Optimization of pulsed saturation transfer MR fingerprinting (ST MRF) acquisition using the Cram\'er-Rao bound and sequential quadratic programming
Abstract
Purpose: To develop a method for optimizing pulsed saturation transfer MR fingerprinting (ST MRF) acquisition. Methods: The Cram\'er-Rao bound (CRB) for variance assessment was employed on Bloch-McConnell-based simulated signals, followed by a numerical sequential quadratic programming optimization and basin-hopping avoidance of local minima. Validation was performed using L-arginine phantoms and healthy human volunteers (n=4) at 3T while restricting the scan time to be less than 40 s. Results: The proposed optimization approach resulted in a significantly improved agreement with reference gold standard values in vivo, compared to baseline non-optimized protocols (8 lower NRMSE, 7 higher SSIM, and 15 higher Pearson's r value, p<0.001). Conclusion: The combination of the CRB with sequential quadratic programming and a rapid Bloch-McConnell simulator offers a means for optimizing and accelerating pulsed CEST and semisolid magnetization transfer (MT) MRF acquisition.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2504.03298,
title = {Optimization of pulsed saturation transfer MR fingerprinting (ST MRF) acquisition using the Cram\'er-Rao bound and sequential quadratic programming},
author = {Nikita Vladimirov and Moritz Zaiss and Or Perlman},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2504.03298},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
Submitted to Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This project was funded by the European Union (ERC, BabyMagnet, project no. 101115639). Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them