Reduction of partial-volume artifacts with zero-filled interpolation in three-dimensional MR angiography.
Partial-volume artifacts reduce vessel contrast and continuity (especially in small vessels) in magnetic resonance (MR) angiography. The authors applied zero-filled (band-limited) interpolation to three-dimensional (3D) MR angiograms to reduce partial-volume artifacts. They demonstrated that zero-filled interpolation can also be implemented by means of voxel shifting in real space. Voxel-shifted interpolation is much less computer memory intensive than conventional zero-filled interpolation. They numerically simulated the contrast loss due to partial-volume artifacts and contrast recovery obtained with zero-filled interpolation. Zero-filled interpolation in all three orthogonal directions was applied to 3D MR angiography data sets from 29 human studies. These studies were obtained with the three commonly used 3D MR angiography techniques: 3D time of flight, multislab 3D time of flight, and 3D phase contrast. A substantial improvement in vessel contrast and vessel continuity was observed in all cases.
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Medical Imaging Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Salt Lake City 84132.
Parker
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DL
Davis
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WL
Cao
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G
D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D016477:Artifacts; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D002941:Circle of Willis / Q000473:pathology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D012984:Software