This invention is composed of a phantom and DTI bench marking that allows DTI to proceed, applicable to tissue structures found throughout the body. Bench marking of DTI data will allow for a host of benefits, including 1) appropriate comparison of DTI data within multi-center trials; 2) appropriate ranges of uncertainty that could be presented with an examination, to improve the characterizing of tissue (for example, tumor demarcation, white matter infiltration) for pre-surgical planning; 3) characterization of MR scanner performance over time at an institution, for maintenance decisions; 4) characterization of new protocols within the clinic, for robustness to noise; 5) standardize current clinical MRI systems for multiple scanner providers. Extensions of this idea to objects other than phantoms (for example, tissue, clinical use) may include improved directional determination of white-matter fascicles, for pre-surgical planning.
Case ID: AURI #2008-002