​​​​​

While quantitative MRI (qMRI) offers the immense benefit of objective, absolute measurements of tissue properties, its widespread clinical adoption is severely hindered by a lack of standardization. Measurements can vary significantly across different scanners, vendors, and scan settings. Establishing stable, standardized reference objects is critical for ensuring the reproducibility and accuracy of qMRI biomarkers across different scanners and scan settings for longitudinal studies. To address this urgent need, this project centers on the development and longitudinal evaluation of quantitative MRI (qMRI) calibration phantoms designed to validate and standardize quantitative imaging protocols.

 

The study investigates the temporal stability of relaxation times (T1, T2, T2*) and the Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) across a 1.5-year period, comparing Double Distilled Water (DDW) with Agar-based gel phantoms. The study evaluated DDW and Agar-based host gels embedded with paramagnetic reagents (MnCl2, CuSO4, NiCl2) calibrated to span physiological tissue ranges, while emphasizing critical safety precautions when mixing different relaxometry compounds, anti-mold reagents, and field dependent spatial variations. Ultimately, this work provides the essential physical calibration framework required to guarantee the cross-site reproducibility and clinical reliability of quantitative imaging biomarkers.​​​

​

​

​

​​