Background: Rhythmia is a novel mapping system of cardiac arrhythmias, it utilizes a multielectrode catheter, Orion. Together these two instruments generate high accurate maps of the cardiac chamber which facilitate the identification of arrythmia focus and its ablation. Objective: our aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the Rhythmia system, mid-term recurrence rate and the predictors of recurrence from intervention and patients related factors. Methods: this was a retrospective cohort analysis on patients who underwent cardiac ablation with Rhythmia system at Örebro University Hospital between October 2017 and March 2020. The patients were followed-up to evaluate the recurrence. Results: 62 ablation procedures were included, premature ventricular contraction 20, atrial fibrillation 19, ectopic atrial tachycardia 10, ventricular tachycardia 6, atrial flutter 5 and accessory pathways 2. Rhythmia was feasible with 100% technically successful procedures. It had also low complications risk, with an overall 6.5% complications rate. Over a mean follow up of 5.1 months (Range 1-12), 59% of patients got recurrence. The highest recurrence rate of 75% was observed in the premature ventricular complex group. None of all studied variables showed any statistically significance association with the recurrence of the most three encountered arrhythmias. Conclusion: the use of Rhythmia was feasible and relatively safe. The recurrence rate of arrhythmias after using Rhythmia was high, and no reliable predictors could be found. However, there was a trend that atrial fibrillation which required long total procedure time and long fluoroscopy time had higher risk to recur.

No description available.

Background: Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are both common disorders with a number of negative health effects. The safety and efficacy of treating snoring and OSA surgically have been questioned and there has been a lack of studies in the field. Aims: 1) To investigate the frequency of serious complications, including death, after surgery for the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea; 2) to evaluate the effect on daytime sleepiness after radiofrequency surgery of the soft palate in snoring men with mild or no OSA; 3) to evaluate the effect of tonsillectomy on sleep apnea in adults with OSA and tonsillar hypertrophy; 4) to investigate the morphology and cytoarchitecture of muscle fibers in human soft palatal muscles with immunohistochemical and morphological techniques. Methods and results: In paper 1, a retrospective database study. All Swedish adults who were treated surgically because of snoring or OSA from January 1997 to December 2005 were identified in the National Patient Register. None of the surgically treated patients died in the peri- and postoperative period. Severe complications were recorded in 37.1 of 1,000 patients treated with uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), in 5.6 of 1,000 patients after uvulopalatoplasty (UPP) and in 8.8 of 1,000 patients after nasal surgery. In paper 2, the study was designed as a randomized, controlled trial. 35 snoring men with mild or no OSA were randomized to either radiofrequency or sham surgery of the soft palate. Radiofrequency surgery was not found to be effective since there was no significant difference between the two groups in relation to the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) or apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) at follow-up. Paper 3 was a prospective study, including 28 patients with an AHI of >10 and with large tonsils. In these patients, tonsillectomy was an effective treatment for OSA; the mean AHI was reduced from 40 units/h to 7 units/h (p<0.001), and the mean ESS was reduced from 10.1 to 6.0 (p<0.001) at the six-month follow-up after surgery. Minor and moderate swallowing dysfunction was found in seven of eight patients investigated before surgery and the swallowing function improved in 5 of them after surgery, while no one deteriorated. In paper 4, we investigated the morphology and cytoarchitecture in normal soft palate muscles. Human limb muscles were used as reference. The findings showed that the soft palate muscle fibers have a cytoskeletal