An open source automatic quality assurance (OSAQA) tool for the ACR MRI phantom

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiology
• Software Development

Background:

• Routine quality assurance (QA) is crucial for maintaining Magnetic Resonance (MR) scanner performance.
• Manual QA processes are time-consuming and prone to human error, impacting efficiency and consistency.
• Key QA parameters include geometric distortion, slice accuracy, spatial resolution, and uniformity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an open-source software tool, OSAQA, for automating MR QA procedures.
• To increase physicist efficiency and improve the consistency of QA results by minimizing human error.
• To provide a downloadable solution for accessible MR QA automation.

Main Methods:

• The OSAQA software was developed using Matlab, with source code made publicly available.
• The tool automates various QA tests, including geometric distortion, slice accuracy, spatial resolution, and intensity uniformity.
• A user-specific contrast evaluation was implemented for improved accuracy across different display monitors.

Main Results:

• OSAQA significantly reduced QA time from approximately 45 minutes to 2 minutes.
• Results from OSAQA showed excellent agreement with manual QA methods and met recommended criteria.
• The software was validated across MR scanners with varying field strengths and manufacturers.

Conclusions:

• The OSAQA software provides an efficient and reliable solution for automating MR QA.
• Automated QA enhances physicist productivity and ensures consistent, high-quality MR imaging.
• Future improvements may involve optimizing phantom design and QA protocols.