Magnetic resonance perfusion imaging using compressed sensing

Perfusion analysis is an important experimental technique used for diagnostics and evaluation of therapy response. Analysis based on magnetic resonance (MR) helps in identifying the state and dynamic behaviour of oncological and cardiovascular diseases and enables bettertreatment. MR perfusion analysis is done by means of estimating parameters describing tissue properties from the acquired signal. Accurate quantification of the parameters driving complex perfusion models requires low signal to noise ratio and high spatial and temporal resolution. Recent studies show that the quantification methods based on advanced pharmacokinetic models and blind deconvolution have reached their limits. The goal of the project is to utilize knowledge from the field of compressed sensing to develop novel methods of MR acquisition and reconstruction taking into account the specifics of perfusion analysis. This will lead to significant improvements in the accuracy of perfusion parameter estimation, thus contributing to lifting today’s technical barriers and understanding better the nature of diseases.