MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING

Module #8 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

Lesson title: IMAGING TECHNIQUES – SNR & BASIC IMAGING Materials:

PRINCIPLES (MAGNETIC FIELD GRADIENT & FREQUENCY Electronic gadget, pen, & notebook
ENCODING)

Learning Targets: References:

At the end of the module, students will be able to:
1. Describe the SNR and its role in MRI scanning;
2. List the factors that can be utilized to improve the SNR;
3. Demonstrate the process in measuring the SNR;
4. Identify the concept of magnetic field gradient in imaging
principles; and,
5. Define the frequency encoding.
Hornak, J. P. (2020). The basics of MRI.
https://www.cis.rit.edu/htbooks/mri/inside.htm
Redpath, T. W. (1998). Signal-to-noise ratio in
MRI. ResearchGate. doi:
10.1259/bjr.71.847.9771379

A. LESSON PREVIEW/REVIEW

Let us have a quick review of what you have learned from the previous session. Kindly answer the posted task/question
on the space provided. You may use the back page of this sheet, if necessary.

Describe the significance of transverse magnetization vector in rotating frame of reference.

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B. MAIN LESSON

SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO (SNR) IN MRI

 SNR is a generic term which, in radiology, is a measure of true signal (i.e. reflecting actual anatomy) to noise (e.g.
random quantum mottle).
 On MRI, the SNR is measured frequently by calculating the difference in signal intensity between the area of
interest and the background (usually chosen from the air surrounding the object).
 Clinical MRI quality depends crucially on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) available from the system transducer, in
this case the receiving coil, which yields a small radiofrequency (RF) voltage when nuclear magnetic dipoles are
excited to precess within it.
 Noise is like interferences which present as an irregular granular pattern.
o This random variation in signal intensity degrades image information.
o The main source of noise in the image is the patient's body (RF emission due to thermal motion).
o The whole measurement chain of the MR scanner (coils, electronics. etc.) also contributes to the noise.
o This noise corrupts the signal coming from the transverse magnetization variations of the intentionally
excited spins (on the selected slice plane).

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 MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
Module #8 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

 In air, any signal present should be noise. The difference between the signal and the background noise is divided
by the standard deviation of the signal from the background - an indication of variability of the background noise.
 SNR is proportional to the volume of the voxel and to the square root of the number of averages and phase steps
(assuming constant-sized voxels).
o Since averaging and increasing the phase steps takes time, SNR is related closely to the acquisition time.

 On MRI, the SNR can be improved by:

1. volume acquisition as compared to 2D imaging, but imaging time is increased
2. spin-echo sequences as compared to gradient echo
3. decreasing the noise by reducing the bandwidth, using surface coils, and increasing the number of
excitations
4. increasing the signal by decreasing the TE (time to echo) and increasing the TR (time to repeat), slice
thickness, or field of view

 SNR can be improved by tweaking scan parameters. Assuming all other factors remain the same, SNR can be
improved by:
1. increasing the field of view (FOV)
2. decreasing the matrix size
3. increasing the slice thickness

 The SNR depends both on some factors that are beyond the operator's control (the MR scanner specifications
and pulse sequence design) and on factors that the user can change:
1. Fixed factors: static field intensity, pulse sequence design, tissue characteristics
2. Factors under the operator's control:
 RF coil to be used
 Sequence parameters: voxel size (limiting spatial resolution), number of averaging, receiver
bandwidth

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 MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
Module #8 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

 The latest MR scanners have considerably higher SNR than the prototype machines of the late 1970s and early
1980s, owing to the use of higher field strength magnets and to improvements in RF receiving coil design.
 Modern imaging techniques often demand very high speed and spatial resolution, so that the highest possible
SNR is still required to avoid poor image quality.

