Algorithms For Magnetic Resonance Imaging In Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy plays an increasingly important role in cancer treatment, and medical imaging plays an increasingly important role in radiotherapy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is poised to be a major component in the development towards more effective radiotherapy treatments with fewer side effects. This thesis attempts to contribute in realizing this potential. Radiotherapy planning requires simulation of radiation transport. The necessary physical properties are typically derived from CT images, but in some cases only MR images are available. In such a case, a crude but common approach is to approximate all tissue properties as equivalent to those of water. In this thesis we propose two methods to improve upon this approximation. The first uses a machine learning approach to automatically identify bone tissue in MR. The second, which we refer to as atlas-based regression, can be used to generate a realistic, patient-specific, pseudo-CT directly from anatomical MR images. Atlas-based regression uses deformable registration to estimate a pseudo-CT of a new patient based on a database of aligned MR and CT pairs. Cancerous tissue has a different structure from normal tissue. This affects molecular diffusion, which can be measured using MRI. The prototypical diffusion encoding sequence has recently been challenged with the introduction of more general gradient waveforms. One such example is diffusional variance decomposition (DIVIDE), which allows non-invasive mapping of parameters that reflect variable cell eccentricity and density in brain tumors. To take full advantage of such more general gradient waveforms it is, however, imperative to respect the constraints imposed by the hardware while at the same time maximizing the diffusion encoding strength. In this thesis we formulate this as a constrained optimization problem that is easily adaptable to various hardware constraints. We demonstrate that, by using the optimized gradient waveforms, it is technically feasible to perform whole-brain diffusional variance decomposition at clinical MRI systems with varying performance. The last part of the thesis is devoted to estimation of diffusion MRI models from measurements. We show that, by using a machine learning framework called Gaussian processes, it is possible to perform diffusion spectrum imaging using far fewer measurements than ordinarily required. This has the potential of making diffusion spectrum imaging feasible even though the acquisition time is limited. A key property of Gaussian processes, which is a probabilistic model, is that it comes with a rigorous way of reasoning about uncertainty. This is pursued further in the last paper, in which we propose a Bayesian reinterpretation of several of the most popular models for diffusion MRI. Thanks to the Bayesian interpretation it possible to quantify the uncertainty in any property derived from these models. We expect this will be broadly useful, in particular in group analyses and in cases when the uncertainty is large.

This book presents a comprehensive review of the recent developments in fast L1-norm regularization-based compressed sensing (CS) magnetic resonance image reconstruction algorithms. Compressed sensing magnetic resonance imaging (CS-MRI) is able to reduce the scan time of MRI considerably as it is possible to reconstruct MR images from only a few measurements in the k-space; far below the requirements of the Nyquist sampling rate. L1-norm-based regularization problems can be solved efficiently using the state-of-the-art convex optimization techniques, which in general outperform the greedy techniques in terms of quality of reconstructions. Recently, fast convex optimization based reconstruction algorithms have been developed which are also able to achieve the benchmarks for the use of CS-MRI in clinical practice. This book enables graduate students, researchers, and medical practitioners working in the field of medical image processing, particularly in MRI to understand the need for the CS in MRI, and thereby how it could revolutionize the soft tissue imaging to benefit healthcare technology without making major changes in the existing scanner hardware. It would be particularly useful for researchers who have just entered into the exciting field of CS-MRI and would like to quickly go through the developments to date without diving into the detailed mathematical analysis. Finally, it also discusses recent trends and future research directions for implementation of CS-MRI in clinical practice, particularly in Bio- and Neuro-informatics applications.

This book provides, for the first time, a unified approach to the application of MRI in radiotherapy that incorporates both a physics and a clinical perspective. Readers will find detailed information and guidance on the role of MRI in all aspects of treatment, from dose planning, with or without CT, through to response assessment. Extensive coverage is devoted to the latest technological developments and emerging options. These include hybrid MRI treatment systems, such as MRI-Linac and proton-guided systems, which are ushering in an era of real-time MRI guidance. The past decade has witnessed an unprecedented rise in the use of MRI in the radiation treatment of cancer. The development of highly conformal dose delivery techniques has led to a growing need to harness advanced imaging for patient treatment. With its flexible soft tissue contrast and ability to acquire functional information, MRI offers advantages at all stages of treatment. In documenting the state of the art in the field, this book will be of value to a wide range of professionals. The authors are international experts drawn from the scientific committee of the 2017 MR in RT symposium and the faculty of the ESTRO teaching course on imaging for physicists.

With the advances in image guided surgery for cancer treatment, the role of image segmentation and registration has become very critical. The central engine of any image guided surgery product is its ability to quantify the organ or segment the organ whether it is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT), X-ray, PET, SPECT, Ultrasound, and Molecular imaging modality. Sophisticated segmentation algorithms can help the physicians delineate better the anatomical structures present in the input images, enhance the accuracy of medical diagnosis and facilitate the best treatment planning system designs. The focus of this book in towards the state of the art techniques in the area of image segmentation and registration.

This book presents a comprehensive review of the recent developments in fast L1-norm regularization-based compressed sensing (CS) magnetic resonance image reconstruction algorithms. Compressed sensing magnetic resonance imaging (CS-MRI) is able to reduce the scan time of MRI considerably as it is possible to reconstruct MR images from only a few measurements in the k-space; far below the requirements of the Nyquist sampling rate. L1-norm-based regularization problems can be solved efficiently using the state-of-the-art convex optimization techniques, which in general outperform the greedy techniques in terms of quality of reconstructions. Recently, fast convex optimization based reconstruction algorithms have been developed which are also able to achieve the benchmarks for the use of CS-MRI in clinical practice. This book enables graduate students, researchers, and medical practitioners working in the field of medical image processing, particularly in MRI to understand the need for the CS in MRI, and thereby how it could revolutionize the soft tissue imaging to benefit healthcare technology without making major changes in the existing scanner hardware. It would be particularly useful for researchers who have just entered into the exciting field of CS-MRI and would like to quickly go through the developments to date without diving into the detailed mathematical analysis. Finally, it also discusses recent trends and future research directions for implementation of CS-MRI in clinical practice, particularly in Bio- and Neuro-informatics applications.