Model-Based Reconstruction for MPI

A prerequisite for system matrix-based image reconstruction in Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) is the acquisition of a system matrix that describes the mapping between the MPI tracer and the measured signal. A common method for its acquisition is a time-consuming calibration procedure, during which the scanner is blocked for other uses. For this reason, a model-based approach that allows the system matrix to be obtained by simulation has great appeal. However, an accurate model that describes the magnetization behavior of the tracer, allows the identification of its parameters, and is computationally feasible has not yet been found.

In an ongoing collaboration with Hannes Albers and Tobias Kluth from the University of Bremen we investigate and refine a magnetization model based on the Néel rotation for the magnetic moments of the particles (see Kluth et al., 2019 and Albers et al., 2022). On the one hand, the identification of the parameters of the model is in focus, since these are unknown a priori, on the other hand, measured 2D MPI system matrices are describe with much higher accuracy than the current MPI models. Moreover, we are also interested in the limitations current MPI models in the context of fluid dynamics (see Möddel et al., 2023).

A comparison of the frequency components between a measured and model-based system matrix shows significant differences, as the simple and widely used equilibrium model is not able to fully capture the complex magnetization dynamics.

Project Publications

[191079]
Title: Recent Progress in Model-Based Reconstruction using Approximate Particle Models and low Calibration Effort.
Written by: T. Kluth, H. Albers, M. Maass, C. Droigk, M. Boberg, F. Thieben, K. Scheffler, and T. Knopp
in: <em>13th International Workshop on Magnetic Particle Imaging (IWMPI 2024)</em>. (2024).
Volume: <strong>10</strong>. Number: (1 Suppl 1),
on pages: 1
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URL: https://www.journal.iwmpi.org/index.php/iwmpi/article/view/687
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Note: inproceedings, model-based

Abstract: In magnetic particle imaging (MPI) one of the key challenges is still the model-based reconstruction problem particularly when using multi-dimensional Lissajous-type excitation. Already during the last IWMPI 2023 promising results towards a solution to this key problem have been presented from different groups. A combination of realistic physical modeling of the nanoparticles' magnetization behavior and a careful calibration of the remaining scanner components result in improved model-based reconstructions when compared to the fully calibrated system matrix approach. In addition, the question has been asked to which extent the equilibrium model can be extended to include particle anisotropy, which significantly increases the accuracy of the model while still keeping the computational effort low. The previous findings from different groups at the last IWMPI provided the starting point for a larger joint collaboration where we extended the previous results by an extensive series of experiments which showcase that the model-based reconstruction can be applied in aligned and unaligned immobilized cases but even more important also to fluid cases. In this IWMPI contribution we present an update on the ongoing works in the consortium addressing the key problem of model-based reconstruction in MPI for multi-dimensional Lissajous-type excitation. We showcase the accuracy and the computational effort for model evaluation on different system matrices and various particle phantoms being measured recently on the Bruker preclinical MPI system.