architecture and cellmembrane complex that differs from that of the limb muscles. Conclusions No case of death related to surgery was found among 4,876 patients treated with UPPP, UPP or nasal surgery for snoring or OSA in Sweden between 1997 and 2005. Radiofrequency surgery of the soft palate has no effect on daytime sleepiness, snoring or apnea frequency in snoring men with mild or no OSA. Tonsillectomy can be an effective treatment for OSA in adults with large tonsils. A subgroup of muscle fibers in the human soft palate appears to have special biomechanical properties and their unique cytoarchitecture must be taken into account while assessing function and pathology in oropharyngeal muscles. / Snarkning och obstruktiv sömnapné (OSA) är idag en global folksjukdom. Snarkning är det ”oljud” som uppstår när luftvägen under sömn förminskas och vävnaden börjar vibrera under andning. Vid obstruktiv sömnapné faller vävnaden samman och blockerar luftflödet till lungorna. Ett andningsuppehåll, en s.k. apné inträffar. Ett andningsuppehåll kan pågå allt ifrån några sekunder till mer än en minut och kan uppstå hundratals gånger per natt. För att klassificeras som en patologisk apné enligt internationell standard måste andningsuppehållet vara längre än 10 sek. Snarksjukdomen förvärras sannolikt över tid och övergår succesivt i obstruktiv sömnapné med ökande antal andningsuppehåll under sömn. Detta leder till ett stresspåslag för kroppen med oftast uttalad dagtrötthet och en mängd negativa hälsoeffekter. Snarksjukdom och sömnapné ökar risken för bl.a. högt blodtryck och hjärt-kärlsjukdom samt också för att den drabbade ska orsaka trafikolyckor på grund av försämrad koncentrationsförmåga och trötthet. En del av den negativa utvecklingen från snarkning till sömnapné anses bero på att snarkvibrationer kan ge neuromuskulära skador i gom och svalg. Dessa vävnadsskador anses också vara orsaken till att personer som snarkat länge ofta uppvisar störd sväljningsfunktion i form av felsväljning, där maten i uttalade fall hamnar i luftstrupen istället för i matstrupen. I dagsläget är förstahandsbehandling vid sömnapné CPAP, en mask som placeras över näsa och mun och som skapar ett övertryck i luftvägen vilket förhindrar att luftvägen faller samman och att andningsstopp uppstår. CPAP har enligt flera studier den bästa effekten mot andningsuppehåll. En annan vanlig behandling är en bettskena som för underkäken nedåt och framåt så att luftvägen bli mer öppen. Bettskenan är en vanlig och effektiv behandlingsmetod för personer utan kraftig övervikt vid vanemässig snarkning eller måttlig sömnapné. För ett tjugotal år sedan var kirurgi förstahandsmetoden vid behandling av snarkning och måttlig sömnapné. Man utförde då ofta operationer i svalg och gomm, s.k. gomplastiker. Bruket av kirurgisk behandling har dock minskat med tiden, dels p.g.a. biverkningar men också för att det saknades vetenskapliga studier som bevisade att kirurgin gav önskad och långsiktig effekt. Kirurgi utgör dock fortfarande ett komplement till behandling av snarkning och sömnapné när CPAP eller bettskena av olika skäl inte fungerar eller kan tolereras av patienten. 8 Även barn kan lida av snarkning och sömnapné men behandlingsprinciperna för barn skiljer sig från dem hos vuxna och berörs inte i avhandlingen. I denna avhandling studeras: i) biverkningsfrekvenser efter olika typer av snarkkirurgi, ii) effekten av radiovågsbehandling i mjuka gommen på vuxna män med snarkning, iii) effekten av att operera bort halsmandlarna på vuxna med sömnapné och stora halsmandlar, iv) muskelvävnadens struktur och molekylära uppbyggnad i mjuka gommen hos friska personer som inte snarkar. Avhandlingen består av fyra delstudier: 1. En registerstudie med kartläggning av svåra biverkningar efter kirurgi i form av uvulopalatopharyngoplastik, uvulupalatoplastik samt näskirurgi för behandling av sömnapné och snarkning och utfört i Sverige mellan åren 1997-2005. Studien omfattade 4 876 patienter. Inga dödsfall noterades. Komplikationsrisken var störst vid operationer där man tog bort delar av mjuka gommen samt halsmandlarna, där i snitt 37 av 1000 opererade fick biverkningar, framförallt p.g.a. infektioner eller blödningar. 