Magnetic resonance imaging with hyperpolarized noble gases, 3 He or 129 Xe, has become a promising approach for visualizing lung anatomy and function. The polarization of hyperpolarized noble gases does not depend on the magnetic field strength of the imaging system providing an opportunity to image at magnetic field strengths considerably lower than those typically used for clinical purposes (<0.1 T). At such low fields, image noise is dominated by electronic sources, particularly those originating from the radiofrequency coils. An improvement in image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is possible at low fields by reducing radiofrequency coil noise using Litz wire. In this work, radiofrequency coils of similar geometry were constructed with either conventional copper wire or three different types of Litz wire and compared in phantoms and in vivo in rat lungs using hyperpolarized
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