System and method of robust quantitative susceptibility mapping

Abstract

Exemplary quantitative susceptibility mapping methods, systems and computer-accessible medium can be provided to generate images of tissue magnetism property from complex magnetic resonance imaging data using the Bayesian inference approach, which minimizes a cost function consisting of a data fidelity term and two regularization terms. The data fidelity term is constructed directly from the complex magnetic resonance imaging data. The first prior is constructed from matching structures or information content in known morphology. The second prior is constructed from a region having an approximately homogenous and known susceptibility value and a characteristic feature on anatomic images. The quantitative susceptibility map can be determined by minimizing the cost function. Thus, according to the exemplary embodiment, system, method and computer-accessible medium can be provided for determining magnetic susceptibility information associated with at least one structure.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method for generating one or more images of an object, the method comprising:
 receiving magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data obtained by a magnetic resonance scanner, wherein the MRI data is complex, comprising magnitude data and phase data, and includes multiple echo time points;   determining a magnetic susceptibility distribution of the object based on the MRI phase data through quantitative susceptibility mapping;   determining a tissue oxygen extraction fraction map according to the determined magnetic susceptibility distribution as a first function of deoxyheme concentration and the MRI magnitude data as a second function of deoxyheme concentration;   generating image data using the determined tissue oxygen extraction fraction map; and   outputting the image data to a display device, a storage device, a network device, or a transmission device, or a combination thereof,   wherein the image data represents one or more images of the object, or a portion thereof.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the determined magnetic susceptibility distribution is a linear function of deoxyheme concentration, and the MRI magnitude data is a function of deoxyheme concentration according to a quantitative blood oxygenation level dependent model. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the act of determining a tissue oxygen extraction fraction map comprises using a similar oxygen extraction fraction for a similar temporal decay trend in MRI magnitude data. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the act of determining a tissue oxygen extraction fraction map comprises minimizing a cost function using preconditioning and/or regularization. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the act of determining a tissue oxygen extraction fraction map comprises an anisotropic weighting structure prior and/or a primal dual solver. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the quantitative susceptibility mapping comprises using a region of interest that has an approximately uniform susceptibility according to a characteristic feature. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising comparing at least one of a structure and/or a composition and/or a function of the object, or subpart thereof, represented by the image data to relevant reference image data, to determine a difference between the image data and the reference image data. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising determining if the difference between the image data and the reference image data corresponds to a multiple sclerosis lesion, a cancerous lesion, a calcified lesion, or a hemorrhage. 
     
     
         29 . A method for generating one or more images of an object tissue comprising two materials, the method comprising:
 receiving magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data obtained by a magnetic resonance scanner, wherein the MRI data is complex, comprising magnitude data and phase data, and includes multiple echo time points;   determining a magnetic susceptibility distribution of the object from the MRI data through quantitative susceptibility mapping;   determining a R2* map of the object from the MRI data;   determining maps of the two materials according to the determined magnetic susceptibility distribution as a linear composition of the two materials and the determined R2* map as a calibrated curve of the two materials;   generating image data using the determined tissue material maps; and   outputting the image data to a display device a storage device, a network device, or a transmission device, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein one material comprises iron, and the other material comprises fibrosis or myelin. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the object comprises fat as a third material fat, and wherein the method comprises separating the fat from the two materials in the image data using chemical shift information. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising using R2 information in determining maps of the two materials. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the act of determining comprises minimizing a cost function using preconditioning and/or regularization and/or comprises an anisotropic weighting structure prior and/or a primal dual solver. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the quantitative susceptibility mapping comprising using a region of interest that has an approximately uniform susceptibility according to a characteristic feature. 
     
     
         35 . A method for generating one or more images of an object, the method comprising:
 receiving magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data obtained by a magnetic resonance scanner wherein the MRI data is complex and comprises (i) magnitude information and phase information or real and imaginary information regarding tissue in the object, and (ii) Gaussian noise;   identifying a region of interest that has an approximately uniform susceptibility according to a characteristic feature, wherein the characteristic feature comprises a low value of R2* and/or R2;   determining a magnetic susceptibility distribution according to the MRI data and the identified region of interest;   generating image data using the determined magnetic susceptibility distribution; and   outputting the image data to a display device, a storage device, a network device, or a transmission device, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the act of determining the magnetic susceptibility distribution comprising minimizing a cost function comprising at least a data fidelity term associated with a likelihood function of the Gaussian noise in the MRI data, a first regularization term associated with a structure prior information, and a second regularization term associated with enforcing the approximately uniform susceptibility in the identified region of interest. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising using the magnetic susceptibility distribution to identify enhancing lesions in multiple sclerosis patients without contrast agent injection. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising using the magnetic susceptibility distribution to determine oxygen extraction fraction, and/or iron, and/or fibrosis, and/or myelin, and/or calcification. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising using the magnetic susceptibility distribution to determine oxygenation in the heart. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising using ECG trigger and navigator to suppress effects of cardiac and respiratory motions.