How does scan time change when averages increase?

When the number of averages in a scanning process is increased, the scan time tends to increase. This principle is rooted in the way averaging works in imaging techniques. When more averages are taken, the machine collects additional data for each pixel or voxel to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. This additional data collection requires more time to acquire, resulting in a longer overall scan duration.

In imaging modalities such as MRI or CT, averaging improves image quality by reducing noise, allowing clearer visualization of structures. However, the trade-off is that this necessitates a longer scan time, as each slice or section of data needs to be captured multiple times to achieve the desired level of clarity.

While in some scenarios, scan parameters can be adjusted to mitigate the extended scan time, the fundamental relationship between increasing averages and lengthening scan time is consistent. Therefore, as averages increase, the time required to complete the scan also increases to accommodate the additional data collection.