In vivo MR imaging of the human skin at subnanoliter resolution using a superconducting surface coil at 1.5 Tesla

Purpose: To demonstrate the feasibility of a highly sensitive superconducting surface coil for microscopic MRI of the human skin in vivo in a clinical 1.5 Tesla (T) scanner.

Materials and methods: A 12.4-mm high-temperature superconducting coil was used at 1.5T for phantom and in vivo skin imaging. Images were inspected to identify fine anatomical skin structures. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement by the high-temperature superconducting (HTS) coil, as compared to a commercial MR microscopy coil was quantified from phantom imaging; the gain over a geometrically identical coil made from copper (cooled or not) was theoretically deduced. Noise sources were identified to evaluate the potential of HTS coils for future studies.

Results: In vivo skin images with isotropic 80 μm resolution were demonstrated revealing fine anatomical structures. The HTS coil improved SNR by a factor 32 over the reference coil in a nonloading phantom. For calf imaging, SNR gains of 380% and 30% can be expected over an identical copper coil at room temperature and 77 K, respectively.

Conclusion: The high sensitivity of HTS coils allows for microscopic imaging of the skin at 1.5T and could serve as a tool for dermatology in a clinical setting.