6,748 research outputs found
Simultaneous multislice acquisition with multi-contrast segmented EPI for separation of signal contributions in dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging
We present a method to efficiently separate signal in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) into a base signal S0, representing the mainly T1-weighted component without T2*-relaxation, and its T2*-weighted counterpart by the rapid acquisition of multiple contrasts for advanced pharmacokinetic modelling. This is achieved by incorporating simultaneous multislice (SMS) imaging into a multi-contrast, segmented echo planar imaging (EPI) sequence to allow extended spatial coverage, which covers larger body regions without time penalty. Simultaneous acquisition of four slices was combined with segmented EPI for fast imaging with three gradient echo times in a preclinical perfusion study. Six female domestic pigs, German-landrace or hybrid-form, were scanned for 11 minutes respectively during administration of gadolinium-based contrast agent. Influences of reconstruction methods and training data were investigated. The separation into T1- and T2*-dependent signal contributions was achieved by fitting a standard analytical model to the acquired multi-echo data. The application of SMS yielded sufficient temporal resolution for the detection of the arterial input function in major vessels, while anatomical coverage allowed perfusion analysis of muscle tissue. The separation of the MR signal into T1- and T2*-dependent components allowed the correction of susceptibility related changes. We demonstrate a novel sequence for dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI that meets the requirements of temporal resolution (Δt < 1.5 s) and image quality. The incorporation of SMS into multi-contrast, segmented EPI can overcome existing limitations of dynamic contrast enhancement and dynamic susceptibility contrast methods, when applied separately. The new approach allows both techniques to be combined in a single acquisition with a large spatial coverage
Simultaneous use of Individual and Joint Regularization Terms in Compressive Sensing: Joint Reconstruction of Multi-Channel Multi-Contrast MRI Acquisitions
Purpose: A time-efficient strategy to acquire high-quality multi-contrast
images is to reconstruct undersampled data with joint regularization terms that
leverage common information across contrasts. However, these terms can cause
leakage of uncommon features among contrasts, compromising diagnostic utility.
The goal of this study is to develop a compressive sensing method for
multi-channel multi-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that optimally
utilizes shared information while preventing feature leakage.
Theory: Joint regularization terms group sparsity and colour total variation
are used to exploit common features across images while individual sparsity and
total variation are also used to prevent leakage of distinct features across
contrasts. The multi-channel multi-contrast reconstruction problem is solved
via a fast algorithm based on Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers.
Methods: The proposed method is compared against using only individual and
only joint regularization terms in reconstruction. Comparisons were performed
on single-channel simulated and multi-channel in-vivo datasets in terms of
reconstruction quality and neuroradiologist reader scores.
Results: The proposed method demonstrates rapid convergence and improved
image quality for both simulated and in-vivo datasets. Furthermore, while
reconstructions that solely use joint regularization terms are prone to
leakage-of-features, the proposed method reliably avoids leakage via
simultaneous use of joint and individual terms.
Conclusion: The proposed compressive sensing method performs fast
reconstruction of multi-channel multi-contrast MRI data with improved image
quality. It offers reliability against feature leakage in joint
reconstructions, thereby holding great promise for clinical use.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures. Submitted for possible publicatio
Fast T2 Mapping with Improved Accuracy Using Undersampled Spin-echo MRI and Model-based Reconstructions with a Generating Function
A model-based reconstruction technique for accelerated T2 mapping with
improved accuracy is proposed using undersampled Cartesian spin-echo MRI data.
The technique employs an advanced signal model for T2 relaxation that accounts
for contributions from indirect echoes in a train of multiple spin echoes. An
iterative solution of the nonlinear inverse reconstruction problem directly
estimates spin-density and T2 maps from undersampled raw data. The algorithm is
validated for simulated data as well as phantom and human brain MRI at 3 T. The
performance of the advanced model is compared to conventional pixel-based
fitting of echo-time images from fully sampled data. The proposed method yields
more accurate T2 values than the mono-exponential model and allows for
undersampling factors of at least 6. Although limitations are observed for very
long T2 relaxation times, respective reconstruction problems may be overcome by
a gradient dampening approach. The analytical gradient of the utilized cost
function is included as Appendix.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure
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Coil combination using linear deconvolution in k-space for phase imaging
Background: The combination of multi-channel data is a critical step for the imaging of phase and susceptibility contrast in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Magnitude-weighted phase combination methods often produce noise and aliasing artifacts in the magnitude images at accelerated imaging sceneries. To address this issue, an optimal coil combination method through deconvolution in k-space is proposed in this paper.
