Image reconstruction in SNR units: A general method for SNR measurement

Peter Kellman, Elliot R. McVeigh

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

326 Scopus citations

Abstract

The method for phased array image reconstruction of uniform noise images may be used in conjunction with proper image scaling as a means of reconstructing images directly in SNR units. This facilitates accurate and precise SNR measurement on a per pixel basis. This method is applicable to root-sum-of-squares magnitude combining, B1-weighted combining, and parallel imaging such as SENSE. A procedure for image reconstruction and scaling is presented, and the method for SNR measurement is validated with phantom data. Alternative methods that rely on noise only regions are not appropriate for parallel imaging where the noise level is highly variable across the field-of-view. The purpose of this article is to provide a nuts and bolts procedure for calculating scale factors used for reconstructing images directly in SNR units. The procedure includes scaling for noise equivalent bandwidth of digital receivers, FFTs and associated window functions (raw data filters), and array combining.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1439-1447
Number of pages9
JournalMagnetic Resonance in Medicine
Volume54
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2005
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • MRI
  • Noise
  • Parallel MRI
  • Phased array
  • SENSE
  • SNR measurement

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging
  • Radiological and Ultrasound Technology

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