Systematic Automated Evaluation of Needle Artifacts at 0.55 T, 1.5 T, and 3 T

Motivation: Numerous studies have investigated the appearance of MRI-compatible needles for interventional MRI. Needle artifacts were evaluated manually, which is a time-consuming process and prone to inter-reader deviations. Goal(s): Our goal was to introduce an automated method for evaluating needle artifact diameter, aiming to simplify artifact assessment. Approach: An automatic evaluation of needle artifacts was implemented and validated by conducting a systematic investigation of needle artifacts in a phantom study. Results: A comprehensive chart of needle artifact diameter for various image parameters was generated automatically, serving as a tool for needle comparison. The results indicate excellent algorithm reliability. Impact: The proposed tool allows for a systematic characterization of needle artifact size with high reliability and efficiency, which could be used to guide the correct choice of needle in different use cases (balance between artifact and lesion visibility)