NIST introduces MRI calibration solution
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a prototype for calibrating MRI machines that is traceable to standardized values, said the institute. The NIST said that “Phannie,” the first “phantom” solution for MRI calibration, was developed in collaboration with the standards committee of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) and was presented at the society’s annual meeting earlier this month in Stockholm.
The prototype is a plastic sphere containing water-bathed grids of 100 small plastic spheres containing various salt solutions that become magnetized in a magnetic field. Users can evaluate the image contrast, resolution and accuracy of distance and volume measurements by scanning the solution.
Phannie will now undergo testing at other institutions for approximately four months, said the NIST.
The prototype is a plastic sphere containing water-bathed grids of 100 small plastic spheres containing various salt solutions that become magnetized in a magnetic field. Users can evaluate the image contrast, resolution and accuracy of distance and volume measurements by scanning the solution.
Phannie will now undergo testing at other institutions for approximately four months, said the NIST.