Η ερευνητική εργασία που ακολουθεί, έχει σαν στόχο, σε πρώτο επίπεδο, να μελετήσει τα διάφορα μοντέλα ηλεκτρομαγνητικής διάδοσης και σε δεύτερο πλάνο, να δωθεί μία εικόνα σχετικά με τις επιπτώσεις της μη ιονίζουσας ακτινοβολίας, που εκπέμπεται από κεραίες και ασύρματα δίκτυα, στον άνθρωπο και στον περιβάλλοντα χώρο. Στα πρώτα κεφάλαια γίνεται μία θεωρητική αναφορά στις βασικές έννοιες της ηλεκτρομαγνητικής ακτινοβολίας και στους μηχανισμούς διάδοσης της, αλλά και στις επιπτώσεις της ακτινοβολίας αυτής στον άνθρωπο. Ακολουθεί, εκτενής παρουσίαση των πιο σημαντικών θεωρητικών μοντέλων διάδοσης ραδιοσήματος εξωτερικών και εσωτερικών χώρων αντίστοιχα. Στη συνέχεια, δίνεται λεπτομερής περιγραφή των πεδιομέτρων που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν για την καταγραφή των μετρήσεων σε διάφορες περιοχές ενδιαφέροντος. Στο τελευταίο κεφάλαιο, γίνεται παρουσίαση των μετρήσεων με συγκριτικά διαγράμματα καθώς και αναφορά για το κατά πόσο οι μετρήσεις βρίσκονται εντός των ορίων ασφαλείας που τίθενται από διεθνείς οργανισμούς. / In the present work, were studied the models of the radio signal distribution at open and close area and the consequences of the non-ionized radiation, which emits from a wide variety of wirelesses systems, on human body. Initially, the basic significances of the electromagnetic radiation, the Maxwell’s equations and the mechanics of RF distribution, were shortly presented. Further emphasis at the models of the radio signal distribution, at open and close area, was given. The consequences of the electromagnetic radiation concerning basic factors of thermal and no-thermal effect were presented. An additional report of the RF safety limits, according to various international organizations, was given. For the experimental process, we used the Narda Broadband Field meter, which recorded all the frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum and a laptop with a suitable software (NETSTUMBLER 0.40), which allows the operator of the laptop to know the exact received power coming from the specific router of the WLAN, excluding all other signals even if they belong to the same frequency of 2.4 GHz. The comparison of the experimental measurements with the theoretical, reveals the potential of each theoretical model. Furthermore, we came to the conclusion that the experiments are in the limits of RF safety.

Atherosclerotic plaques in the bifurcation of the carotid artery vessels can pose a significant stroke risk from stenosis, thrombosis and emboli, or plaque rupture. However, the possibility of the latter depends on the structure of the plaque and its stability. So far, the assessment of such depositions, and the evaluation of the risk they pose, is not satisfactory with 3 Tesla black blood imaging. It is expected that the SNR increase at 7 Tesla, together with an appropriate and patient-safe RF coil, will result in higher resolution images that would help in better assessing the composition of atherosclerotic plaques in vessel walls. A custom-built neck array was designed and constructed, with the aim of investigating the benefits of the higher field strength using DANTE-prepared black blood imaging. A 4-channel transmit array was designed to generate the required <b>B</b>^&plus;<sub style='position: relative; left: -.5em;'>1</sub> field for the DANTE module to be used. A separate close fitting 4-channel receive array was preferred for improved SNR and parallel (receive) imaging. Geometric, active, passive as well as preamp decoupling schemes were employed for adequate isolation between the arrays and their channels. Electromagnetic simulation software, Semcad X (SPEAG, Zurich), was used for safety assessment with human phantoms (Virtual population). The <b>E</b> fields for 1 W transmission per channel were calculated for each element for a worst case SAR estimation. The transmission power limits per channel were set according to the 10g SAR limit set in IEC 60601. For simulation validation, temperature measurements and surface heat mapping were performed on a meat phantom. Finally, a healthy male subject was scanned using a protocol consisting of <b>B</b>₁ mapping, RF shimming at an ROI, and 2D and 3D DANTE prepared Gradient Echo (GRE). The worst-case heating scenario, as defined in the methods section, generated a maximum local SAR of 7.65 W/kg for 1 Watt per channel input. Thus, for 1st level mode (20W/kg max), the power limit was set at 2.6 W per channel. The heating profile was similar to that simulated and the measured temperature increase was within a &plusmn;10&percnt; margin relative to the simulation. The global SAR power limit per channel was found to be higher (i.e. more allowed power) than the worst case local SAR power limit, and thus did not impose additional power penalty. The resolution achieved was 0.6 mm isotropic for the 3D protocol and 0.6 by 0.6 by 2.5 mm for the 2D protocol. The average SNR was measured within the vessel wall location of the two carotid arteries and found to be 27&plusmn;6 for the DANTE images and for the static tissue closer to the skin the SNR was 55&plusmn;2. In conclusion, a 4Tx/4Rx coil was designed to target the carotid arteries operating under pTx mode and a black blood imaging sequence was implemented for blood signal suppression and vessel wall imaging. The initial results from the subject and phantom imaging show satisfactory blood suppression and spatial resolution.

