What happens to noise and motion artefact when using surface coils?

When using surface coils in MRI, their design and sensitivity profile contribute to the way noise and motion artifacts are affected. Surface coils are built to be more sensitive to signals coming from tissues closer to the surface, which allows for higher signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) in the regions directly beneath the coil.

This heightened sensitivity results in an increased ability to detect and amplify the signal from the area of interest while minimizing noise from surrounding areas. Consequently, the impact of noise and motion artifacts is considerably reduced, as these are less pronounced in the regions that the surface coils effectively sample. Therefore, the spatial resolution and overall quality of the resultant images can be enhanced due to the more focused detection of the desired signals.

In contrast, the other effects of noise and motion artifacts can still be present; however, their overall influence is mitigated by the improved sensitivity characteristics of surface coils. This quality illustrates why coil sensitivity plays a vital role in achieving optimal imaging performance with surface coils in MRI.