A variational approach to magnetic resonance coil sensitivity estimation

Abstract. A variational method for estimating a magnetic resonance coil sensitivity from its corresponding nonuniform illumination of magnetic resonance images is proposed and analyzed. The estimated sensitivity can then be used to correct nonuniformities and indeed to facilitate high-speed parallel image acquisition. The data available for estimation include two images of the same field of view but obtained with and without a uniform coil sensitivity. The nonuniformly illuminated image is ideally the product of the uniformly illuminated image with the coil sensitivity. Thus, the desired sensitivity is estimated roughly from a quotient of the two given images over the effective data support. However, the measurements are corrupted by noise, the data are discontinuous at tissue boundaries, and yet the coil sensitivity is very smooth. In the selected estimation procedure, the sum of a residual and a high order penalty is minimized. In this form, the problem is related to the surface esti...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2004
• Where: AMC
• Authors: Stephen L. Keeling, Roland Bammer
• Keywords: AMC 2004, Boundary Conditions, Coil Sensitivity, Image