Voxel Function and Signal-To-Noise Ratio (SNR): What Are the Optimal Reconstruction Method and Sampling Strategy in SENSE Imaging?

Marcel Gutberlet¹, Mario Zeller², Frank Wacker¹, Herbert Kstler²

In the theory of SENSE imaging the reconstruction matrix is defined by choosing a set of desired voxel functions. The resulting voxel functions are either generated in the strong voxel approach (SVA) by a least squares minimization or in the weak voxel approach (WVA) by constraining the orthonormality relation to the desired voxel functions. In k-space density weighted imaging for the chosen desired voxel function the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is maximized by applying an optimized k-space sampling. In this work, the WVA and SVA of SENSE imaging are evaluated in respect of SNR efficiency depending on the desired voxel functions.