A Study on the Use of High Density Polyethylene Masks to Prevent Respiratory Infection in Magnetic Resonance Imaging

In this study, a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) nose wire was applied to a mask and then used during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination to measure the change in SNR and evaluate satisfaction level. A phantom was used to measure SNR before and after the application of the HDPE mask, and to measure SNR before and after the application of a KF 94 mask. The techniques used were T1WI, T2WI, and DWI. In addition, after obtaining T2 mDixon and 3D T1 images of the HDPE mask group, SNR of the orbit and pons were measured and the degree of tightness and ease of breathing during the MRI examination were evaluated. The preference for the HDPE mask was assessed through a survey. The result of the phantom test showed that there was no significant difference in SNR before and after using the HDPE mask (p>0.05). However, results showed that there was a significant difference when using the KF 94 mask (p 0.05). The result of measuring the degree of tightness after wearing a mask showed that the wearing group and the non-wearing group had 3.53 ± 0.73 and 3.83 ± 0.75, respectively. Also, the result of measuring the ease of breathing was 3.10 ± 0.89 in the HDPE mask-wearing group, and 3.27 ± 0.91 in the non-wearing group and both findings showed no significant difference (p>0.05). The preference for the HDPE mask was 4.48 ± 0.54, indicating a high preference. The results of this study showed that the HDPE mask can be used without causing any signal change in the MRI images, and that patient satisfaction was high. Therefore, HDPE masks should be used to prevent respiratory infections during the examination.