Inexpensive Easy-To-Use Commercial MRI Readable Thermometer

Motivation: To demonstrate the utility of inexpensive easy-to-use commercial MRI-readable thermometers for monitoring phantom temperatures during imaging and enable temperature corrections in an MSK relaxometry phantom developed for inter-site relaxation time (T1, T2, T1ρ) comparisons. Goal(s): Provide convenient thermometry for temperature corrections for phantom based intersite comparisons of relaxation time and diffusion measurements. Approach: Commercial incubator thermometers with a temperature range of 15°C to 50°C were characterized for phantom thermometry. Results: Commercial incubator thermometers demonstrated to be MRI readable with an accuracy of ±0.2°C using standard imaging protocols, as long as the thermometer axis is perpendicular to the readout direction. Impact: Easy to use MRI-readable thermometry is available to enable temperature corrections to minimize confounding factors in inter-site comparisons.