2. I en prospektiv, randomiserad placebostudie utvärderades effekten av radiovågsbehandling i mjuka gommen vid snarkning och lindrig sömnapne. Trettiotvå patienter lottades till att få radiovågsbehandling eller placebo behandling. Patienterna visste inte vilken grupp de tillhörde. Vid uppföljning efter 12 månader var det inga statistiska belägg för att radiovågsbehandling minskade vare sig antal andningsuppehåll eller dagtrötthet. 3. Effekten av att ta bort halsmandlarna på patienter med stora halsmandlar och olika grad av sömnapné utvärderades i denna studie. Totalt deltog 28 patienter. Vid uppföljning 6 månader efter operationen hade antalet andningsuppehåll sjunkit drastiskt, från i snitt 40 till 7 andningsuppehåll per timme nattsömn. Inga allvarliga biverkningar uppstod. Dessa fynd talar för att man som förstahandsmetod ska erbjuda patienter med sömnapné och stora halsmandlar att ta bort halsmandlarna. 4. I detta projekt undersökte vi utseendet och uppbyggnaden av cellskelettet i två normala muskler i mjuka gommen hos friska personer utan känd snarkning och sömnapné. Muskler från armar och ben användes som referens. Fynden i studien visar att de normala muskelfibrernas uppbyggnad i mjuka gomen skiljer sig från jämförade muskler i armar och ben. Detta kan vara ett uttryck för en evolutionär utveckling för att möjligöra de komplexa funktioner som krävs av svalgets muskulatur. 9 Sammanfattningsvis kan vi konstatera: Att inga dödsfall har skett i Sverige efter operationer i gom, svalg eller näsa, utförda för att behandla snarkning och sömnapné under åren 1997 till 2005. Att radiovågsbehandling av mjuka gommen hos snarkande män med lindrig sömnapné inte har någon effekt på dagtrötthet, snarkning eller andningsuppehåll vid uppföljning efter 12 månader. Metoden kan därför inte rekommenderas. Att när man opererar bort stora halsmandlar på personer med andningsuppehåll så leder detta ofta till att andningsuppehållen minskar drastiskt. Metoden kan därför oftast rekommenderas som en förstahandsbehandling för denna patientgrupp. Att mjuka gommens muskelfibrer är uppbyggda på ett unikt sätt indikerar att deras specifika biomekaniska egenskaper skiljer sig från referens muskler i armar och ben.

Le présent mémoire porte sur la conception et le développement de deux antennes RF utilisées en imagerie par résonance magnétique. Ces antennes ont pour but de guider le futur développement d’une plateforme d’imagerie multi-animal qui servira les chercheurs du nouveau CRCHUM. Plus spécifiquement, ces antennes ont été conçues pour l’imagerie du proton à 1.5T. La première utilise une birdcage de type lowpass pour la partie émettrice et utilise 8 éléments de surface pour la partie réceptrice. La seconde antenne est une birdcage de type lowpass polarisée circulairement qui est utilisée à la fois pour l’émission et pour la réception. Cette dernière a présenté de bonnes performances, générant des images avec un SNR élevé et avec une bonne homogénéité, la rendant une bonne candidate pour la future plateforme. La première a présenté quelques problèmes au niveau de la désyntonisation de la birdcage et du couplage entre les éléments. Dans le cas où ces problèmes venaient à être surmontés, cette antenne aurait l’avantage de pouvoir utiliser des techniques d’imagerie parallèle et possiblement d’avoir un SNR plus élevé. / This master thesis focuses on the design and development of two RF coils used in magnetic resonance imaging. These coils are designed to guide the future development of a multi-animal imaging platform that will serve researchers of the new CRCHUM. More specifically, these coils were designed for proton imaging at 1.5T. The first uses a lowpass birdcage as transmitter and uses 8 surface elements for the receiving part. The second coil is a circularly polarized lowpass birdcage which is used both for transmission and for reception. The latter presented good performances, generating images with high SNR and good homogeneity, making it a good candidate for the future platform. The first one presented a few problems at the detuning of the birdcage and the coupling between the elements. In the case where these problems would be overcome, this coil would have the advantage of being able to use parallel imaging techniques and possibly to have a higher SNR.

