After spending the first two weeks at the MRI facility and the Reading room, I was still unclear about the whole process starting from the MRI signal acquisition to its final analysis, including the image storage and processing. The Physics of MRI is well understood, but how it is accomplished, analyzed, and processed was not clear. Without them, science is just a philosophy! This week was mostly spent on unraveling these mysteries.
I came to know about the protocols which are used to scans patients. Depending on the kind of examination, protocols are decided by the doctors. The protocols contain the MRI sequences that needs to be observed. The technician sets the parameters (like voxel size, slice gap, signal averaging time, etc.) to obtain desired quality of image. However, the quality of images is also dependent on the patient's patience and cooperation. With troubled and troubling patients, it should not be taken for granted. At times, different machines and their age affect the image formation. MR signals acquired depend upon the response of the constituents of the analyzed part.
The reading room is where the image analysis is carried out. Patient's medical record is important for diagnosis. Previous examinations, if any, are required to compare the results. There are components of analysis: findings and interpretation. Findings is the narration of the observed images sequences, while interpretation provides conclusion to the findings for diagnosis. Results are not always black and white, and hence, careful wording in the report is required.
There are still a lot of mysteries to be revealed and will happen in due course of time. For example, how the images are stored and retrieved, how they are managed, and other procedures and process that are part of the whole system but are not known to any one person. Hopefully, by the end of the summer immersion, I will be able to draw a chart stating all the procedures.
This week also saw the beginning of my research project. I got access to some MR images. Now, I have to develop a denoising technique to improve the signal-to-noise ratio.
I came to know about the protocols which are used to scans patients. Depending on the kind of examination, protocols are decided by the doctors. The protocols contain the MRI sequences that needs to be observed. The technician sets the parameters (like voxel size, slice gap, signal averaging time, etc.) to obtain desired quality of image. However, the quality of images is also dependent on the patient's patience and cooperation. With troubled and troubling patients, it should not be taken for granted. At times, different machines and their age affect the image formation. MR signals acquired depend upon the response of the constituents of the analyzed part.
The reading room is where the image analysis is carried out. Patient's medical record is important for diagnosis. Previous examinations, if any, are required to compare the results. There are components of analysis: findings and interpretation. Findings is the narration of the observed images sequences, while interpretation provides conclusion to the findings for diagnosis. Results are not always black and white, and hence, careful wording in the report is required.
There are still a lot of mysteries to be revealed and will happen in due course of time. For example, how the images are stored and retrieved, how they are managed, and other procedures and process that are part of the whole system but are not known to any one person. Hopefully, by the end of the summer immersion, I will be able to draw a chart stating all the procedures.
This week also saw the beginning of my research project. I got access to some MR images. Now, I have to develop a denoising technique to improve the signal-to-noise ratio.
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