Purpose: To demonstrate a new MR imaging approach that unambiguously identifies and quantitates contrast agents based on intrinsic agent properties such as r1 , r2 , r2*, and magnetic susceptibility. The approach is referred to as magnetic barcode imaging (MBI).
Methods: Targeted and bioresponsive contrast agents were imaged in agarose phantoms to generate T1 , T2 , T2*, and quantitative susceptibility maps. The parameter maps were processed by a machine learning algorithm that is trained to recognize the contrast agents based on these parameters. The output is a quantitative map of contrast agent concentration, identity, and functional state.
Results: MBI allowed the quantitative interpretation of intensities, removed confounding backgrounds, enabled contrast agent multiplexing, and unambiguously detected the activation and binding states of bioresponsive and targeted contrast agents.
Conclusion: MBI has the potential to overcome significant limitations in the interpretation, quantitation, and multiplexing of contrast enhancement by MR imaging probes. Magn Reson Med 77:970-978, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Keywords: contrast agent; machine learning; magnetic resonance imaging; molecular imaging.
© 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.