioned inside a compatible multi-nuclear-capable MRI scanner. The Chest Coil is intended to be worn by a patient who inhales hyperpolarized 129Xe gas (XENOVIEW) to obtain an MR image of the regional distribution of hyperpolarized 129Xe in the lungs.The coil is constructed of a durable, flexible circuit board material within which the antenna elements and all electronic components are contained. These components are electrically isolated from the rest of the coil packaging by being enclosed within suitable non-conductive, water-rated, and flame-rated materials. A layer of padding is located on either side of the coil circuitry to provide patient comfort and protection against potential heating generated by circuitry components. The RF coil is a “fixed matching and tuning device” (i.e. not tunable by the operator), thereby eliminating the need to tune and match it for every patient.
A radio-frequency (RF) coil acts as a transmitter, receiver, or both a transmitter and receiver of RF pulses necessary for diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures. It is used to enhance image resolution by improving signal to noise characteristics. There are two main kinds of RF coils: volume coils (which surround the part of the body being imaged) and surface coils (which are placed and secured directly on or under an area of interest). This group of devices includes a variety RF coil designs and configurations including, e.g., surface coils, phased array coils, paired saddle coils, Hemholtz pair coils or bird cage coils.