
PurposeRecent developments in hardware design enable the use of fast field‐cycling (FFC) techniques in MRI to exploit the different relaxation rates at very low field strength, achieving novel contrast. The method opens new avenues for in vivo characterizations of pathologies but at the expense of longer acquisition times. To mitigate this, we propose a model‐based reconstruction method that fully exploits the high information redundancy offered by FFC methods.MethodsThe proposed model‐based approach uses joint spatial information from all fields by means of a Frobenius ‐ total generalized variation regularization. The algorithm was tested on brain stroke images, both simulated and acquired from FFC patients scans using an FFC spin echo sequences. The results are compared to three non‐linear least squares fits with progressively increasing complexity.ResultsThe proposed method shows excellent abilities to remove noise while maintaining sharp image features with large signal‐to‐noise ratio gains at low‐field images, clearly outperforming the reference approach. Especially patient data show huge improvements in visual appearance over all fields.ConclusionThe proposed reconstruction technique largely improves FFC image quality, further pushing this new technology toward clinical standards.
Signal Processing (eess.SP), Supplementary Data, 610, FOS: Physical sciences, R Medicine, Signal-To-Noise Ratio, model-based reconstruction, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, FOS: Electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering, Humans, Research Articles—Imaging Methodology, Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Signal Processing, Least-Squares Analysis, Image and Video Processing (eess.IV), R, 500, T1 quantification, Brain, low-field MRI, Dispersion, Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Image and Video Processing, Physics - Medical Physics, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, fast field-cycling, dispersion, model- based reconstruction, Medical Physics (physics.med-ph), Algorithms
Signal Processing (eess.SP), Supplementary Data, 610, FOS: Physical sciences, R Medicine, Signal-To-Noise Ratio, model-based reconstruction, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, FOS: Electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering, Humans, Research Articles—Imaging Methodology, Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Signal Processing, Least-Squares Analysis, Image and Video Processing (eess.IV), R, 500, T1 quantification, Brain, low-field MRI, Dispersion, Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Image and Video Processing, Physics - Medical Physics, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, fast field-cycling, dispersion, model- based reconstruction, Medical Physics (physics.med-ph), Algorithms
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| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% |
