title: Quiet MR sequences in clinical routine: initial experience in abdominal imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Purpose of our study was to demonstrate the feasibility and limitations of acoustic noise reduction in a standard clinical MRI protocol for abdominal imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Acoustic noise and image quality were assessed in 17 patients for a standard liver imaging protocol including TSE and GRE sequences and compared to quiet optimizations as described by Heismann et al. Two blinded readers scored artifacts, the delineation of the abdominal organs and level of diagnostic confidence. Means of the sound level measurements, the ratings and the measurement of SNR and CNR were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant reduction of acoustic noise was measured for T2 TSE (-30.7%), T2 HASTE (-22.6%) and less difference for T1 DIXON (-4.7%) and T1 FLASH (-2.7%). SNR and CNR were lower for quiet T2 TSE (-18.0%, -23.1%) and T2 HASTE (-46.2%, -37.7%) and higher for T1 DIXON (+32.0%, +24.4%). Inter-rater correlation was k = 0.987 with p < 0.001.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although sequence-based noise optimizations faces problems in T1 FLASH and DIXON sequences, there is an important acoustic benefit in T2 TSE and T2 HASTE sequences, which goes along with a maintained image quality and diagnostic confidence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany. sebastian.fischer@kgu.de.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Magnetic Resonance, Siemens AG, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Grodzki
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physics, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Domschke
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Moritz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Albrecht
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bodelle
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eichler
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hammerstingl
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Vogl
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Alb Fils Hospital, Göppingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zangos
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000465:Algorithms; D016477:Artifacts; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008144:Loudness Perception; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009622:Noise / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: Acoustic noise reduction; Image quality; Patient comfort; Quiet MRI