An attempt was made to evaluate the imaging quality of various magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) modalities. Eight models were measured (four 0.5T and four 1.5T machines) using the same phantom. The results were then compared considering signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), image uniformity, T1, T2 and slice thickness. The results showed a little disparity with the projected values in T1 and T2 values. T1 and T2 values did not contribut to the differences in SNR among the models using the same magnetic field strength. The relative superiority of the SNR differed depending on the methods used to determine SNR. Coil diameter contributed to the differences in SNR among the different models. No difference in slice thickness existed for any of the models tested. Image uniformity reflected the characteristics of the radio frequency coil in each particular model. The phantom remained stable for the duration of assessment for all cases.
