Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is considered as a slow imaging technique. Various approaches to accelerate MRI imaging have been explored by researchers in the past decades. Earlier gradient based methods have reached the safety limit. Parallel receiving techniques achieve accelerations by reducing phase encoding steps. Among these methods, SEA Imaging achieved the highest possible acceleration by completely eliminating phase encoding. However, SEA imaging is limited to thin planar slices above the array due to the correction needed for the inherent phase cancellation caused by voxel-sized coils. A phase compensation gradient pulse is used for this correction in SEA imaging. This phase compensation is dependent on slice position and thickness as well as the orientation of the array elements, placing stringent restrictions on SEA imaging, limiting its applications. Converting the SEA system into Transmit / Receive (T/R) mode, which is the main purpose of this study, eliminates the requirement for phase compensation gradient because phase departed during transmit is refocused during receiving. Independent amplitude and phase control of RF pulse for each coil of a SEA array is achieved using a low cost scalable parallel transmit system design. The first 64-channel parallel transmitter for MRI in the world is constructed and tested. Software is also developed to control the phase and amplitude of all the 64 channels of RF excitation pulses independently through National Instruments DAQ system. The system consists of vector modulators controlled by digital controlled potentiometers, two-stage amplifiers and T/R switches on the transmit side. All these are combined with newly designed and constructed preamplifiers and the existing 64-channel parallel receivers on the receive side, leading to the only 64-channel parallel T/R system available for MRI. As a bonus, the system can be easily updated to full Transmit SENSE capability. Furthermore, simulations and images are done to synthesize transmit patterns thanks to the large channel count. Testing results show that the system is capable of 100W per channel simultaneous transmission. Using this system, transmit field can be synthesized by varying the phase and amplitude across channel without traditionally required complicated pulse sequences involving simultaneous RF and gradient fields. Curved slice excitation has conventionally been considered a difficult task for MRI, achievable only through complicated pulses sequences. Using this system and flexible array wrapped around the subject to be imaged, the system is able to excite curved slice using one shot. TR images indicate that the system is capable of high speed surface imaging at 200 frames per second following the surface of a flexible SEA array coil which has not been achieved using other methods in MRI.

A uniplanar balun that transforms unbalanced coplanar waveguide (CPW) to balanced coplanar strip line (CPS) is characterised through simulation and measurement. By illustrating the effect of many of the critical design parameters, the operation of this balun is discussed and a set of design criteria is defined. The parameter study discusses the size and shape of the radial open, the type and length of the CPW taper and the thickness and type of the bond wires. Newly developed etched bond wires are implemented to provide better manufacturing repeatability and reliability. A complete balun testing procedure is developed and described, consisting of three separate tests. The balun is tested in the normal back-to-back configuration, as a terminated single balun, and the magnitude and phase imbalance is also determined by using a three-port test circuit connected to the balun. The advantages of implementing this full test procedure, and thus fully characterising the balun under test, are emphasised throughout. Results obtained by using this procedure show that the basic balun works well over the full operating band, except for the phase imbalance, which is usable but not optimal. A simple technique to correct the phase imbalance of the balun is introduced, and validated through measurements of the balun connected to the three-port test circuit. As a final validation the balun is connected as feed for an etched dipole antenna for which good impedance matching and pattern results are shown. AFRIKAANS : ’n Enkelvlak balon (BALans-na-ONbalans) wat van ongebalanseerde enkelvlak golfgeleier (CPW) na gebalanseerde enkelvlak strooklyn (CPS) transformeer, word gekarakteriseer deur simulasie en metings. Deur die effek van baie van die kritiese ontwerpsparameters te demonstreer, word die werking van die balon bespreek en ’n stel ontwerpskriteria opgestel. Die parameter studie bespreek die radiale ope struktuur se vorm en grote, die tipe en lengte van die CPW transformator and die dikte en tipe van die konneksie drade. Nuut ontwikkelde geëtste konneksie drade word geïmplementeer om beter vervaardigingsherhaalbaarheid en betroubaarheid te verseker. ’n Volledige balon toetsprosedure word ontwikkel en beskryf en bestaan uit drie aparte toetse. Die balon word getoets in die normale rug-aan-rug konfigurasie, as ’n enkel getermineerde balon en die grote asook fase van die wanbalans word bepaal deur die gebruik van ’n drie-poort toetsbaan wat aan die balon gekoppel word. Die voordele verbonde daaraan om hierdie volledige toetsprosedure toe te pas, en daardeur die balon volledig te karakteriseer, word deurlopend beklemtoon. Die resultate wat hierdie prosedure oplewer wys dat die basiese balon goed werk oor die volledige frekwensieband, behalwe vir die fase-wanbalans parameter, wat bruikbaar, maar nie ideaal is nie. ’n Eenvoudige tegniek om die fase-wanbalans van die balon te korrigeer word bekend gestel en getoets deur die drie-poort toetsbaan weer te gebruik. As ’n finale validasie word die balon aan ’n geëtste dipool gekoppel word, waarvan goeie impedansie aanpassings en patrone gewys word. Copyright / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering / unrestricted

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第21091号 / 工博第4455号 / 新制||工||1692(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院工学研究科都市社会工学専攻 / (主査)教授 五十嵐 晃, 教授 八木 知己, 准教授 古川 愛子 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DFAM

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I projektet utreds möjligheterna kring att kunna kontrollera en generators reaktiva effektproduktion genom att styra magnetiseringsströmmen från en PLC. Som metod för styrning från PLC beslutades att en signal på 0-5V skulle användas. För att reglera magnetiseringen, och därmed i förlängningen den reaktiva effekten, beslutades att den befintliga manuella potentiometern skulle ersättas med två parallellkopplade digitala potentiometrar av typen MCP4261 som kontrollerades av en mikrokontroller. Att de digitala potentiometrarna skulle parallellkopplas beslutades efter en förstudie som visade på att det skulle resultera i en noggrannare reglering utan någon inskränkning på användbart reglerspann. Praktisk provning av mikrokontroller och digitala potentiometrar gav ett tillfredsställande och bra resultat med god upplösning. / This project investigates the possibilities of being able to control a generators reactive power production by controlling the excitation current from a PLC. As a method for controlling from PLC, it was decided that a signal of 0-5V should be used. In order to regulate the magnetization, and hence in the long term the reactive power, it was decided that the existing manual potentiometer would be replaced by two parallel-connected digital potentiometers of the type MCP4261 controlled by a microcontroller. The fact that the digital potentiometers would be connected in parallel was decided after a feasibility study which showed that in this way it would result in a more accurate regulation without any restriction on the usable control span. Practical testing of microcontrollers and digital potentiometers provided a satisfactory result with a good resolution.