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Prospective registration of human head magnetic resonance images for reproducible slice positioning using localizer images
Author(s) -
Gedat Egbert,
Braun Juergen,
Sack Ingolf,
Bernarding Johannes
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.20153
Subject(s) - imaging phantom , magnetic resonance imaging , image registration , image quality , computer science , nuclear medicine , artificial intelligence , computer vision , medicine , radiology , image (mathematics)
Abstract Purpose To facilitate assessing brain tumor growth and progression of stroke lesions by reproducible slice positioning in human head magnetic resonance (MR) images, a method for prospective registration is proposed that adjusts the image slice position without moving the patient and with no additional scans. Materials and Methods The gradient reference frame of follow‐up examinations was adjusted to achieve the same image slice positioning relative to the patient as in the previous examination. The three‐dimensional geometrical transformation parameters for the gradients were determined using two‐dimensional image registration of three orthogonal localizer images. The method was developed and evaluated using a phantom with arbitrarily adjustable position. Feasibility for in vivo applications was demonstrated with brain MR imaging (MRI) of healthy volunteers. Results Standard retrospective registration was used for assessing the quality of the method. The accuracy of the realignment was 0.0 mm ± 1.2 mm and –0.2° ± 0.9° (mean ± SD) in phantom experiments. In 10 examinations of volunteers, misalignments up to 49.2 mm and 21° were corrected. The accuracy of the realignment after prospective registration was 0.1 mm ± 1.5 mm and 0.2° ± 1.5°. Conclusion Image‐based prospective registration using localizer images of the pre‐ and postexaminations is a robust method for reproducible slice positioning. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2004;20:581–587. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.