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    Medical Equipment / Tools

    T13.6 - Design and Characterization of a 64 MHz Power Amplifier for Continuous Arterial Spin Labeling

    Wednesday, March 25, 2026
    10:40 AM - 11:00 AM CT
    Location: 217A
    Perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive technique for quantifying tissue blood flow. The widely adopted Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) method uses magnetically labeled arterial blood as an endogenous tracer, thereby eliminating the need for exogenous contrast agents. Although dedicated RF coil systems can enhance labeling efficiency and reduce coupling artifacts, they impose stringent requirements on the associated radio-frequency (RF) amplifiers. In particular, continuous ASL (CASL) demands higher operating frequencies, increased transmit power, and rapid switching capability. In this paper, we present an MRI-compatible RF power amplifier designed to address these requirements. The amplifier operates at 64~MHz with a 2~MHz bandwidth, delivers up to 9~W of output power, and achieves a fast transition time of less than 40 ns. The system was validated through testing under a $\mathbf{50~\Omega}$ load as well as in a real MRI environment using a labeling coil to modulate MRI signals.