A volume microstrip RF coil for MRI microscopy

Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of small samples such as a single cell or cell clusters require application of radiofrequency (RF) coils that provide homogenous B₁ field distribution and high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).We present a novel design of an MRI RF volume microcoil based on a microstrip structure. The coil consists of two parallel microstrip elements conducting RF currents in the opposite directions, thus creating homogenous RF field within the space between the microstrips. The construction of the microcoil is simple, efficient and cost-effective.Theoretical calculations and finite element method simulations were used to optimize the coil geometry to achieve optimal B₁ and SNR distributions within the sample and predict parameters of the coil. The theoretical calculations were confirmed with MR images of a 1-mm-diameter capillary and a plant obtained with the double microstrip RF microcoil at 11.7 T. The in-plane resolution of MR images was 24 μm×24 μm.     

SNR and functional sensitivity of BOLD and perfusion-based fMRI using arterial spin labeling with spiral SENSE at 3 T

Blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies using parallel imaging to reduce the readout window have reported a loss in temporal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) that is less than would be expected given a purely thermal noise model. In this study, the impact of parallel imaging on the noise components and functional sensitivity of both BOLD and perfusion-based fMRI data was investigated. Dual-echo arterial spin labeling data were acquired on five subjects using sensitivity encoding (SENSE), at reduction factors (R) of 1, 2 and 3. Direct recording of cardiac and respiratory activity during data acquisition enabled the retrospective removal of physiological noise. The temporal SNR of the perfusion time series closely followed the thermal noise prediction of a √R loss in SNR as the readout window was shortened, with temporal SNR values (relative to the R=1 data) of 0.72 and 0.56 for the R=2 and R=3 data, respectively, after accounting for physiological noise. However, the BOLD temporal SNR decreased more slowly than predicted even after accounting for physiological noise, with relative temporal SNR values of 0.80 and 0.63 for the R=2 and R=3 data, respectively. Spectral analysis revealed that the BOLD trends were dominated by low-frequency fluctuations, which were not dominant in the perfusion data due to signal processing differences. The functional sensitivity, assessed using mean F values over activated regions of interest (ROIs), followed the temporal SNR trends for the BOLD data. However, results for the perfusion data were more dependent on the threshold used for ROI selection, most likely due to the inherently low SNR of functional perfusion data.     

基于四波段图像融合的彩色夜视方法研究

为了在低照度条件下获取目标的彩色图像,提高夜间对目标的识别能力,提出了基于四波段图像融合的彩色夜视方法.采用F-P滤光片设计出了透射中心在三基色光中心波长及近红外波段的四波段滤光片,在各个透射区域的平均透射率均达90%以上;将四波段滤光片设计成圆形滤色轮结构,用分光计测得了各波段滤光片的光谱透射性;对加入滤光片后的系统信噪比进行了分析和计算,分析结果表明加入滤光片不会引入噪声,计算结果表明加入蓝色、绿色、红色和近红外波段滤光片的成像系统的信噪比分别是原来单色微光夜视系统信噪比的19.59%、38.45%、47.28%和46.70%.借助国产超二代像增强器在微光实验室进行了四波段图像采集及彩色图像融合实验,实验时光照度分别为1×10~(-3)lx和1×10~(-1)lx,对获取的图像质量进行了评价.结果表明:在照度为1×10~(-3)lx时,融合的彩色图像在均值、方差和熵这三项指标上均优于过滤后的蓝色和绿色的单色图像,且由于彩色图像中利用了近红外图像进行增强,使得彩色图像亮度更高,颜色分辨性更好;在照度为1×10~(-1)lx时,融合后的彩色图像的信息熵比红、绿、蓝三种基色图像的大,彩色图像携带的信息量更大.本文的研究对彩色夜视成像系统的设计和研发具有借鉴和指导意义.     

天文导航光电测星能力的计算方法

天文导航可全面地提供位置、航向、姿态和速度等核心导航信息,特别是在复杂电磁环境下,发挥着独特的重要作用。测星能力是天文导航设备的核心指标之一,提出了光电通道测星的信噪比和调制度的计算公式和参数选取说明,给出了短波红外测星设备的计算实例和实测结果,结果表明短波红外测星可显著延长测星时段。     

基于神经网络的航天光学遥感器在轨信噪比测试方法

提出一种基于神经网络的航天光学遥感器在轨信噪比的的测试方法。通过模拟得到了大量的包含有不同信噪比等级的遥感图像,并将其作为网络训练和测试的样本。通过对遥感图像进行分析,找到了分别与景物结构和噪声有关的特征向量,并将其作为神经网络的输入。在对大量样本图片进行训练后,可完成对由遥感器传输下来的任意一幅地面景物图像进行信噪比的测试,从而避免了传统方法对特定地面景物目标在成像测量中的诸多弊端,平均测量误差约为10%。     

