NIST engineer Katy Keenan opens Phreddie, a phantom for calibrating MRI machines that is traceable to standardized values. The phantom is filled with small plastic containers of various salt solutions that mimic tissues of the human body.
Credit: R. Jacobson/NIST
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used in medicine to detect, diagnose and treat diseases such as cancer, while relying on experts’ interpretation of images. Quantitative MRI, which obtains numerical measurements during the scans, can now potentially offer greater accuracy, repeatability and speed — but rigorous quality control is needed for it to reach its full potential, according to a new study.
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) led the study by 11 institutions comparing measurements by 27 MRI scanners from three vendors at nine clinical sites around the country. To obtain reference values and disentangle sources of bias and variation, the study used a tissue stand-in, or “phantom,” originally developed at NIST for evaluating the performance of MRI machines and related software.
MRI uses magnetic fields and radio waves to visualize the body’s internal structures, especially soft tissues. Traditional MRI poses several challenges. In addition to subjective image analysis, MRI scanner performance may drift, or different machines may produce contradictory images of the same patient.
Quantitative MRI offers prospects for more consistent disease detection, diagnosis and treatment without the need for tissue biopsy. Ideally, numerical measurements of tumors and other disease markers could be reproduced across many different patients, scanners and clinics over time — and potentially reduce medical costs. Organizations such as the International ..
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