Iron oxide nanoparticles have received sustained interest for biomedical applications as synthetic approaches are continually developed for precise control of nanoparticle properties. This thesis presents an investigation of parameters in the benzyl alcohol synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles. A modified seed growth method was designed for obtaining optimal nanoparticle properties for magnetic fluid hyperthermia. With a one or two addition process, iron oxide nanoparticles were produced with crystallite sizes ranging from 5-20 nm using only benzyl alcohol and iron precursor. The effects of reaction environment, temperature, concentration, and modified seed growth parameters were investigated to obtain precise control over properties affecting radiofrequency heat generation. The reaction A2-24(205)_B2-24(205) produced monodispersed (PDI=0.265) nanoparticles with a crystallite size of 19.5±1.06 nm and the highest radiofrequency heating rate of 4.48 (°C/min)/mg (SAR=1,175.56 W/g, ILP=3.1127 nHm2/kg) for the reactions investigated. The benzyl alcohol modified seed growth method offers great potential for synthesizing iron oxide nanoparticles for radiofrequency hyperthermia.

La supraconductivité induite par effet de proximité dans du graphène CVD macroscopique décoré de nanoparticules d'étain (G/Sn) est le thème central de cette thèse. Dans ce manuscrit, deux projets expérimentaux sont présentés. Le premier de ces projets a consisté à développer et étudier un nouveau matériau manipulable et flexible au sein duquel les corrélations supraconductrices s'étendent à des échelles macroscopiques. Ce matériau est un film composite qui résulte de l'empilement de trois ingrédients originaux: un film fin de parylène d'une épaisseur de quelques micromètres, une monocouche de graphène de plusieurs centimètres carrés et un film discontinu métallique obtenu par démouillage naturel de l'étain en surface du graphène.Des mesures de transport à basses températures ont permis de mettre en évidence l'émergence d'un effet de supraconductivité induite à l'échelle macroscopique. Le courant critique de la transition supraconductrice des films composites a pu être contrôlé par une tension de grille avec une sensibilité de cent nanoampères par volt. Le comportement sous champ magnétique transverse des films composites est similaire à celui des supraconducteurs comportant des joints de grains et est caractérisé, en particulier sous faible champ magnétique, par une forte sensibilité de la transition supraconductrice. Une étude approfondie a enfin montré que le matériau hybride G/Sn est un système percolant bidimensionnel qui se comporte, à l'approche de la transition supraconductrice, comme une jonction unique de taille micrométrique.Dans le cadre du second projet, des cavités supraconductrices radiofréquences (RF) ont été développées. Des pistes G/Sn ont été intégrées à ces circuits supraconducteurs dans l'optique de créer des résonateurs dont la fréquence de résonance est contrôlable par une tension de grille. Un procédé d'intégration de pistes G/Sn conjointement à plusieurs cavités à partir d'un seul transfert (pleine plaque) de graphène a été mis au point. Des mesures en transmission dans des conditions cryogéniques ont été effectuées pour caractériser ces dispositifs hybrides et étudier leur comportement dans le domaine RF. / Superconducting proximity effect in macroscopic CVD-grown graphene decorated by tin nanoparticles is the central topic of this thesis. In this manuscript, two experimental projects are presented.The first of these projects consisted in developing and studying a new easy to handle and flexible material in which superconducting correlations extend over macroscopic scales. This material is a composite film made from the stacking of three original components: a few micrometers thin plastic film in parylene, a several centimeters squares layer of graphene, and a cluster of nanoparticles achieved by natural dewetting of tin on the graphene surface.Cryogenic transport measurements highlighted an induced superconductivity on the scale of the studied composite films pieces dimensions, of the order of the centimetre square. The superconducting critical current of the composite films showed gate tunability of about one hundred nanoamperes by volt. The behaviour of the composite films under a transverse magnetic field is similar to the one of granular superconductors and is characterised, especially under weak transverse magnetic field, by a high sensitivity of the superconducting transition. An in-depth study showed that the G/Sn hybrid material is a bidimensional percolating system that, when approaching the superconducting transition, behaves like a single mesoscopic Josephson junction.Within the framework of the second project, superconducting radiofrequency (RF) cavities have been developed. G/Sn patches have been integrated into these superconducting circuits in order to build gate tunable resonators. A process allowing to integrate G/Sn patches jointly to a series of several cavities from a single graphene transfer have been developed. Transmission measurements in cryogenic conditions have been performed to characterise these hybrid devices and to study their radiofrequency response.

