@article {2325, title = {Model-based super-resolution reconstruction for pseudo-continuous Arterial Spin Labeling}, journal = {NeuroImage}, volume = {286}, year = {2024}, month = {01/2024}, pages = {120506}, abstract = {Arterial spin labeling (ASL) is a promising, non-invasive perfusion magnetic resonance imaging technique for quantifying cerebral blood flow (CBF). Unfortunately, ASL suffers from an inherently low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and spatial resolution, undermining its potential. Increasing spatial resolution without significantly sacrificing SNR or scan time represents a critical challenge towards routine clinical use. In this work, we propose a model-based super-resolution reconstruction (SRR) method with joint motion estimation that breaks the traditional SNR/resolution/scan-time trade-off. From a set of differently oriented 2D multi-slice pseudo-continuous ASL images with a low through-plane resolution, 3D-isotropic, high resolution, quantitative CBF maps are estimated using a Bayesian approach. Experiments on both synthetic whole brain phantom data, and on in vivo brain data, show that the proposed SRR Bayesian estimation framework outperforms state-of-the-art ASL quantification.}, keywords = {Arterial spin labeling, CBF mapping, Model-based reconstruction, Perfusion, Quantitative MRI, super-resolution}, issn = {1053-8119}, doi = {10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120506}, author = {Quinten Beirinckx and Piet Bladt and Merlijn C E van der Plas and M.J.P van Osch and Ben Jeurissen and Arnold Jan den Dekker and Jan Sijbers} } @mastersthesis {2069, title = {Accurate and precise perfusion parameter estimation in pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling MRI}, volume = {PhD in Sciences/Physics}, year = {2020}, type = {PhD thesis}, author = {Piet Bladt} } @article {1956, title = {The costs and benefits of estimating T1 of tissue alongside cerebral blood flow and arterial transit time in pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling}, journal = {NMR in Biomedicine}, volume = {33}, year = {2020}, pages = {1-17}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1002/nbm.4182}, author = {Piet Bladt and Arnold Jan den Dekker and Clement, Patricia and Eric Achten and Jan Sijbers} } @conference {2019, title = {Optimal design of a T1 super-resolution reconstruction experiment: a simulation study}, year = {2020}, author = {Michele Nicastro and Quinten Beirinckx and Piet Bladt and Ben Jeurissen and Stefan Klein and Jan Sijbers and Dirk H J Poot and Arnold Jan den Dekker} } @conference {2139, title = {Super-resolution reconstruction of single-PLD pseudo-continuous ASL images}, year = {2020}, pages = {3293}, abstract = {Super-resolution reconstruction (SRR) allows for 3D high-resolution image reconstruction from a set of low-resolution multi-slice images with different orientations. Arterial spin labeling (ASL) is an interesting albeit complicated candidate for SRR, as it relies on subtraction. SRR-ASL can be performed on low-SNR subtracted or on low-contrast unsubtracted ASL data. Different ASL-SRR implementations were applied to single-PLD PCASL data and validated against traditional ASL-scans. Combining motion correction, super-resolution post-processing and pairwise subtraction of label-control pairs in a single framework yielded comparable CBF maps as with traditional HR-ASL. Furthermore, in certain slices, SRR-ASL appears to reconstruct the anatomical structure with higher fidelity.}, author = {Piet Bladt and Quinten Beirinckx and Merlijn C E van der Plas and Sophie Schmid and Wouter M Teeuwisse and Ben Jeurissen and Arnold Jan den Dekker and Jan Sijbers and M.J.P van Osch} } @conference {2015, title = {Super-resolution strategies for single-PLD pseudo-continuous ASL}, year = {2020}, address = {Arnhem, The Netherlands}, abstract = {Super-resolution reconstruction (SRR) allows for 3D high-resolution image reconstruction from a set of low-resolution multi-slice images with different orientations. Arterial spin labeling (ASL) is an interesting albeit complicated candidate for SRR, as it relies on subtraction. SRR-ASL can be performed on low-SNR subtracted or on low-contrast unsubtracted ASL data. Different ASL-SRR implementations were applied to single-PLD PCASL data and validated against traditional ASL-scans. Combining motion correction, super-resolution post-processing and pairwise subtraction of label-control pairs in a single framework yielded comparable CBF maps as with traditional HR-ASL. Furthermore, in certain slices, SRR-ASL appears to reconstruct the anatomical structure with higher fidelity.}, author = {Quinten Beirinckx and Piet Bladt and Merlijn C E van der Plas and Sophie Schmid and Wouter M Teeuwisse and Ben Jeurissen and Arnold Jan den Dekker and Jan Sijbers and M.J.P van Osch} } @article {2051, title = {Supporting measurements or more averages? How to quantify cerebral blood flow most reliably in 5 minutes by arterial spin labeling}, journal = {Magnetic Resonance in Medicine}, volume = {84}, year = {2020}, pages = {2523-2536}, doi = {10.1002/mrm.28314}, author = {Piet Bladt and M.J.P van Osch and Clement, Patricia and Eric Achten and Jan Sijbers and Arnold Jan den Dekker} } @conference {1993, title = {Beyond the consensus: is sacrificing part of the PCASL scan time for measurement of labeling efficiency and T1 of blood beneficial?