Methods: The proposed method firstly employs the sum-of-squares and phase aligning method to yield a complex reference coil image which is then used to calculate the coil sensitivity and its Fourier transform. Then, the coil k-space combining weights is computed, taking into account the truncated frequency data of coil sensitivity and the acquired k-space data. Finally, combining the coil k-space data with the acquired weights generates the k-space data of proton distribution, with which both phase and magnitude information can be obtained straightforwardly. Both phantom and in vivo imaging experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed method.
Results: Compared with magnitude-weighted method and MCPC-C, the proposed method can alleviate the phase cancellation in coil combination, resulting in a less wrapped phase.
Conclusions: The proposed method provides an effective and efficient approach to combine multiple coil image in parallel MRI reconstruction, and has potential to benefit routine clinical practice in the future
PEAR: PEriodic And fixed Rank separation for fast fMRI
In functional MRI (fMRI), faster acquisition via undersampling of data can
improve the spatial-temporal resolution trade-off and increase statistical
robustness through increased degrees-of-freedom. High quality reconstruction of
fMRI data from undersampled measurements requires proper modeling of the data.
We present an fMRI reconstruction approach based on modeling the fMRI signal as
a sum of periodic and fixed rank components, for improved reconstruction from
undersampled measurements. We decompose the fMRI signal into a component which
a has fixed rank and a component consisting of a sum of periodic signals which
is sparse in the temporal Fourier domain. Data reconstruction is performed by
solving a constrained problem that enforces a fixed, moderate rank on one of
the components, and a limited number of temporal frequencies on the other. Our
approach is coined PEAR - PEriodic And fixed Rank separation for fast fMRI.
Experimental results include purely synthetic simulation, a simulation with
real timecourses and retrospective undersampling of a real fMRI dataset.
Evaluation was performed both quantitatively and visually versus ground truth,
comparing PEAR to two additional recent methods for fMRI reconstruction from
undersampled measurements. Results demonstrate PEAR's improvement in estimating
the timecourses and activation maps versus the methods compared against at
acceleration ratios of R=8,16 (for simulated data) and R=6.66,10 (for real
data). PEAR results in reconstruction with higher fidelity than when using a
fixed-rank based model or a conventional Low-rank+Sparse algorithm. We have
shown that splitting the functional information between the components leads to
better modeling of fMRI, over state-of-the-art methods
Impacts of Simultaneous Multislice Acquisition on Sensitivity and Specificity in fMRI
Simultaneous multislice (SMS) imaging can be used to decrease the time between acquisition of fMRI volumes, which can increase sensitivity by facilitating the removal of higher-frequency artifacts and boosting effective sample size. The technique requires an additional processing step in which the slices are separated, or unaliased, to recover the whole brain volume. However, this may result in signal “leakage” between aliased locations, i.e., slice “leakage,” and lead to spurious activation (decreased specificity). SMS can also lead to noise amplification, which can reduce the benefits of decreased repetition time. In this study, we evaluate the original slice-GRAPPA (no leak block) reconstruction algorithmand acceleration factor (AF = 8) used in the fMRI data in the young adult Human Connectome Project (HCP). We also evaluate split slice-GRAPPA (leak block), which can reduce slice leakage. We use simulations to disentangle higher test statistics into true positives (sensitivity) and false positives (decreased specificity). Slice leakage was greatly decreased by split slice-GRAPPA. Noise amplification was decreased by using moderate acceleration factors (AF = 4). We examined slice leakage in unprocessed fMRI motor task data from the HCP. When data were smoothed, we found evidence of slice leakage in some, but not all, subjects. We also found evidence of SMS noise amplification in unprocessed task and processed resting-state HCP data
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