O objetivo desta dissertação é propor o projeto de amplificadores de baixo rudo (LNAs) do tipo banda estreita e banda larga em tecnologia CMOS. O projeto de LNAs de banda estreita é representado através de um método de otimização conhecido como programação geométrica. Também, neste trabalho foi projetada uma topologia para LNAs de banda larga, aplicando a programação geométrica durante a fase inicial de projeto. Os layouts de ambos os circuitos foram desenhados e fabricados usando três processos CMOS diferentes. O aumento da utilização de circuitos digitais está reduzindo e substituindo a quantidade de circuitos analógicos implementados nos sistemas atuais. Nos transceptores de radiofrequência, a maior parte dos circuitos foi substituída por circuitos digitais equivalentes. A razão para esta substituição é devido a sua escalabilidade, variações PVT (Process, Voltage and Temperature) baixas, e menor tempo de projeto, resultado de um fluxo altamente automatizado. A redução do tempo de projeto representa um time-to-market menor e custos mais baixos. No entanto, o amplificador de baixo rudo é um dos blocos de radiofrequência que permanecem principalmente no domínio analógico, tornando a redução do tempo de projeto mediante a otimização do fluxo analógico como um bom foco de estudo. O LNA deve ser capaz de receber um sinal de baixa potência e alta frequência, e amplificá-lo adicionando o menor rudo possível, mantendo o casamento de impedâncias, baixo consumo de potência, e uma linearidade adequada a fim de evitar a distorção. Nesta dissertação, a maioria das especificações de desempenho citadas são formuladas rigorosamente e descritas como um programa geométrico. Além disso, vários scripts são escritos de forma a automatizar o fluxo de projeto. A programação geométrica é considerada como uma boa opção porque se o problema de otimização tem solução, o resultado é o ponto de otimização global, e pode ser atingido rapidamente (na ordem de segundos). Para um LNA fonte comum de banda estreita, o problema de projeto é completamente formulado como um programa geométrico, e alguns parâmetros normalmente desprezados, como as não idealidades dos indutores CMOS e a capacitância portadreno do transistor MOS são considerados no projeto. O problema de otimização é resolvido em minutos e testado em cinco processos CMOS diferentes, e para diferentes frequências de operação entre 1,5 GHz e 5 GHz. Os resultados são comparados e validados através de simulações, e dois layouts de LNAs para 2,45 GHz foram desenhados, fabricados e testados usando dois processos de 0,18 mm diferentes. Neste trabalho, também foi formulado um LNA de banda larga com cancelamento de rudo, e um bloco LNA-Misturador de banda larga é projetado incluindo a programação geométrica no cálculo da impedância de entrada e o cancelamento de rudo. Os layouts de dois protótipos diferentes do bloco LNA-Misturador de banda larga, operando na faixa de frequência entre 1 GHz e 5 GHz, foram desenhados e fabricados usando um processo de 0,18 mm. / This dissertation proposes the design of CMOS narrowband and wideband low noise amplifiers. The design problem of narrowband LNAs is represented as an optimization problem known as geometric programming. Furthermore, a topology for wideband LNAs is designed including the geometric programming in an early stage of the design. Both type of circuits were layouted and fabricated using three different CMOS processes. The tendency to increase the number of applications for digital-intensive circuitry, is reducing and replacing the amount of analog circuits implemented on systems nowadays. In radiofrequency transceivers, most of the circuits have been replaced by a digital-intensive counterpart. Digital circuitry is preferred over the analog one due to its scalability, low PVT (Process, Voltage and Temperature) variations, and shorter designing time result of a highly automated flow. The reduction of the designing time represents a faster time-to-market and lower costs. However, the low noise amplifier is one of the radiofrequency blocks that remain mainly in the analog domain, thus reducing its designing time by optimizing an analog design flow become a good focus of study. The LNA should be capable of receiving a low power and high frequency signal and amplify it adding the minimum noise possible, while maintaining good impedance matching, low power consumption and an adequate linearity in order to avoid distortion. In this dissertation, most of the performance