L'IRM est généralement considérée comme une méthode d'imagerie extrêmement sûre. Cependant, en présence d'implants conducteurs, des risques pour la santé du patient existent, plus particulièrement en terme d'échauffement radio-fréquence (RF) des tissus en contact avec l'implant. Suivant les recommandations des fabricants et des autorités sanitaires, certains dispositifs implantés sont autorisés en environnement IRM, sous conditions strictes qui limitent la qualité des images ou rendent l'acquisition impossible. Le but de cette thèse était d'optimiser et de valider les méthodes pour l'évaluation de la sécurité IRM en présence d'implants. Augmenter la prévisibilité des échauffements qui risquent de se produire dans chaque cas précis devrait permettre un élargissement des applications possibles de l'IRM chez des patients porteurs d'implants actifs.Ce projet est basé sur trois approches :- Des mesures et développements de méthodes IRM sur des objet-tests. Des techniques pré-existantes de cartographie du champ RF ont été optimisées afin de couvrir l'ensemble de la gamme dynamique présente dans le cas de courants RF induits dans des conducteurs. Pour ce faire, la technique AMFI (“Actual Multiple Flip-Angle Imaging”) a été développée. Un travail d'optimisation a également été mené sur la thermométrie IRM rapide via la méthode PRFS (“Proton Resonance Frequency Shift”).- Le développement de simulations numériques visant à étudier les interactions électromagnétiques entre les implants et le résonateur RF, ainsi que leurs répercussions thermiques. Un modèle de résonateur RF a été construit et validé à la fois théoriquement et expérimentalement. Le réglage du résonateur a donné lieu au développement d'une méthode numérique originale permettant de déterminer rapidement et précisément les valeurs des capacités. L'évaluation des courants RF induits dans des implants filaires conducteurs, via l'utilisation des cartes de champ RF, a également été développée. Cette méthode de mesure des courants RF induits ouvre la possibilité d'évaluer la sécurité au niveau individuel par une acquisition à faible débit d'absorption spécifique, avant toute autre acquisition IRM, dans le cas d'un possible futur protocole incluant des patients.- La construction d'un modèle numérique simplifié d'une électrode de stimulation cérébrale, via l'utilisation de la théorie des lignes de transmission. Ce modèle rend les simulations RF abordables, et présente les mêmes propriétés électriques que l'électrode réelle. L'échauffement RF en présence d'une électrode DBS a ainsi pu être évalué numériquement par l'intermédiaire de simulations recouvrant la taille du résonateur RF corps-entier.L'ensemble des outils développés au cours de cette thèse permet finalement une amélioration des méthodes disponibles afin d'évaluer la sécurité RF en présence d'implants conducteurs. / MRI is generally considered to be an exceptionally safe imaging method. However, in the presence of electrically conducting implants health risks exist, particularly in terms of RF heating of the tissues in contact with the implant. Some implants are cleared by the manufacturers or regulatory agencies for MR imaging of patients, but only under strictly limited conditions which often degrade image quality and exclude many configurations. The goal of this thesis project was to optimize and validate the methods for the assessment of MR safety in the presence of active implants. Increasing the predictability of the risk of RF heating in individual subjects should allow MRI to find wider applications in patients implanted with active devices.This project is based on three distinct approaches:- Measurements and MR method developments performed on test objects. Existing B1-mapping techniques were optimized for the specific needs of high dynamic range encountered in the presence of induced RF currents in conductors, leading to the “Actual Multiple Flip-Angle Imaging” technique. Further work has been performed on the optimization of rapid “Proton Resonance Frequency Shift” MR thermography.- The development of numerical simulations of the electromagnetic interactions between the RF resonator and implants as well as their thermal impact. A numerical RF resonator model was built and validated it using both theoretical and experimental studies. The optimization of the resonator has led to the development of an original method to rapidly and precisely adjust the individual capacitor values to obtain a given targeted current distribution. Separately, the measurement of RF currents induced in conductive wires, via B1 mapping, was developed. This method to measure RF currents in a specific configuration opens the possibility to evaluate RF safety in individual subjects using a low-SAR prescan prior to other acquisitions, for use in hypothetical future protocols on patients.- The construction of a simplified numerical model of deep brain stimulation electrodes, using transmission line theory. This model renders RF simulations tractable, while exhibiting the same electrical behavior as the real implant, allowing evaluation of RF heating in simulations covering the size of a whole-body MR resonator.The set of tools developed improve upon the currently available methods for the evaluation of RF safety in the presence of conductive implants.

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