Correction of slab boundary artifact using histogram matching.
OBJECTIVE
To improve the imaging efficiency of multi-slab three-dimensional acquisitions by decreasing slab overlap and the number of blanked slices.


METHODS
Application of the histogram matching technique for correction of the slab boundary artifact (SBA) due to non-ideal radiofrequency pulse profiles has been proposed. The technique was validated by studying its effectiveness in reducing the SBA in phantom images, as well as in proton density- and T2-weighted brain images.


RESULTS
The correction algorithm considerably decreases the disruption of image volume continuity due to the SBA, and improves slice-to-slice intensity continuity.


CONCLUSIONS
The proposed technique can greatly reduce the SBA when the SBA can be described as a global intensity variation along the slab. The technique may be used to improve imaging efficiency of the multi-slab three-dimensional fast spin-echo sequences by decreasing the amount of required slab overlap.
Kholmovski
Eugene G
EG
Department of Physics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108, USA. evgeni@physics.utah.edu
Alexander
Andrew L
AL
Parker
Dennis L
DL
D000465:Algorithms; D016477:Artifacts; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging