2015 Winter Project Week:Bolus Arrival Time Estimation in PK Modelling

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  Projects List

Key Investigators

• Alireza Mehrtash, BWH
• Andrey Fedorov, BWH
• Jim Miller, GE

Project Description

PharmacoKinetics (PK) analysis of DCE-MRI images requires estimation of bolus arrival time (BAT). Inaccuracies in estimation of BAT can affect the results of derived PK metrics. The goal of this project is to improve the current implementation of BAT estimation in Slicer's PK Modelling extension [1]. The current implemented method in Slicer measures the time point before the peak gradient arrival and set it as BAT.

Objective

• Investigate options for improving current implementation in case of noisy data by adding a low pass filter (e.g. savitzky golay filter).
• Adding option for manual assignment of BAT separately for AIF (Arterial Input Function) and TRF (Tissue Residual Function).
• Adding three segments piecewise continous regression model (PL Method) [2] for bat estimation to PK Modelling module.

Approach, Plan

Progress

References

• [1] PK Modelling extension documentation page
• [2] Improved bolus arrival time and arterial input function estimation for tracer kinetic analysis in DCE-MRI.