Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 30, 2026
15:48
Tracking the Mammary Architectural Features and Detecting Breast Cancer with Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Published on: December 15, 2014
23.5K
A body-sized phantom for evaluation of diffusion-weighted MRI data using conventional, readout-segmented, and zoomed
Toni Ihalainen1, Linda Kuusela2, Maiju Soikkeli3
1HUS Medical Imaging Center, Radiology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland toni.ihalainen@hus.fi.
Acta Radiologica (Stockholm, Sweden : 1987)
|November 7, 2015
Summary
A new body-sized phantom aids abdominal diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) quality assurance. Specific MRI techniques like readout-segmented EPI and patient-specific B1 shim significantly reduce image artifacts, improving DWI quality.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Radiology
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Background:
- Abdominal diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is increasingly utilized.
- Developing phantoms and quality assurance methods is crucial for evaluating new DWI techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To construct a body-diameter phantom for abdominal DWI.
- To assess the impact of various acquisition options on DWI image quality.
Main Methods:
- A 31 cm diameter, 26 L phantom with samples of varying apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values was created.
- Measurements were performed on 1.5T and 3.0T MRI systems using conventional EPI, readout-segmented EPI, and zoomed EPI sequences.
- The effects of parallel imaging, coil intensity normalization, and patient-specific B1 shim were evaluated, alongside ADC measurements, SNR, and artifact assessment.
Main Results:
- Readout-segmented EPI showed slightly higher ADC values and slice-direction variations.
- Image artifacts were notably reduced with patient-specific B1 shim, readout-segmented EPI, and zoomed EPI.
Conclusions:
- The body-sized phantom effectively demonstrated expected artifacts in large field-of-view abdominal DWI.
- Utilizing patient-specific B1 shim, readout-segmented EPI, or zoomed EPI enhances DWI image quality.
