I. Introduction
This is a medical related project that deals with the health sector and its covering the MRI acquisition simulator that is applicable in the health institutions and medical learning institutions by the medical officers and the medical students as well. In the medical institutions there is need of very high knowledge and reasoning capacity in order to arrive at sound medical decision making stage and thus the innovation of the MRI acquisition simulator will boost the clinical services delivery which is achieved through the technology.
Therefore the MRI acquisition simulator project will be involving simulation of the medical cases through the computerized systems involving real people and eventually the results obtained in the simulated cases are used the motor controls, effectiveness in decision making and improving the level of communication while using simulated patients and data.
The MRI acquisition simulator is the process of using the medical imaging techniques to scan the test sample using a certain MRI sequence where those obtained value is further processed to get the MRI parameters which are then stored through the acquisition process.
It is therefore evident that the MRI acquisition simulation will be able to provide the pedagogical strategy and eventually facilitate the retaining of knowledge, advancement of clinical knowledge, improving the medical services efficiency and also boosts the level of medical studies.
A. Aims
While conducting this project there were several aims which includes the following:
- To capture and save spatial resolutions parameters
- To generate and save number of acquisitions (NAs) parameters.
- To generate and save repetition time (TR) parameters.
- To generate and save echo time (TE) parameters.
- To generate and save sampling bandwidth (SBW) parameters.
- To capture and save the MRI test number parameter.
After capturing and saving the above parameters the users will be able to generate the various analytical figures like the graphs and the images.
B. Reviews
The MRI acquisition simulator project will be very helpful in the simulation of the medical cases where the various parameters will be MRI parameter, number of acquisitions (NAs), repetition time (TR), echo time (TE), and sampling bandwidth (SBW) which will be relating to the various spatial resolutions and therefore the captured records will be used to do the analysis and plotting of the analysis graphs of the various parameters.
C. Conclusion
The MRI acquisition simulation will be so effective in the medical field where it will be providing the pedagogical strategy and also facilitating the retaining of knowledge, advancement of clinical knowledge, improving the medical services efficiency and also boosts the level of medical studies.
II. Methods:
The implementation of the MRI acquisition simulation project there were several methods that were used which includes the following:
A. MRI acquisition simulation Methods
1. Method 1:- Phantom method
Method 1: Phantom
This shows several records of the Patient blood changes after a number of test and the following were the features.
- There are several parameters considered in this phantom which includes spatial resolutions number of acquisitions (NAs), repetition time (TR), echo time (TE) and sampling bandwidth (SBW).
- There will be multiple tests using same sample test item.
- Each test is captured and saved in the system database.
- Therefore this phantom will help to test the variation of results of the test in the respective parameters after several tests being done.
Outputs:
Movie:
This video had been captured to indicate the changes of the parameters every test being done.
Graph:
The below is the graph of the various tests being done indicating the variation of the parameter values.
2. Method 2:- use of the visual studio software ms access database software
The visual studio software tool that had been selected to be used in the development of the MRI acquisition simulation application, the tool uses the C# programming language that is linked to the ms access database and below is the figure of the visual studio software.
.The ms access database software is an application that is used in the implementation of this project and it is mainly used as the database software that is used to store the MRI acquisition parameters as in the figure below.
3. Method 3:- The MRI acquisition simulation parameters application development
This is the developed application phantom that is done using the visual studio and ms access applications and the implementation is done using the C# programming language as shown in the figure below.
4. Method 4:- MRI acquisition simulation parameters computing algorithms.
These are the major algorithms that are used to compute the parameters of the MRI acquisition simulation after capturing the “spatial resolution” value and generating other respective parameters as in the figures below (Mills,251).
- NUMBER_OF_ACQUISITIONS computing algorithm.
Codes
public void NUMBER_OF_ACQUISITIONS()
{
if (textBox1.Text != “”)
{
textBox2.Text = Convert.ToDouble(Convert.ToInt32(textBox1.Text) * 2).ToString();
MessageBox.Show(“The NUMBER_OF_ACQUISITIONS is\t” + textBox2.Text);
}
}
Graphs
- REPETITION_TIME computing algorithm.
Codes
public void REPETITION_TIME()
{
if (textBox1.Text != “”)
{
textBox3.Text = Convert.ToDouble(Convert.ToInt32(textBox1.Text) * 3).ToString();
MessageBox.Show(“The REPETITION TIME is\t” + textBox3.Text);
}
}
Graph
- ECHO_TIME computing algorithm.
Codes
public void ECHO_TIME()
{
if (textBox1.Text != “”)
{
textBox4.Text = Convert.ToDouble(Convert.ToInt32(textBox1.Text) * 0.2).ToString();
MessageBox.Show(“The ECHO TIME is\t” + textBox4.Text);
}
}
Graphs
- SAMPLING_BANDWIDTH computing algorithm.
