title: Evaluation of robust wave image processing methods for magnetic resonance elastography.
abstract: Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a promising modality for in vivo quantification and visualization of soft tissue elasticity. It involves three stages of processes for (1) external excitation, (2) wave imaging and (3) elasticity reconstruction. One of the important issues to be addressed in MRE is wave image processing and enhancement. In this study we approach it from three different ways including phase unwrapping, directional filtering and noise suppression. The relevant solutions were addressed briefly. Some of them were implemented and evaluated on both simulated and experimental MRE datasets. The results confirm that wave image enhancement is indispensable before carrying out MRE elasticity reconstruction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, P.O. Box 112, Tunxi Road 193, Hefei, China. Electronic address: bingoon@ieee.org.
authors.forename: Bing Nan
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, P.O. Box 112, Tunxi Road 193, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.affiliation: School of Automation, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China. Electronic address: xkarcher@126.com.
authors.forename: Kui
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.affiliation: School of Computer and Information, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: School of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Jinzhang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Neural and Biomedical Image Lab, Institute for Infocomm Research, Singapore.
authors.forename: Weimin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Precision Engineering, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Etsuko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D016477:Artifacts; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: Directional filtering; Magnetic resonance elastography; Noise suppression; Phase unwrapping