Optimization of high-channel count, switch matrices for multinuclear, high-field MRI

Modern magnetic resonance imaging systems are equipped with a large number of receive connectors in order to optimally support a large field-of-view and/or high acceleration in parallel imaging using high-channel count, phased array coils. Given that the MR system is equipped with a limited number of digitizing receivers and in order to support operation of multinuclear coil arrays, these connectors need to be flexibly routed to the receiver outside the RF shielded examination room. However, for a number of practical, economic and safety reasons, it is better to only route a subset of the connectors. This is usually accomplished with the use of switch matrices. These exist in a variety of topologies and differ in routing flexibility and technological implementation. A highly flexible implementation is a crossbar topology that allows to any one input to be routed to any one output and can use single PIN diodes as active elements. However, in this configuration, long open-ended transmission lines can potentially remain connected to the signal path leading to high transmission losses. Thus, especially for high-field systems compensation mechanisms are required to remove the effects of open-ended transmission line stubs. The selection of a limited number of lumped element reactance values to compensate for the for the effect of transmission line stubs in large-scale switch matrices capable of supporting multi-nuclear operation is non-trivial and is a combinatorial problem of high order. Here, we demonstrate the use of metaheuristic approaches to optimize the circuit design of these matrices that additionally carry out the optimization of distances between the parallel transmission lines. For a matrix with 128 inputs and 64 outputs a realization is proposed that displays a worst-case insertion loss of 3.8 dB.