parameters aforementioned are formulated rigorously and described as a geometric program. Moreover, various scripts are written in order to automate the design flow. The geometric programming is considered a good option because if the optimization problem is feasible, the result is the global optimum and can be obtained in seconds. For a common source narrowband LNA, the design problem is fully formulated as a geometric program and some parameters commonly neglected, as the CMOS inductors non-idealities and the gate-drain capacitance of MOS transistor are considered. The optimization problem is solved in minutes and tested on five different CMOS processes at different operating frequencies between 1.5 GHz and 5 GHz. The results are compared and validated through simulations, and two layouts for 2.45 GHz LNAs are drawn, fabricated and tested using two different 0.18 mm processes. In addition, a noise canceling wideband LNA is formulated, and a wideband LNA-Mixer cell is designed by including the geometric programming to estimate the input impedance matching and assure the noise cancelation. The layouts of two different prototypes of the wideband LNA-Mixer cells for the 1 GHz-5 GHz frequency band are drawn and fabricated using a 0.18 mm process.

O objetivo desta dissertação é propor o projeto de amplificadores de baixo rudo (LNAs) do tipo banda estreita e banda larga em tecnologia CMOS. O projeto de LNAs de banda estreita é representado através de um método de otimização conhecido como programação geométrica. Também, neste trabalho foi projetada uma topologia para LNAs de banda larga, aplicando a programação geométrica durante a fase inicial de projeto. Os layouts de ambos os circuitos foram desenhados e fabricados usando três processos CMOS diferentes. O aumento da utilização de circuitos digitais está reduzindo e substituindo a quantidade de circuitos analógicos implementados nos sistemas atuais. Nos transceptores de radiofrequência, a maior parte dos circuitos foi substituída por circuitos digitais equivalentes. A razão para esta substituição é devido a sua escalabilidade, variações PVT (Process, Voltage and Temperature) baixas, e menor tempo de projeto, resultado de um fluxo altamente automatizado. A redução do tempo de projeto representa um time-to-market menor e custos mais baixos. No entanto, o amplificador de baixo rudo é um dos blocos de radiofrequência que permanecem principalmente no domínio analógico, tornando a redução do tempo de projeto mediante a otimização do fluxo analógico como um bom foco de estudo. O LNA deve ser capaz de receber um sinal de baixa potência e alta frequência, e amplificá-lo adicionando o menor rudo possível, mantendo o casamento de impedâncias, baixo consumo de potência, e uma linearidade adequada a fim de evitar a distorção. Nesta dissertação, a maioria das especificações de desempenho citadas são formuladas rigorosamente e descritas como um programa geométrico. Além disso, vários scripts são escritos de forma a automatizar o fluxo de projeto. A programação geométrica é considerada como uma boa opção porque se o problema de otimização tem solução, o resultado é o ponto de otimização global, e pode ser atingido rapidamente (na ordem de segundos). Para um LNA fonte comum de banda estreita, o problema de projeto é completamente formulado como um programa geométrico, e alguns parâmetros normalmente desprezados, como as não idealidades dos indutores CMOS e a capacitância portadreno do transistor MOS são considerados no projeto. O problema de otimização é resolvido em minutos e testado em cinco processos CMOS diferentes, e para diferentes frequências de operação entre 1,5 GHz e 5 GHz. Os resultados são comparados e validados através de simulações, e dois layouts de LNAs para 2,45 GHz foram desenhados, fabricados e testados usando dois processos de 0,18 mm diferentes. Neste trabalho, também foi formulado um LNA de banda larga com cancelamento de rudo, e um bloco LNA-Misturador de banda larga é projetado incluindo a programação geométrica no cálculo da impedância de entrada e o cancelamento de rudo. Os layouts de dois protótipos diferentes do bloco LNA-Misturador de banda larga, operando na faixa de frequência entre 1 GHz e 5 GHz, foram desenhados e fabricados usando um processo de 0,18 mm. / This dissertation proposes the design of CMOS narrowband and wideband low noise amplifiers. The design problem of narrowband LNAs is represented as an optimization problem known as geometric programming. Furthermore, a