Partial Voluming Artifact
Partial voluming artifact is a common artifact in MRI that occurs when a voxel within the image contains a mixture of different tissue types or structures. This artifact arises due to the limited spatial resolution of the imaging system, causing adjacent structures with different signal intensities to blend together within a voxel.
To reduce partial voluming artifacts in MRI, the following approaches can be considered
Increase spatial resolution: Higher spatial resolution can help improve the separation of adjacent structures and reduce the blending effect. By acquiring images with smaller voxel sizes or using imaging sequences with higher spatial resolution capabilities, the partial voluming artifact can be minimized.
Use thinner slices: Decreasing the slice thickness can help reduce partial voluming artifacts by limiting the volume of tissue included within each voxel. Thinner slices can provide better anatomical detail and improve the differentiation between adjacent structures.
References:
- Ballester, M.A.G., Zisserman, A.P., & Brady, M. (2002). Estimation of the partial volume effect in MRI. Med Image Anal, 6(4), 389-405. doi: 10.1016/s1361-8415(02)00061-0.