 Measuring SNR:
o The projection method of SNR measurement was proposed with the aim of bringing some order to
comparisons between different scanners and manufacturers.
o McRobbie has recently proposed making SNR measurements using a standard phantom with known
relaxation times, and a loading annulus of known electrical conductivity and geometry so that RF loading
effects are standardized.
 Conventional selective 2D spin echo images are acquired with measurements normalized to unit
volume and 1 Hz bandwidth.
 For accurate results, this method still requires knowledge of slice profile.
 The strength of the method that the maximum possible SNR achievable for the phantom can be
calculated for conventional RF coils, providing the RF field can be assumed to be homogeneous
over the whole phantom, for comparison with the measured result.
 The calculation of the maximum achievable SNR assumes that the RF coil itself is noiseless.

o For transmit–receive coils, the maximum SNR achievable from any patient or test object can be estimated
from the net forward power needed produce a 90° RF pulse of known shape.
 The advantage of this approach is that no assumptions need to be made about RF homogeneity,
or about the size, shape or composition of the patient or phantom being imaged, as detailed
knowledge of RF loading is not needed.
 The SNR estimated from the forward power measurement does include noise coming from the
coil itself, as well as that from the patient or phantom.
 For quality assurance and acceptance testing transmit–receive coils, often the most frequently
used on many systems, a combination of the standard phantom method of SNR measurement
and the forward power method would appear to have advantages, in that considerable prior
knowledge of the expected result is available.

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 MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
Module #8 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

Basic Imaging Principles:

INTRODUCTION
 MRI is an imaging modality which is primarily used to construct pictures of the NMR signal from the hydrogen
atoms in an object.
 In medical MRI, radiologists are most interested
in looking at the NMR signal from water and fat,
the major hydrogen containing components of the
human body.
 The principle behind all MRI is the resonance
equation, which shows that the resonance
frequency ν of a spin is proportional to the
magnetic field, B0, it is experiencing.
o γ is the gyromagnetic ratio
o equation: ν = γ B0
 For example, assume that a human head
contains only three small distinct regions where
there is hydrogen spin density.
o In reality, the entire head would contain
signal.
o When these regions of spin are
experiencing the same general magnetic
field strength, there is only one peak in
the NMR spectrum.

MAGNETIC FIELD GRADIENT

 A gradient in the magnetic field is what will allow us to accomplish this – to image the positions if each of the
regions of spin has unique magnetic field.
 This is a variation in the magnetic field with respect to position.
o A one-dimensional magnetic field gradient is a variation with respect to one direction.
o A two-dimensional gradient is a variation with respect to two.
 The most useful type of gradient in MRI is a one- dimensional linear magnetic field gradient.
o A one-dimensional magnetic field gradient along the x axis in a magnetic field, B0, indicates that the
magnetic field is increasing in the x direction.
 In 1973, Paul Lauterbur published the idea in nature of deliberately superimposing linear field gradients on the
main magnetic field.
o Along each gradient, the signals would have different frequencies and could be plotted using a Fourier
transformation (FT).
 By passing current through gradients created by coils of wire (gradient coils), the magnetic field strength is altered
in a controlled and predictable way.
o Gradients add or subtract from the existing field in a linear fashion, so that the magnetic field strength at
any point along the gradient is known.
o At the isocenter, the field strength remains unchanged – a certain distance away from the isocenter the
field strength either increases (positive) or decreases (negative).
 The strength/amplitude of the gradient is determined by the amount of current applied to the gradient coil
(maximum amplitude determines maximum achievable resolution).

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 MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
Module #8 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

 Polarity determines which end of the gradient is positive and which is negative.
o This can be altered by changing the direction of the current in the coil (clockwise/anti-clockwise).
 The speed at which the gradient can be turned on (rise time) and turned off (slew rate) – which in turn determines
the maximum scan speed of the system.
 Imposing a gradient magnetic field changes both the precessional (Larmor) frequency and precessional phase of
magnetic moments in a linear fashion.
o Faster magnetic moments gain phases compared to their slower neighbors.
 To spatially encode image, 3 separate functions are necessary, with each gradient performing one of the tasks:
1. slice select: locates a slice in the scan plane selected
2. frequency encoding: locate a signal along the long-axis of the image
3. phase encoding: locate a signal along the short-axis of the image
 The symbols for a magnetic field gradient in the x, y, and z directions are G x, Gy, and Gz.

FREQUENCY ENCODING
 The process of locating an MR signal in one dimension by
applying a magnetic field gradient along that dimension
during the period when the signal is being received.
 The point in the center of the magnet where (x, y, z) =0, 0, 0
is called the isocenter of the magnet.
 The magnetic field at the isocenter is B0 and the resonant
frequency is V0.
 If a linear magnetic field gradient is applied to our
hypothetical head with three spin containing regions, the
three regions experience different magnetic fields.
o The result is an NMR spectrum with more than one
signal.
o The amplitude of the signal is proportional to the
number of spins in a plane perpendicular to the
gradient.

