Application of image enhancement techniques to MR imaging

Techniques for filtering single images or displaying sequences of images were implemented on an image processing workstation interfaced through direct memory access to an MR imaging system. As many as 128 thin contiguous sections through the head and extremities were acquired through three-dimensional FLASH MR imaging. Of all of the filters evaluated, an adaptive filter called a sigma filter reduced image noise most and caused the least blurring. Sequences of images were reformatted into a new orientation or displayed as shaded surfaces. Rotations of these surfaces, especially when displayed in pseudocolor, helped delineate the three-dimensional spatial extent of anatomic structures