Multi-channel Electromagnetic Interference Elimination for Shielding-free MRI Using Null Operations

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Emerging technologies enable radio frequency (RF) shielding-free magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), reducing costs and improving accessibility.
• Existing electromagnetic interference (EMI) elimination methods often require multiple external sensors, which can compromise performance when fewer sensors are used.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a robust EMI elimination method for shielding-free MRI that requires fewer or no external sensors.
• To leverage inter-channel correlation in multi-channel MRI for improved EMI suppression.

Main Methods:

• Propose a novel method for multi-channel EMI elimination in shielding-free MRI using null operations (MEENO).
• MEENO fully exploits the inter-channel correlation across RF receiving and EMI sensing channels.
• Evaluated the method through simulation studies and human brain imaging.

Main Results:

• The MEENO approach effectively eliminates EMI artifacts in shielding-free MRI.
• MEENO outperforms existing methods, especially when using a limited number of sensors.
• Demonstrated superior performance in signal-to-noise ratio and reduced residual EMI levels.

Conclusions:

• Introduced MEENO, a method for EMI elimination in multi-channel MRI using null operations.
• MEENO leverages inter-channel correlation for superior performance, particularly with limited sensors.
• This method offers a more cost-effective and robust solution for EMI elimination in shielding-free MRI, requiring fewer or no external sensors.