TY - UNPB
T1 - Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging by Nonlinear Inversion of the Bloch Equations
AU - Scholand, Nick
AU - Wang, Xiaoqing
AU - Roeloffs, Volkert
AU - Rosenzweig, Sebastian
AU - Uecker, Martin
N1 - 30 pages, 7 Figures, 1 Table, Research Paper
PY - 2022/9/16
Y1 - 2022/9/16
N2 - Purpose: Development of a generic model-based reconstruction framework for multi-parametric quantitative MRI that can be used with data from different pulse sequences. Methods: Generic nonlinear model-based reconstruction for quantitative MRI estimates parametric maps directly from the acquired k-space by numerical optimization. This requires numerically accurate and efficient methods to solve the Bloch equations and their partial derivatives. In this work, we combine direct sensitivity analysis and pre-computed state-transition matrices into a generic framework for calibrationless model-based reconstruction that can be applied to different pulse sequences. As a proof-of-concept, the method is implemented and validated for quantitative $T_1$ and $T_2$ mapping with single-shot inversion-recovery (IR) FLASH and IR bSSFP sequences in simulations, phantoms, and the human brain. Results: The direct sensitivity analysis enables a highly accurate and numerically stable calculation of the derivatives. The state-transition matrices efficiently exploit repeating patterns in pulse sequences, speeding up the calculation by a factor of 10 for the examples considered in this work, while preserving the accuracy of native ODE solvers. The generic model-based method reproduces quantitative results of previous model-based reconstructions based on the known analytical solutions for radial IR FLASH. For IR bSFFP it produces accurate $T_1$ and $T_2$ maps for the NIST phantom in numerical simulations and experiments. Feasibility is also shown for human brain, although results are affected by magnetization transfer effects. Conclusion: By developing efficient tools for numerical optimizations using the Bloch equations as forward model, this work enables generic model-based reconstruction for quantitative MRI.
AB - Purpose: Development of a generic model-based reconstruction framework for multi-parametric quantitative MRI that can be used with data from different pulse sequences. Methods: Generic nonlinear model-based reconstruction for quantitative MRI estimates parametric maps directly from the acquired k-space by numerical optimization. This requires numerically accurate and efficient methods to solve the Bloch equations and their partial derivatives. In this work, we combine direct sensitivity analysis and pre-computed state-transition matrices into a generic framework for calibrationless model-based reconstruction that can be applied to different pulse sequences. As a proof-of-concept, the method is implemented and validated for quantitative $T_1$ and $T_2$ mapping with single-shot inversion-recovery (IR) FLASH and IR bSSFP sequences in simulations, phantoms, and the human brain. Results: The direct sensitivity analysis enables a highly accurate and numerically stable calculation of the derivatives. The state-transition matrices efficiently exploit repeating patterns in pulse sequences, speeding up the calculation by a factor of 10 for the examples considered in this work, while preserving the accuracy of native ODE solvers. The generic model-based method reproduces quantitative results of previous model-based reconstructions based on the known analytical solutions for radial IR FLASH. For IR bSFFP it produces accurate $T_1$ and $T_2$ maps for the NIST phantom in numerical simulations and experiments. Feasibility is also shown for human brain, although results are affected by magnetization transfer effects. Conclusion: By developing efficient tools for numerical optimizations using the Bloch equations as forward model, this work enables generic model-based reconstruction for quantitative MRI.
KW - physics.med-ph
M3 - Preprint
BT - Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging by Nonlinear Inversion of the Bloch Equations
ER -