title: Quality assurance of clinical MRI scanners using ACR MRI phantom: preliminary results.
abstract: Clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners play an important role in the diagnosis of diseases and management of patient treatment. Quality assurance (QA) of the clinical MRI scanners is mandatory to obtain optimal images in a modern hospital. In this report, the phantom test for the American College of Radiology (ACR) MRI accreditation is used as the essential part of the MRI QA protocols. Seven important assessments of MR image quality are included as follows: geometric accuracy, high-contrast resolution, slice thickness accuracy, slice position accuracy, image intensity uniformity, percent signal ghosting, and low-contrast object detectability. In addition, signal-to-noise ratio and central frequency are monitored as well. The MRI QA procedures were applied to four clinical MRI scanners in our institute twice within 3 months. According to the QA results, the service engineers were more efficient in solving scanners problems when the ACR phantom test was run.
authors.affiliation: MRI Center, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Chuan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yung-Liang
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Yau-Yau
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Wai
authors.forename: Ho-Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care