topology for wideband LNAs is designed including the geometric programming in an early stage of the design. Both type of circuits were layouted and fabricated using three different CMOS processes. The tendency to increase the number of applications for digital-intensive circuitry, is reducing and replacing the amount of analog circuits implemented on systems nowadays. In radiofrequency transceivers, most of the circuits have been replaced by a digital-intensive counterpart. Digital circuitry is preferred over the analog one due to its scalability, low PVT (Process, Voltage and Temperature) variations, and shorter designing time result of a highly automated flow. The reduction of the designing time represents a faster time-to-market and lower costs. However, the low noise amplifier is one of the radiofrequency blocks that remain mainly in the analog domain, thus reducing its designing time by optimizing an analog design flow become a good focus of study. The LNA should be capable of receiving a low power and high frequency signal and amplify it adding the minimum noise possible, while maintaining good impedance matching, low power consumption and an adequate linearity in order to avoid distortion. In this dissertation, most of the performance parameters aforementioned are formulated rigorously and described as a geometric program. Moreover, various scripts are written in order to automate the design flow. The geometric programming is considered a good option because if the optimization problem is feasible, the result is the global optimum and can be obtained in seconds. For a common source narrowband LNA, the design problem is fully formulated as a geometric program and some parameters commonly neglected, as the CMOS inductors non-idealities and the gate-drain capacitance of MOS transistor are considered. The optimization problem is solved in minutes and tested on five different CMOS processes at different operating frequencies between 1.5 GHz and 5 GHz. The results are compared and validated through simulations, and two layouts for 2.45 GHz LNAs are drawn, fabricated and tested using two different 0.18 mm processes. In addition, a noise canceling wideband LNA is formulated, and a wideband LNA-Mixer cell is designed by including the geometric programming to estimate the input impedance matching and assure the noise cancelation. The layouts of two different prototypes of the wideband LNA-Mixer cells for the 1 GHz-5 GHz frequency band are drawn and fabricated using a 0.18 mm process.

Le projet Iseult-Inumac mené au sein d’un consortium franco-allemand vise à développer les techniques associées à l’imagerie par résonance magnétique à ultra haut champ, notamment à travers la construction d’un imageur à 11,7 teslas. La résolution accrue du nouvel imageur devrait apporter une meilleure compréhension du système nerveux et de ses dysfonctionnements pour aboutir à un dépistage plus précoce des pathologies telles que la maladie d’Alzheimer, les accidents vasculaires cérébraux ou les tumeurs.La principale difficulté technique du projet, en dehors de la construction de l’aimant statique, réside dans la capacité d’émettre une onde électromagnétique d’amplitude uniforme dans tout le cerveau du patient : problème de l’inhomogénéité de B1 (ou radiofréquence). Une solution proposée consiste à utiliser une antenne réseau à transmission parallèle et des séquences d’excitation IRM spécifiques dites de compensation.Cette thèse se concentre sur la conception des antennes réseaux à transmission parallèle pour l’IRM à 7 et 11,7 T. Un prototype à 8 canaux indépendants utilisant une technologie innovante de résonateurs linéaires est présentée pour l’IRM 7 T. Il a été conçu par la simulation numérique. Un protocole de validation a été développé pour la caractérisation et l’analyse des performances des antennes réseaux. Le succès de cette validation a permis de développer par la simulation une nouvelle antenne à 12 canaux et une stratégie de pilotage innovante permettant de n’utiliser que 8 chaînes de pilotage au lieu de 12. Enfin, la même méthodologie a été appliquée pour concevoir et prédire les performances d’une antenne réseau à 11,7 T. / The Iseult-Inumac project led by a franco-german consortium aims at developing the ultra-high field MRI technologies, especially with the building of an 11.7 tesla scanner. The high resolution of this new scanner may improve the understanding of human nervous system and its dysfunctions in order to detect pathologies like