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 MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
Module #8 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

o This procedure causes the resonance frequency to be proportional to the position of the spin.
 This principle forms the basis behind all magnetic resonance imaging. To demonstrate how an image might be
generated from the NMR spectra, the back projection method of imaging is presented.

 How does the frequency encoding work?

o Frequency-encoding is accomplished through the use of supplemental magnetic field gradients.
o Gradients mildly distort the main magnetic field in a predictable pattern, causing the resonance frequency
to vary as a function of position.

o Frequency-encoding may be used to define location either:

1. Frequency Encoding for In-Plane Localization

- This is used to specify position within a slice.
- Here a frequency-encoding gradient (Gf) begins on the left of the image at position x=0
and increases linearly along the horizontal axis.
- If the main (static) magnetic field is B0, then the effective field B(x) at any point (x) along
the horizontal axis is given by B(x) = B0 + x Gf
- From the Larmor equation (f = γB), it can easily show that the resonant frequency f(x)
also varies linearly with position (x) along the frequency-encoding axis; where f0 is the
main field Larmor frequency and fg(x) is the frequency offset based on position along the
gradient: f(x) = γB(x) = γB0 + γx•Gf = f0 + fg(x)
- Each pixel has a finite width, so actually contains a small range of frequencies (called the
per pixel bandwidth) rather than just a single frequency.
o Nevertheless, the signals in any column (such as ABC) have all been assigned to
the same narrow band of frequencies, and these are different from the signal
frequencies of another column (such as DEF).
- Although frequency-encoding is a big step, this still cannot able to discriminate between
pixels within a column (e.g. A vs B vs C) because their frequencies overlap.
- Spatial detection in this second dimension will require another method, typically phase-
encoding.

2. Frequency Encoding for Slice Selection

- Frequency-encoding can be used to define the position of entire slices in 2D imaging.
- The basic principle is the same as for within-plane frequency-encoding, but now the
gradient is applied along the slice-select direction.
- The center resonant frequency of entire slices will vary linearly as a function of position.
- A single slice may be stimulated by applying an RF-pulse tuned to specifically to the
frequencies in that slice.

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 MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
Module #8 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

Check for Understanding

After studying the main lesson, you may now answer the following multiple choice questions and provide the rationale for
each item.

1. This is accomplished through the use of supplemental magnetic field gradients.

a. Frequency encoding
b. Frequency-encoding gradient
c. NMR spectrum
d. Larmor equation
Answer: ________
Rationale:
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 MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
Module #8 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

2. All are functions necessary to spatially encode image, except:

a. slice select
b. frequency encoding
c. spatial encoding
d. phase encoding
Answer: ________
Rationale:
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3. This is responsible to determine which end of the gradient is positive and which is negative.
a. Amplitude
b. Isocenter
c. Speed
d. Polarity
Answer: ________
Rationale:
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4. This is known as the principle behind all MRI which shows that the resonance frequency of a spin is proportional to
the magnetic field it is experiencing.
a. Larmor Equation
b. NMR Spectrum
c. Magnetic Field Gradient
d. Resonance Equation
Answer: ________
Rationale:
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5. This is measured frequently by calculating the difference in signal intensity between the area of interest and the
background.
a. SNR
b. NMR
c. MRI
d. FR
Answer: ________
Rationale:
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This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION

 MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
Module #8 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

C. LESSON WRAP-UP

Summary / Frequently Asked Questions:

 It is surprising that, given MRI has been in clinical use since the early 1980s, there is not a widely accepted
method of performing SNR measurements for acceptance testing and quality assurance. This problem needs to
be addressed.

 As a first step, manufacturers should include a non-selective one-dimensional projection spin echo sequence in
the standard imaging library, for SNR testing.

 The standard phantom and power measurement techniques appear to offer the basis of standard SNR measuring
protocols.

 Some MR applications, such as ultra-fast imaging, and some quantitative techniques, demand the highest
possible SNR, and therefore are best done on high field systems.

 For conventional imaging, the variation of SNR with magnetic field strength is less strong than is often supposed.
However, for spectroscopic and functional brain imaging, high field has particular advantages.

Thinking about Learning

DIRECTED PARAPHRASING
You summarize, paraphrase, or assess what you have learned in this concept. You must be able to identify the peak and
weak points.

Nomenclature Peak points that you understood Weak points that you found confusing

SNR

MAGNETIC FIELD GRADIENT

FREQUENCY ENCODING

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