Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Oct;90(4):1547-1554.
doi: 10.1002/mrm.29747. Epub 2023 Jun 22.

Acoustic noise reduction for spiral MRI by gradient derating

Zeyu Zhou  1 , Abdulrahman Alfayad  1 , Tzu Cheng Chao  1 , James G Pipe  1
Affiliations

Acoustic noise reduction for spiral MRI by gradient derating

Zeyu Zhou et al. Magn Reson Med. 2023 Oct.

Abstract

Purpose: To show that the acoustic noise of spiral MRI can be reduced by derating the gradients with minimal penalty to image quality and scan time, and to illustrate an algorithm for optimal choice of derating parameters.

Theory and methods: Acoustic noise level was measured and compared for various values of maximum gradient amplitude and slew rate for T1 -weighted spin-echo spiral scans while maintaining image contrast, FOV and resolution, and readout time. A full gradient trajectory and a derated gradient (undersampled) trajectory were chosen for a volunteer scan followed by parallel imaging-aided reconstruction to illustrate comparable image SNR. Two auto-derating methods, which prioritize slew rate and gradient amplitude, respectively, were derived using analytical results from the WHIRLED PEAS variant of spiral waveforms and compared in their acoustic noise level under test use cases.

Results: Derating the gradients made the scan quieter by 16.6 dB(A) on average than a full gradient trajectory and required an undersampling factor R = 2 in order to maintain scan time, with no appreciable penalty in image SNR. Prioritizing reduced slew rate resulted in maximal loudness reduction.

Conclusion: Scanner gradients can often be derated to reduce the acoustic noise for spiral MRI with minimal penalty in scan time and image quality with the help of parallel imaging. An automatic slew-priority derating method that maximizes loudness reduction is given.

Keywords: acoustic noise reduction; auto-derating; parallel imaging; spiral MRI.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. McJury M, Shellock FG. Auditory noise associated with MR procedures: a review. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2000;12:37-45.
    1. Heismann B, Ott M, Grodzki D. Sequence-based acoustic noise reduction of clinical MRI scans. Magn Reson Med. 2015;73:1104-1109.
    1. Edelstein WA, Hedeen RA, Mallozzi RP, El-Hamamsy SA, Ackermann RA, Havens TJ. Making MRI quieter. Magn Reson Imaging. 2002;20:155-163.
    1. Hennel F, Girard F, Loenneker T. “Silent” MRI with soft gradient pulses. Magn Reson Med. 1999;42:6-10.
    1. Alibek S, Vogel M, Sun W, et al. Acoustic noise reduction in MRI using silent scan: an initial experience. Diagn Interv Radiol. 2014;20:360-363.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources