Determining a reliably visible and inexpensive surface fiducial marker for use in MRI: a research study in a busy Australian Radiology Department
Objectives Single-use commercial surface fiducial markers are used in clinical imaging for a variety of applications. The current study sought to find a new, reliably visible, easily sourced and inexpensive fiducial marker alternative for use with MRI.Design Five commonly requested MRI sequences wer...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2019-08-01
|
| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/8/e027020.full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1846156225111130112 |
|---|---|
| author | Maree T Izatt Deborah Lees Susan Mills Caroline A Grant J Paige Little |
| author_facet | Maree T Izatt Deborah Lees Susan Mills Caroline A Grant J Paige Little |
| author_sort | Maree T Izatt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives Single-use commercial surface fiducial markers are used in clinical imaging for a variety of applications. The current study sought to find a new, reliably visible, easily sourced and inexpensive fiducial marker alternative for use with MRI.Design Five commonly requested MRI sequences were determined (three-dimensional (3D) T1-weighted, T1 coronal, 3D T2-weighted, T2 fat suppressed, proton density), to examine the visibility of 18 items (including a commercial fiducial marker).Setting Clinical 3T MRI scanner in an Australian Tertiary Hospital and an Australian University Biomedical Engineering research group.Interventions 18 marker alternatives were scanned using five common MRI sequences. Images were reformatted to obtain both an image through the mid-height of each marker and a maximum intensity z-projection image over the volume of the marker. Variations in marker intensity were profiled across each visible marker and a visibility rating defined.Main outcome measures Outcome measures were based on quantitative assessment of a clear intensity contrast ratio between the marker and the adjacent tissue and a qualitative assessment of visibility via a 3-point scale.Results The fish oil capsule, vitamin D capsule, paint ball pellet, soy sauce sushi tube and commercial markers were typically visible to a high quality on all the imaging sequences and demonstrated a clear differential in intensity contrast against the adjacent tissue. Other common items, such as plasticine ‘play doh’ and a soft ‘Jelly baby’ sweet, were surprise candidates, demonstrating high-quality visibility and intensity contrast for the 3D T1-weighted sequence.Conclusions Depending on the basis for referral and MRI sequence chosen, four alternative fiducial markers were determined to be inexpensive, easily sourced and consistently visible. Of these, the vitamin D capsule provided an excellent balance between availability, size, cost, usability and quality of the visualised marker for all the commonly used MRI sequences analysed. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-25ac3ab3a3a34b7ab741565f8301296c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2019-08-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-25ac3ab3a3a34b7ab741565f8301296c2024-11-26T09:10:11ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552019-08-019810.1136/bmjopen-2018-027020Determining a reliably visible and inexpensive surface fiducial marker for use in MRI: a research study in a busy Australian Radiology DepartmentMaree T Izatt0Deborah Lees1Susan Mills2Caroline A Grant3J Paige Little41 Biomechanics and Spine Research Group, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia1 Biomechanics and Spine Research Group, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia2 Mater Medical Imaging, Mater Misericordiae Brisbane Ltd, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia1 Biomechanics and Spine Research Group, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia1 Biomechanics and Spine Research Group, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, AustraliaObjectives Single-use commercial surface fiducial markers are used in clinical imaging for a variety of applications. The current study sought to find a new, reliably visible, easily sourced and inexpensive fiducial marker alternative for use with MRI.Design Five commonly requested MRI sequences were determined (three-dimensional (3D) T1-weighted, T1 coronal, 3D T2-weighted, T2 fat suppressed, proton density), to examine the visibility of 18 items (including a commercial fiducial marker).Setting Clinical 3T MRI scanner in an Australian Tertiary Hospital and an Australian University Biomedical Engineering research group.Interventions 18 marker alternatives were scanned using five common MRI sequences. Images were reformatted to obtain both an image through the mid-height of each marker and a maximum intensity z-projection image over the volume of the marker. Variations in marker intensity were profiled across each visible marker and a visibility rating defined.Main outcome measures Outcome measures were based on quantitative assessment of a clear intensity contrast ratio between the marker and the adjacent tissue and a qualitative assessment of visibility via a 3-point scale.Results The fish oil capsule, vitamin D capsule, paint ball pellet, soy sauce sushi tube and commercial markers were typically visible to a high quality on all the imaging sequences and demonstrated a clear differential in intensity contrast against the adjacent tissue. Other common items, such as plasticine ‘play doh’ and a soft ‘Jelly baby’ sweet, were surprise candidates, demonstrating high-quality visibility and intensity contrast for the 3D T1-weighted sequence.Conclusions Depending on the basis for referral and MRI sequence chosen, four alternative fiducial markers were determined to be inexpensive, easily sourced and consistently visible. Of these, the vitamin D capsule provided an excellent balance between availability, size, cost, usability and quality of the visualised marker for all the commonly used MRI sequences analysed.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/8/e027020.full |
| spellingShingle | Maree T Izatt Deborah Lees Susan Mills Caroline A Grant J Paige Little Determining a reliably visible and inexpensive surface fiducial marker for use in MRI: a research study in a busy Australian Radiology Department BMJ Open |
| title | Determining a reliably visible and inexpensive surface fiducial marker for use in MRI: a research study in a busy Australian Radiology Department |
| title_full | Determining a reliably visible and inexpensive surface fiducial marker for use in MRI: a research study in a busy Australian Radiology Department |
| title_fullStr | Determining a reliably visible and inexpensive surface fiducial marker for use in MRI: a research study in a busy Australian Radiology Department |
| title_full_unstemmed | Determining a reliably visible and inexpensive surface fiducial marker for use in MRI: a research study in a busy Australian Radiology Department |
| title_short | Determining a reliably visible and inexpensive surface fiducial marker for use in MRI: a research study in a busy Australian Radiology Department |
| title_sort | determining a reliably visible and inexpensive surface fiducial marker for use in mri a research study in a busy australian radiology department |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/8/e027020.full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mareetizatt determiningareliablyvisibleandinexpensivesurfacefiducialmarkerforuseinmriaresearchstudyinabusyaustralianradiologydepartment AT deborahlees determiningareliablyvisibleandinexpensivesurfacefiducialmarkerforuseinmriaresearchstudyinabusyaustralianradiologydepartment AT susanmills determiningareliablyvisibleandinexpensivesurfacefiducialmarkerforuseinmriaresearchstudyinabusyaustralianradiologydepartment AT carolineagrant determiningareliablyvisibleandinexpensivesurfacefiducialmarkerforuseinmriaresearchstudyinabusyaustralianradiologydepartment AT jpaigelittle determiningareliablyvisibleandinexpensivesurfacefiducialmarkerforuseinmriaresearchstudyinabusyaustralianradiologydepartment |