An Improved Hybrid MoM/FDTD Technique for MRI RF Coils Modeling Using Huygen's Equivalent Surface Method

In this work, an improved hybrid MoM/FDTD algorithm for modeling low to ultra high field MRI RF coil/sample interactions has been proposed. In our previous hybrid MoM/FDTD method, the accuracy of modeling MRI RF coils is generally hindered by two major issues, staircasing errors and rough approximation of the coil current distortions by electromagnetic reflections from sample. In view of this, a Huygen's equivalent surface method has been proposed to effectively bridge MoM and FDTD. In the improved hybrid MoM/FDTD algorithm, staircasing errors are eliminated, and most importantly the complex coil/tissue interactions are explicitly accounted for. The accuracy of the improved hybrid MoM/FDTD method is numerically verified with a well established hybrid Green function/MoM solution and also experimentally underpinned with MR images obtained using a prototype rotary phased array head coil.