Parallel Imaging–Based Reduction of Acoustic Noise for Clinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Pierre, Eric Y.; Grodzki, David; Aandal, Gunhild; Heismann, Björn J.; Badve, Chaitra; Gulani, Vikas; Sunshine, Jeffrey L.; Schluchter, Mark D.; Liu, Kecheng; Griswold, Mark A.

doi:10.1097/rli.0000000000000062

Cited by 21 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Most recently, these nearly inaudible scanning techniques have become commercially available. [ 6 , 7 , 25 ] Still, further comparative research with conventional scan methods is needed prior to commonplace clinical use.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Software-based noise reduction in cranial magnetic resonance imaging: Influence on image quality

et al. 2018

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ObjectivesTo investigate acoustic noise reduction, image quality and white matter lesion detection rates of cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans acquired with and without sequence-based acoustic noise reduction software.Material and methodsThirty-one patients, including 18 men and 13 women, with a mean age of 58.3±14.5 years underwent cranial MRI. A fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequence was acquired with and without acoustic noise reduction using the Quiet Suite (QS) software (Siemens Healthcare). During data acquisition, peak sound pressure levels were measured with a sound level meter (Testo, Typ 815). In addition, two observers assessed subjective image quality for both sequences using a five-point scale (1 very good—5 inadequate). Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was measured for both sequences in the following regions: white matter, gray matter, and cerebrospinal fluid. Furthermore, lesion detection rates in white matter pathologies were evaluated by two observers for both sequences. Acoustic noise, image quality including SNR and white matter lesion detection rates were compared using the Mann-Whitney-U-test.ResultsPeak sound pressure levels were slightly but significantly reduced using QS, P≤0.017. Effective sound pressure, measured in Pascal, was decreased by 19.7%. There was no significant difference in subjective image quality between FLAIR sequences acquired without/with QS: observer 1: 2.03/2.07, P = 0.730; observer 2: 1.98/2.10, P = 0.362. In addition, SNR was significantly increased in white matter, P≤0.001, and gray matter, P = 0.006, using QS. The lesion detection rates did not decline utilizing QS: observer 1: P = 0.944 observer 2: P = 0.952.ConclusionsSequence-based noise reduction software such as QS can significantly reduce peak sound pressure levels, without a loss of subjective image quality and increase SNR at constant lesion detection rates.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Software-based noise reduction in cranial magnetic resonance imaging: Influence on image quality

et al. 2018

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“…Sequences such as EPI and TSE, which are commonly used for fMRI and diffusion imaging, are prone to blurring, distortion, and signal dropout due to long echo train lengths, which can be mitigated using GRAPPA [56–58]. Another interesting application of parallel imaging techniques such as GRAPPA is reducing acoustic noise for better patient comfort [59]. …”

Section: Representative Parallel Imaging Techniques: Sense Grappamentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent advances in parallel imaging for MRI

Hamilton

Franson

Seiberlich

2017

Progress in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

161

110

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Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an essential technology in modern medicine. However, one of its main drawbacks is the long scan time needed to localize the MR signal in space to generate an image. This review article summarizes some basic principles and recent developments in parallel imaging, a class of image reconstruction techniques for shortening scan time. First, the fundamentals of MRI data acquisition are covered, including the concepts of k-space, undersampling, and aliasing. It is demonstrated that scan time can be reduced by sampling a smaller number of phase encoding lines in k-space; however, without further processing, the resulting images will be degraded by aliasing artifacts. Nearly all modern clinical scanners acquire data from multiple independent receiver coil arrays. Parallel imaging methods exploit properties of these coil arrays to separate aliased pixels in the image domain or to estimate missing k-space data using knowledge of nearby acquired k-space points. Three parallel imaging methods—SENSE, GRAPPA, and SPIRiT—are described in detail, since they are employed clinically and form the foundation for more advanced methods. These techniques can be extended to non-Cartesian sampling patterns, where the collected k-space points do not fall on a rectangular grid. Non-Cartesian acquisitions have several beneficial properties, the most important being the appearance of incoherent aliasing artifacts. Recent advances in simultaneous multi-slice imaging are presented next, which use parallel imaging to disentangle images of several slices that have been acquired at once. Parallel imaging can also be employed to accelerate 3D MRI, in which a contiguous volume is scanned rather than sequential slices. Another class of phase-constrained parallel imaging methods takes advantage of both image magnitude and phase to achieve better reconstruction performance. Finally, some applications are presented of parallel imaging being used to accelerate MR Spectroscopic Imaging.

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“…For these reasons, there have been many approaches proposed to reduce or eliminate the acoustic noise . Instead of trying to eliminate the sound of the scanner, we hypothesize that making the sounds pleasant would also increase patient comfort.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Music‐based magnetic resonance fingerprinting to improve patient comfort during MRI examinations

Pierre

Jiang

et al. 2015

Magnetic Resonance in Med

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Purpose The unpleasant acoustic noise is an important drawback of almost every magnetic resonance imaging scan. Instead of reducing the acoustic noise to improve patient comfort, a method is proposed to mitigate the noise problem by producing musical sounds directly from the switching magnetic fields while simultaneously quantifying multiple important tissue properties. Theory and Methods MP3 music files were converted to arbitrary encoding gradients, which were then used with varying flip angles and TRs in both 2D and 3D MRF exam. This new acquisition method named MRF-Music was used to quantify T1, T2 and proton density maps simultaneously while providing pleasing sounds to the patients. Results The MRF-Music scans were shown to significantly improve the patients' comfort during the MRI scans. The T1 and T2 values measured from phantom are in good agreement with those from the standard spin echo measurements. T1 and T2 values from the brain scan are also close to previously reported values. Conclusions MRF-Music sequence provides significant improvement of the patient's comfort as compared to the MRF scan and other fast imaging techniques such as EPI and TSE scans. It is also a fast and accurate quantitative method that quantifies multiple relaxation parameter simultaneously.

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Parallel Imaging–Based Reduction of Acoustic Noise for Clinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Abstract: Standard clinical magnetic resonance imaging protocols can be made quieter through adequate gradient wave form optimization. In scans with high signal-to-noise ratio, parallel imaging can be used to further reduce acoustic noise.

Cited by 21 publications

References 24 publications

Software-based noise reduction in cranial magnetic resonance imaging: Influence on image quality

Software-based noise reduction in cranial magnetic resonance imaging: Influence on image quality

Recent advances in parallel imaging for MRI

Music‐based magnetic resonance fingerprinting to improve patient comfort during MRI examinations

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