the Alzheimer disease, strokes or tumors earlier.The biggest technical difficulty, besides the building of the static magnet itself, lies in the emission of a uniform electromagnetic wave in the entire brain of the patient. It is usually referred as to B1 (or RF) inhomogeneity issues. A solution consists in using a phased array RF coil and specific MRI sequences for shimming in a parallel transmit approach.This thesis deals with the study of parallel transmit phased arrays RF coils for 7 T and 11.7 T MRI. An eight independent channels prototype-coil that uses a new planar strip array technology is described for 7 T MRI. It was designed based on numerical simulation. A validation methodology has been developed for characterization and performance analysis of transmit phased arrays. After a successful validation of this first prototype, a more efficient 12-channel coil and a new driving strategy that only requires 8 driving channels instead of 12 were designed. Finally, the same methodology was applied to a phased array RF coil for 11.7 T MRI.

<div>Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an invaluable tool in health care. Despite its popularity, there is still an ever-increasing need for faster scans and better image quality. Multi-coil MRI, which uses multiple transmit and/or receive coils, holds the potential to address many of these MRI challenges. Multi-coil MRI systems can utilize parallel transmission (pTx) technology using multi-dimensional radio-frequency (RF) pulses for parallel excitation. The pTx platform is shown to be superior in high-field MRI. Therefore, this dissertation is focused on the RF pulse design and optimization on an MRI system with multiple transceiver coils.</div><div> </div><div>This dissertation addresses three major research topics. First, we investigate the optimization of pTx RF pulses when considering both transmitters and receivers of the MRI system. We term this framework multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) MRI. The RF pulse design method is modeled by minimizing the excitation error while simultaneously maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the reconstructed MR image. It further allows a key trade-off between the SNR and the excitation accuracy. Additionally, multiple acceleration factors, different numbers of used receive coils, maximum excitation error tolerance, and different excitation patterns are simulated and analyzed within this model. For a given excitation pattern, our method is shown to improve the SNR by 18-130% under certain acceleration schemes, as compared to conventional parallel transmission methods, while simultaneously controlling the excitation error in a desired scope.</div><div> </div><div>Second, we propose a pTx RF pulse design method that controls the peak local specific absorption rates (SARs) using a compressed set of SAR matrices. RF power, peak local SARs, excitation accuracy, and SNR are simultaneously controlled in the designed pTx RF pulses. An alternative compression method using k-means clustering algorithm is proposed for an upper-bounded estimation of peak local SARs. The performance of the pTx design method is simulated using a human head model and an eight-channel transceiver coil array. The proposed method reduces the 10-g peak local SAR by 44.6-54.2%, as compared to the unconstrained pTx approach, when it has a pre-defined lower bound of SNR and an upper bound of excitation error tolerance. The k-means clustering-based SAR compression model shows its efficiency as it generates a narrower and more accurate overestimation bound than the conventional SAR compression model.</div><div> </div><div>Finally, we propose two machine learning based pTx RF pulse design methods and test them for the ultra-fast pTx RF pulse prediction. The two methods proposed are the kernelized ridge regression (KRR) based pTx RF pulse design and the feedforward neural network (FNN) based pTx RF pulse design. These two methods learn the training pTx RF pulses from the extracted key features of their corresponding B1+ fields. These methods are compared with other supervised learning methods (nearest-neighbor methods, etc.). All learned pTx RF pulses should be reasonably SAR-efficient because training pTx RF pulses are SAR-efficient. Longer computation time and pre-scan time are the drawbacks of the current pTx approach, and we address this issue by instantaneously predicting pTx RF pulses using well-trained machine learning models.</div>