Signal-to-Noise Ratio analysis for time-reversal based imaging techniques in bounded domains

We consider the problem of localizing small material defects in rectangular bounded domains. The scalar acoustic equation is used to model wave propagation in this context. Our data is the scattered field collected at one or more receivers and due to impulsive excitations at one or more source positions. To localize the defect we use an imaging method that consists in back-propagating the recorded field in the domain of interest. The back-propagation is performed numerically using a model for the Green’s function in the bounded medium. For the source localization problem this imaging technique is equivalent to computational Time Reversal (TR). We study in this paper the quality of imaging in terms of the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) both for the source and the defect localization problems. SNR here is defined as the value of the image at the true source (defect) location, divided by the maximal value of the image outside a small region around the true source (defect) location. Our theoretical analysis carried out for the simpler one-dimensional case allows us to correctly predict the performance of the method. Our results indicate that for the source localization problem the SNR increases linearly with the number of receivers while for the defect localization its maximal value is 2 and can only be attained by decreasing the time of the experiment so as to minimize the boundary effects.     

工作参数对激光诱导玻璃等离子体特性的影响

采用波长532 nm的Nd:YAG纳秒激光器激发诱导空气中的玻璃,由高分辨率的光谱仪和ICCD对等离子体发射光谱采集和实现光电转换.以Si I 288.20 nm、Ca II 393.37 nm两条谱线作为分析线,研究ICCD门延迟,ICCD门宽、聚焦透镜到样品表面的距离(LTSD)对等离子体信号强度和信噪比的影响,确定最优化的实验参数:ICCD门宽1400 ns,ICCD门延迟500 ns,LTSD为84.5 mm.在最优化的实验条件下以Ca元素的六条离子谱线(315.89 nm, 317.93 nm, 370.60 nm, 373.69 nm, 393.37 nm, 396.85 nm)为分析线,计算得到玻璃等离子体的电子温度和电子密度分别20060 K, 8.256×10~(16) cm~(-3).     

Small Target Detection Algorithm Based on Average Absolute Difference Maximum and Background Forecast

Detecting small targets in clutter scene and low SNR (Signal Noise Ratio) is an important and challenging problem in infrared (IR) images. In order to solve this problem, we should do works from two sides: enhancing targets and suppressing background. Firstly, in this paper, the system utilizes the average absolute difference maximum (AADM) as the dissimilarity measurement between targets and background region to enhance targets. Secondly, it uses a predictor to suppress the background clutter. Finally, our approach extracts the interested small target with segment threshold. Experimental results show that the algorithm proposed has better performance with respect to probability of detection and less computation complexity. It is an effective small infrared target detection algorithm against complex background.     

Laser-polarized 129Xe NMR at 1.88 T and 8.5 mT: a signal-to-noise ratio comparison

The signal-to-noise ratio of nuclear magnetic resonance signals from laser-polarized 129Xe gas was investigated at 8.5 mT and compared to that of signals acquired at 1.88 T. A dedicated 8.5 mT resistive magnet was constructed and used to acquire the signals. The SNR for 1 atm of xenon gas with a polarization of 1% was measured to be 1900 at a field of 1.88 T. Under identical acquisition conditions, the SNR at 8.5 mT was about 60 (or 32 times lower). After measuring and including all of the electrical factors of the detection systems at each field strength, theory indicates the SNR value measured at 8.5m T should be about 36 times lower. Considering the widely differing frequencies and completely different detection systems the agreement is quite good and indicates that extrapolating the frequency dependence of the SNR down to very low fields does work as long as the detection system parameters are carefully accounted for. This work suggests that magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is achievable on ideal gas samples at 8.5 mT using laser-polarized 129Xe gas down to the practical resolution limit of about 0.5mm, although the SNR will be very low (approximately 1.4). The feasibility of imaging small animals at 8.5 mT is discussed and it is suggested that a field of about 50 mT is required.     

Predictability of SNR and reader preference in clinical MR imaging

Fifty-four independent scans were performed in two volunteers covering one anatomic region in each (the brain and knee) with the purpose of ascertaining the agreement between predicted and measured signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). Systematically varied parameters were number of excitations (NEX), field of view (FOV), section thickness (d_z), and the number of phase-encoding steps (N_y). Correlation coefficients of measured versus predicted SNR were 0.82 and 0.86, respectively, in the anatomies studied. Significantly improved correlations were found for data subpopulations in which NEX was held constant. To assess the criteria guiding reader preference, a blinded study was performed in which radiologists were asked to rate images from least to most desirable. In order to quantitatively determine the criteria for reader preference, plots of mean rating versus SNR, voxel volume, and an image quality index [IQI = SNR/(voxel volume)] were performed. The latter was found to be a better predictor of reader preference than either SNR or spatial resolution alone. The data suggests T₁-weighted scan protocols yielding SNR of approximately 20 are preferable with any excess SNR being traded for smaller voxel size or shorter scan times.