title: Development of a calibration phantom set for MRI temperature imaging system quality assurance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) temperature imaging systems need to be routinely calibrated to guarantee accurate temperature results and qualified MRI. No independent physical temperature calibration phantom (TCP) set is currently available. An economical TCP set was developed to routinely ensure the quality of MRI temperature imaging system.
  
  
  METHODS
  The novel TCP was constructed using a heating unit, temperature sensor, and MRI phantom liquid. A specialized heating unit was developed using carbon fibers. The TCP set design was an integration of the TCP, temperature measurement unit, display unit, and control unit. The proposed MRI calibration kit, which is a combination of the TCP set and standard MRI phantom, was used in the MRI thermometry calibration and MRI quality calibration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The TCP set provided an efficient, accurate, and homogeneous temperature map as the reference standard temperature for calibration. Accuracy and heating efficiency of the TCP set were 1°C and 1°C/minute, respectively. Calibration of the MRI thermometry and MRI quality were implemented successfully.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proposed TCP set is completely compatible with the MRI system and can be used to calibrate MRI thermometry and MRI quality to ensure the quality performance of the MRI temperature imaging system.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xuegang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.forename: Jijun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yanqiu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Qianjin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Wufan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D002681:China; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging / Q000592:standards*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D013817:Thermography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards*