Performance Specifications of a 0.15 Tesla Medical Magnetic Resonance Unit

William Pavlicek; Thomas F. Meaney

doi:10.1117/12.936031

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13 December 1983 Performance Specifications of a 0.15 Tesla Medical Magnetic Resonance Unit

William Pavlicek, Thomas F. Meaney

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Proceedings Volume 0419, Application of Optical Instrumentation in Medicine XI; (1983) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.936031
Event: Application of Optical Instrumentation in Medicine XI, 1983, Atlanta, United States

Abstract

In October 1982, medical magnetic resonance (MMR) clinical trials were initiated using a 0.15 Tesla resistive magnet. Measurement of standard image quality parameters were attempted in the first months following the installation. MMR signal strength is a complex interaction of tissue Tl, T2, spin density, and flow (including diffusion). Further, the operator selectable controls of TE (time to echo), TR (repetition time), and TI (inversion time) all tend to complicate any unique specification of the MMR signal. However, MMR can be approached from a conventional tomographic imaging problem. Image quality in MMR1suffers from partial volume affects and thus spatial resolution including slice thickness must be specified. System noise with MMR differs from all other conventional radiographic imaging modalities in that the sgurce of noise does not include a component that is derived from the statistical nature of the signal. Uniformity of signal response over an imaging volume in MMR is a prerequisite for quality examinations. Failure of the RF coil to provide a uniform secondary magnetic field results in a tip angle of other than the desired value. The spatial dependency of the secondary magnetic field is a function of the coil design.

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William Pavlicek and Thomas F. Meaney "Performance Specifications of a 0.15 Tesla Medical Magnetic Resonance Unit", Proc. SPIE 0419, Application of Optical Instrumentation in Medicine XI, (13 December 1983); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.936031

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