Computationally Rapid Method of Estimating Signal-To-Noise Ratio for Phased Array Image Reconstructions

Measuring signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for parallel MRI reconstructions is difficult due to spatially dependent noise amplification. Existing approaches for measuring parallel MRI SNR are limited because they are not applicable to all reconstructions, require significant computation time, or rely on repeated image acquisitions. A new SNR estimation approach is proposed, a hybrid of the repeated image acquisitions method detailed in the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) standard and the Monte Carlo based pseudo-multiple replica method, in which the difference between images reconstructed from the unaltered acquired data and that same data reconstructed after the addition of calibrated pseudo-noise is used to estimate the noise in the parallel MRI image reconstruction. This new noise estimation method can be used to rapidly compute the pixel-wise SNR of the image generated from any parallel MRI reconstruction of a single acquisition. SNR maps calculated with the new method are validated against existing SNR calculation techniques. Magn Reson Med 66:1192-1197, 2011. (C) 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.