Multi-channel Electromagnetic Interference Elimination for Shielding-free MRI Using Null Operations.

Abstract

Emerging technologies for electromagnetic interference (EMI) elimination have enabled radio frequency (RF) shielding-free magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), significantly reduced costs and increased accessibility. Existing methods often rely on multiple external sensors for EMI elimination, which can degrade with fewer sensors. Our goal is to develop a method that robustly eliminates EMI with fewer or no sensors. We propose a method for multi-channel electromagnetic interference elimination in shielding-free MRI using null operations (MEENO). This approach fully exploits the inter-channel correlation across all RF receiving and EMI sensing channels. The method was comprehensively evaluated through simulation studies and human brain imaging. The MEENO approach effectively eliminates EMI artifacts, outperforming existing methods, particularly with a limited number of sensors. It shows superior performance in terms of signal-to-noise ratio and residual EMI levels. We introduce a method for EMI elimination in multi-channel MRI using null operations, which fully leverages inter-channel correlation and surpasses existing approaches, especially with limited sensors. This work offers a solution for EMI elimination with fewer or no external sensors, providing a more cost-effective and robust approach for shielding-free MRI.