An experimental setup for acoustic noise reduction in MRI using Predictive Noise Canceling

Gradient acoustic noise in MRI remains a large source of patient discomfort, with sound pressure levels reaching 130dB. In this work, we explore Predictive Noise Canceling (PNC) to reduce the acoustic noise. The method, similarly to active noise canceling, uses anti-noise to create a quiet zone. However, PNC is based on a direct gradient noise prediction, and is hence robust to aperiodicity and latency. We use iterative equalization and external trigger signals to achieve improved signal fidelity. The method is, for the first time, applied regular MRI sequences, and achieves up to 13dB noise reduction in the 0.3-4kHz range.