}, year = {2019}, author = {Piet Bladt and M.J.P van Osch and Eric Achten and Arnold Jan den Dekker and Jan Sijbers} } @conference {1994, title = {Beyond the consensus: should measurement of T1 of blood and labeling efficiency be included and should a single- or multi-PLD protocol be used in a five-minute protocol for PCASL?}, year = {2019}, author = {Piet Bladt and M.J.P van Osch and Eric Achten and Arnold Jan den Dekker and Jan Sijbers} } @conference {1992, title = {Beyond the consensus: what to include when 5 minutes are available for perfusion imaging by PCASL?}, year = {2019}, author = {Piet Bladt and M.J.P van Osch and Eric Achten and Arnold Jan den Dekker and Jan Sijbers} } @article {1991, title = {Importance of pressure plasticity during compression of probiotic tablet formulations}, journal = {European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics}, volume = {145}, year = {2019}, pages = {7-11}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpb.2019.10.001}, author = {E Byl and Piet Bladt and S Lebeer and Filip Kiekens} } @conference {1995, title = {Absolute CBF quantification in multi-time point ASL: the T1 issue}, year = {2018}, author = {Piet Bladt and Arnold Jan den Dekker and Clement, Patricia and Eric Achten and Jan Sijbers} } @conference {1996, title = {Maximizing precision in PCASL MRI using an optimized sampling strategy}, year = {2017}, author = {Piet Bladt and Arnold Jan den Dekker and Clement, Patricia and Eric Achten and Jan Sijbers} } @conference {1997, title = {Optimal sampling strategy for pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling MRI}, year = {2017}, author = {Piet Bladt and Arnold Jan den Dekker and Clement, Patricia and Eric Achten and Jan Sijbers} } @article {1723, title = {A safe, cheap and easy-to-use isotropic diffusion phantom for clinical and multicenter studies}, journal = {Medical Physics}, volume = {44}, year = {2017}, pages = {1063{\textendash}1070}, doi = {10.1002/mp.12101}, author = {Pim Pullens and Piet Bladt and Jan Sijbers and Andrew I.R. Maas and Paul M Parizel} } @conference {1818, title = {Statistically optimal separation of multi-component MR signals with a Majorize-Minimize approach: application to MWF estimation}, year = {2017}, author = {Gabriel Ramos-Llord{\'e}n and Arnold Jan den Dekker and Piet Bladt and A. Cuyt and Jan Sijbers} } @conference {1826, title = {Super-resolution multi-PLD PCASL: a simulation study}, volume = {30 (Suppl. 1)}, number = {S396}, year = {2017}, publisher = {Magn Reson Mater Phy}, abstract = {Cerebral blood flow (CBF) can be estimated non-invasively with arterial spin labeling (ASL). Multi-post-labeling-delay (PLD) pseudo-continuous ASL (PCASL) allows for accurate CBF estimation by sampling the dynamic perfusion signal at different PLDs and fitting a model to the perfusion data. Unfortunately, ASL difference images have a low SNR. Therefore, CBF estimation in multi-PLD PCASL is imprecise, unless a large number of images is acquired (long scan time) or spatial resolution is lowered significantly. It has been shown that model-based super-resolution reconstruction (SRR) techniques can improve the trade-off between SNR, spatial resolution and acquisition time. The results presented in this work show the promising potential of SRR ASL to outperform conventional ASL readout schemes in terms of achievable precision of HR perfusion measurements in a given acquisition time.}, doi = {10.1007/s10334-017-0634-z}, author = {Piet Bladt and Quinten Beirinckx and Gwendolyn Van Steenkiste and Ben Jeurissen and Eric Achten and Arnold Jan den Dekker and Jan Sijbers} } @inproceedings {1653, title = {Multi-voxel algorithm for quantitative bi-exponential MRI T1 estimation}, booktitle = {SPIE Medical Imaging}, volume = {9784}, year = {2016}, pages = {978402}, address = {San Diego, California, United States of America}, abstract = {In this work, we propose a joint multi-voxel bi-exponential estimator (JMBE) for quantitative bi-exponential T1 estimation in magnetic resonance imaging, to account for partial volume effects and to yield more accurate results compared to single-voxel bi-exponential estimators (SBEs). Using a numerical brain phantom with voxels containing two tissues, the minimal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) needed to estimate both T1 values with sufficient accuracy was investigated. Compared to the SBE, and for clinically achievable single-voxel SNRs, the JMBE yields accurate T1 estimates if four or more neighboring voxels are used in the joint estimation framework, in which case it is also efficient.}, doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.2216831}, author = {Piet Bladt and Gwendolyn Van Steenkiste and Gabriel Ramos-Llord{\'e}n and Arnold Jan den Dekker and Jan Sijbers} }