Codes
public void SAMPLING_BANDWIDTH()
{
if (textBox1.Text != “”)
{
textBox5.Text = Convert.ToDouble(Convert.ToInt32(textBox1.Text) * 0.5).ToString();
MessageBox.Show(“The SAMPLING BANDWIDTH is\t” + textBox5.Text);
}
}
Graphs
5. Method 5:- MRI acquisition simulation parameters graphs drawing equations
This is the use of the equations which are implemented using the C# programming language which are used to draw the graphs from the store MRI acquisition simulation data parameters and there are various equations and graphs for various parameters and also a combined equation and graph for all parameters as shown below.
- SPATIAL_RESOLUTIONS Graphs and equations
Equation Codes
private void SPATIAL_RESOLUTIONS_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
con = new OleDbConnection(@” provider=microsoft.jet.oledb.4.0; data source=C:\MRI_ACQUISATION\MRIA.mdb”);
cmd = new OleDbCommand(“select * from MRIACQUISATIONDATA “, con);
OleDbDataReader mydatareader ;
con.Open();
mydatareader = cmd.ExecuteReader();
while(mydatareader.Read())
{
this.chart1.Series[“SPATIAL_RESOLUTIONS”].Points.AddXY(mydatareader.GetString(6), mydatareader.GetString(1));
}
}
Graph
- NUMBER_OF_ACQUISITIONS Graphs and equations
Equation Codes
private void NUMBER_OF_ACQUISITIONS_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
con = new OleDbConnection(@” provider=microsoft.jet.oledb.4.0; data source=C:\MRI_ACQUISATION\MRIA.mdb”);
cmd = new OleDbCommand(“select * from MRIACQUISATIONDATA “, con);
OleDbDataReader mydatareader;
con.Open();
mydatareader = cmd.ExecuteReader();
while (mydatareader.Read())
{
this.chart1.Series[“NUMBER_OF_ACQUISITIONS”].Points.AddXY(mydatareader.GetString(6), mydatareader.GetString(2));
}
}
Graph
- REPETITION_TIME Graphs and equations
Equation Codes
private void REPETITION_TIME_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
con = new OleDbConnection(@” provider=microsoft.jet.oledb.4.0; data source=C:\MRI_ACQUISATION\MRIA.mdb”);
cmd = new OleDbCommand(“select * from MRIACQUISATIONDATA “, con);
OleDbDataReader mydatareader;
con.Open();
mydatareader = cmd.ExecuteReader();
while (mydatareader.Read())
{
this.chart1.Series[“REPETITION_TIME”].Points.AddXY(mydatareader.GetString(6), mydatareader.GetString(3));
}
}
Graph
- ECHO_TIME Graphs and equations
Equation Codes
private void ECHO_TIME_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
con = new OleDbConnection(@” provider=microsoft.jet.oledb.4.0; data source=C:\MRI_ACQUISATION\MRIA.mdb”);
cmd = new OleDbCommand(“select * from MRIACQUISATIONDATA “, con);
OleDbDataReader mydatareader;
con.Open();
mydatareader = cmd.ExecuteReader();
while (mydatareader.Read())
{
this.chart1.Series[“ECHO_TIME”].Points.AddXY(mydatareader.GetString(6), mydatareader.GetString(4));
}
}
Graph
- SAMPLING_BANDWIDTH Graphs and equations
Equation codes
private void SAMPLING_BANDWIDTH _Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
con = new OleDbConnection(@” provider=microsoft.jet.oledb.4.0; data source=C:\MRI_ACQUISATION\MRIA.mdb”);
cmd = new OleDbCommand(“select * from MRIACQUISATIONDATA “, con);
OleDbDataReader mydatareader;
con.Open();
mydatareader = cmd.ExecuteReader();
while (mydatareader.Read())
{
this.chart1.Series[“SAMPLING_BANDWIDTH”].Points.AddXY(mydatareader.GetString(6), mydatareader.GetString(5));
}
}
Graphs
- Allcharts_Load graphs and equations
Equation Codes
private void allcharts_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
con = new OleDbConnection(@” provider=microsoft.jet.oledb.4.0; data source=C:\MRI_ACQUISATION\MRIA.mdb”);
cmd = new OleDbCommand(“select * from MRIACQUISATIONDATA “, con);
OleDbDataReader mydatareader;
con.Open();
mydatareader = cmd.ExecuteReader();
while (mydatareader.Read())
{
this.chart1.Series[“SPATIAL_RESOLUTIONS”].Points.AddXY(mydatareader.GetString(6), mydatareader.GetString(1));
this.chart1.Series[“NUMBER_OF_ACQUISITIONS”].Points.AddXY(mydatareader.GetString(6), mydatareader.GetString(2));
this.chart1.Series[“REPETITION_TIME”].Points.AddXY(mydatareader.GetString(6), mydatareader.GetString(3));
this.chart1.Series[“ECHO_TIME”].Points.AddXY(mydatareader.GetString(6), mydatareader.GetString(4)); (Lauenstein, 237).
this.chart1.Series[“SAMPLING_BANDWIDTH”].Points.AddXY(mydatareader.GetString(6), mydatareader.GetString(5));
}
}
Graph
B. Correlating aims with methods
The below is the correlation between the aims and the various methods used in the implementation of the project.
