Method for tracking of contrast enhancement pattern for pharmacokinetic and parametric analysis in fast-enhancing tissues using high-resolution MRI

A non-transitory program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for performing a high-resolution pharmacokinetic analysis for calculation of tissue parameters for a fast-enhancing tissue, the method steps comprising:

• obtaining mask image data of the fast-enhancing tissue when the fast-enhancing tissue is in a steady state condition;
• obtaining a time series of image data of the fast-enhancing tissue when the contrast agent is flowing in the fast-enhancing tissue;
• increasing a spatial resolution of the time series of image data using the mask image data to obtain a time series of increased spatial resolution image data;
• performing a pharmacokinetic analysis of the increased spatial resolution image data to obtain data including at least one pharmacokinetic parameter that characterizes the fast-enhancing tissue;
• providing a multi-parameter look-up table derived from a combination of two or more pharmacokinetic parameters;
• and
• providing a display including the at least one pharmacokinetic parameter or a parametric image, the parametric image being derived from the multi-parameter look-up table.

A system for performing a high-resolution pharmacokinetic analysis for calculation of tissue parameters for a fast-enhancing tissue, comprising:

• means for obtaining mask image data of the fast-enhancing tissue when the fast-enhancing tissue is in a steady state condition;
• means for obtaining a time series of image data of the fast-enhancing tissue when a contrast agent is flowing in the fast-enhancing tissue;
• means for increasing a spatial resolution of the time series of image data using the mask image data to obtain a time series of increased spatial resolution image data;
• means for performing a pharmacokinetic analysis of the increased spatial resolution image data to obtain data including at least one pharmacokinetic parameter that characterizes the fast-enhancing tissue;
• means for providing a multi-parameter look-up table derived from a combination of two or more pharmacokinetic parameters;
• and
• means for providing a display including the at least one pharmacokinetic parameter or a parametric image, the parametric image being derived from the multi-parameter look-up table.