| Keywords |
MRI operating noise; Zwicker parameter; Sound quality; A-weighted sound level |
| Abstract |
As a technique of using a magnetic field to change body signals into digital information, Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI) has recently been highly preferred because it produces accurate results and does no harm to a human body. However, MRI generates very serious noises from the process of coil movement to create a magnetic field and causes anxiety among patients having an examination, and the psychological factors make the results less accurate. For this reason, although it is urgent to take measures to reduce MRI operating noises, almost no research has been conducted on this issue in South Korea. In addition, while damage from noises has been rated simply on the basis of a weighted sound level (dB(A)), which is loudness of noises, sound quality should be taken into account in case of MRI noises having physical and psychological effects on patients directly. From this perspective, this study measured noises from four MRI devices, which differed in intensity of magnetic field, and used Zwicker parameters, which are to evaluate sound quality related to human beings’ psychological responses, to analyze the noises in terms of loudness, sharpness, fluctuation strength, unbiased annoyance, tonality, roughness, and so on. The correlation between six Zwicker parameters and such physical quantities of noises as SPLdB(A), SPLO.A., PSIL, and NR was also analyzed. MRI operating noises were perceived as loud, annoying, and rough sounds in human psychology. In particular, louder MRI noises were gradually perceived as ‘Loud and Annoying sounds’ but were less likely to draw the perception of ‘Roughness.’ Therefore, if MRI noises were evaluated not only in terms of the physical size of sound but also in terms of loudness, unbiased annoyance, and roughness, which are closely correlated with the physical size, it would be possible to determine the characteristics and effects of MRI noises more accurately. |