• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.42-49
• /
• 2004

Purpose : The quantization noise in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems is analyzed. The signal-to-quantization noise ratio (SQNR) in the reconstructed image is derived from the level of quantization in the signal in spatial frequency domain. Based on the derived formula, the SQNRs in various main magnetic fields with different receiver systems are evaluated. From the evaluation, the quantization noise could be a major noise source determining overall system signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in high field MRI system. A few methods to reduce the quantization noise are suggested. Materials and methods : In Fourier imaging methods, spin density distribution is encoded by phase and frequency encoding gradients in such a way that it becomes a distribution in the spatial frequency domain. Thus the quantization noise in the spatial frequency domain is expressed in terms of the SQNR in the reconstructed image. The validity of the derived formula is confirmed by experiments and computer simulation. Results : Using the derived formula, the SQNRs in various main magnetic fields with various receiver systems are evaluated. Since the quantization noise is proportional to the signal amplitude, yet it cannot be reduced by simple signal averaging, it could be a serious problem in high field imaging. In many receiver systems employing analog-to-digital converters (ADC) of 16 bits/sample, the quantization noise could be a major noise source limiting overall system SNR, especially in a high field imaging. Conclusion : The field strength of MRI system keeps going higher for functional imaging and spectroscopy. In high field MRI system, signal amplitude becomes larger with more susceptibility effect and wider spectral separation. Since the quantization noise is proportional to the signal amplitude, if the conversion bits of the ADCs in the receiver system are not large enough, the increase of signal amplitude may not be fully utilized for the SNR enhancement due to the increase of the quantization noise. Evaluation of the SQNR for various systems using the formula shows that the quantization noise could be a major noise source limiting overall system SNR, especially in three dimensional imaging in a high field imaging. Oversampling and off-center sampling would be an alternative solution to reduce the quantization noise without replacement of the receiver system.

• Progress in Medical Physics
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.105-113
• /
• 2006

This study peformed to confirm the corrected dose In different electron density materials using the superposition/FFT convolution method in radiotherapy Planning system. The experiments of the $K_2HPO_4$ diluted solution for bone substitute, Cork for lung and n-Glucose for soft tissue are very close to effective atomic number of tissue materials. The image data acquisited from the 110 KVp and 130 KVp CT scanner (Siemes, Singo emotions). The electron density was derived from the CT number (H) and adapted to planning system (Xio, CMS) for heterogeneity correction. The heterogeneity tissue phantom used for measurement dose comparison to that of delivered computer planning system. In the results, this investigations showed the CT number is highly affected in photoelectric effect in high Z materials. The electron density in a given energy spectrum showed the relation of first order as a function of H in soft tissue and bone materials, respectively. In our experiments, the ratio of electron density as a function of H was obtained the 0.001026H+1.00 in soft tissue and 0.000304H+1.07 for bone at 130 KVp spectrum and showed 0.000274H+1.10 for bone tissue in low 110 KVp. This experiments of electron density calibrations from CT number used to decide depth and length of photon transportation. The Computed superposition and FFT convolution dose showed very close to measurements within 1.0% discrepancy in homogeneous phantom for 6 and 15 MV X rays, but it showed -5.0% large discrepancy in FFT convolution for bone tissue correction of 6 MV X rays. In this experiments, the evaluated doses showed acceptable discrepancy within -1.2% of average for lung and -2.9% for bone equivalent materials with superposition method in 6 MV X rays. However the FFT convolution method showed more a large discrepancy than superposition in the low electron density medium in 6 and 15 MV X rays. As the CT number depends on energy spectrum of X rays, it should be confirm gradient of function of CT number-electron density regularly.