Dielectric enhanced dipoles for MRI — Approaching the ideal current pattern

In this work we present a systematic evaluation of the potential of combining dielectric materials with an array of electric dipoles for MRI. Design parameters include the permittivity and length of a dielectric sleeve, as well as the dipole length and position of the tuning inductors. Results show that the combined approach improves transmit efficiency and SNR by ~10 to 15 % compared to an optimized dipole array without dielectric sleeve. The resulting induced current densities reflect an improved correspondence with the ideal current pattern, which explains the gains in performance.