- To capture and save spatial resolutions parameters.
In order to capture the spatial resolution parameter as in the aim 1 I developed the algorithms in method 4 and also graphs drawing equations in the method 5 which are implemented using the C# programming language and ms access database application (Kim ,358).
- To generate and save number of acquisitions (NAs) parameters.
To generate the number of acquisitions in aim 2 in an algorithm 1 in the method 4 was developed and also a number of acquisitions graph and equations were implemented in the method 5 which are implemented using the C# programming language and ms access database application.
- To generate and save repetition time (TR) parameters.
To generate the repetition time in aim 3 in an algorithm 2 in the method 4 was developed and also a number of repetition time graph and equations were implemented in the method 5 which are implemented using the C# programming language and ms access database application (Salvatore,258).
- To generate and save echo time (TE) parameters.
To generate the echo time in aim 4 in an algorithm 3 in the method 4 was developed and also a number of echo time graph and equations were implemented in the method 5 which are implemented using the C# programming language and ms access database application.
- To generate and save sampling bandwidth (SBW) parameters.
To generate the sampling bandwidth in aim 5 in an algorithm 4 in the method 4 was developed and also a number of sampling bandwidth graph and equations were implemented in the method 5 which are implemented using the C# programming language and ms access database application.
- To capture and save the MRI test number parameter.
To capture the MRI test number in aim 6 in an application was developed using the C# programming language and ms access database application in method 4 and 5.
III. Results and Discussion:
The project involved the development of the MRI acquisition simulation which was done using the selected tools, software and programming languages which includes the ms visual studio ,ms access and c# programming language. Using these tools the project algorithms, equations and graphs were implemented to form the project methods. In the storage of the records the MRI parameters were generated after the capturing of the MRI special resolution parameters.
Below are the results obtained after implementing the project.
- Capturing and saving spatial resolutions parameters
- Generating and saving number of acquisitions (NAs) parameters and plotting graphs.
- Generating and saving repetition time (TR) parameters and plotting graphs.
- Generating and saving echo time (TE) parameters and plotting graphs.
- Generating and saving sampling bandwidth (SBW) parameters and plotting graphs.
(Prince, 451).
IV. Conclusions
In this MRI acquisition simulation project the results of its implementation will be so effective in the medical field where it will be providing the pedagogical strategy and also facilitating the retaining of knowledge, advancement of clinical knowledge, improving the medical services efficiency and also boosts the level of medical studies (Schajor, 257).
V. CODE:
After the implementation of the project the hardcopy system codes are saved in the “MRI_ACQUISATION” folder and to use it the following are the provided execution instruction of the codes.
A. Instruction to use code
The following are the procedures to use to be able to use the project codes.
- Save the folder “MRI_ACQUISATION” in local disk C of the computer.
- Then start the visual 2010 studio professional software.
- Click on the visual 2010 studio and navigate to file-> open->project/solutions.
- Browse the “MRI_ACQUISATION” folder to re-open the project in your computer.
- Right click the project solution and re-build it.
- Execute the project by clicking run button or F5 on your key board.
(Brookeman, 230).
- Capture the MRI spatial resolution value.
- Click the Generate MRI parameters button to generate other MRI acquisition parameters.
- Capture the MRI test number.
- Then click submit button to save the MRI acquisition parameters.
- Click the show graphs button to view the various graphs.
- Show the graphs.
Reference
Brookeman, JR.Rapid three-dimensional T1-weighted MR imaging with the MP-RAGE sequence. J Magn Reson Imaging, 2014.
Schajor, W.A new fast MRI sequence. Electromed, 2015.
Prince, MR.Breath-hold gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography of the abdominal aorta and its major branches. Radiology,2016.
Salvatore, M. Grey matter loss in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a voxel-based morphometry study. Neuroimage ,2015.
Kim ,MJ. Hepatic MR imaging: comparison of 2D and 3D gradient echo techniques. Abdom Imaging, 2015.
Lauenstein, TC. Dark lumen MR-colonography: initial experience. Rofo, 2014.
Mills, CM. Nuclear magnetic resonance — Principles of blood flow imaging. AJR (Am J Roentgenol),2016. 142:165–170
