Assessing Deformable Image Registration in the Lung Using Hyperpolarized-gas MRI
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2021-12-15
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Recently, the investigators have demonstrated a novel hyperpolarized helium tagging Magnetic
Resonance Image (MRI) technique that is capable of directly, in vivo, and non-invasively
measuring physiological lung deformation on a regional basis. This unique imaging technique
holds great promise for assessing, validating, and improving the use of Deformable image
Registration (DIR) algorithms in the lung. Our long term aim is to apply hyperpolarized gas
tagging MRI to study lung biomechanics, develop more physiologically sound DIR algorithms for
the lungs, and eventually improve radiotherapy of lung cancer. The overall aim of this
application is to optimize the hyperpolarized helium tagging MRI technology and establish its
usefulness for DIR assessment.
Our first objective is to develop and optimize a methodology based on 3 Dimensional (3D)
hyperpolarized helium tagging MRI of healthy subjects, for directly measuring lung
deformation between inhalation and exhalation. Our second objective is to develop
physiologically sound digital thorax phantoms based on helium-3 tagging MRI of healthy
subjects and demonstrate their use for DIR assessment in the lung. These phantoms will be
used to evaluate a range different DIR algorithms, by comparing the errors between the
DIR-derived deformation vector fields and the ground truth represented in the digital
phantom. Successful completion of these aims will yield a novel methodology for DIR
assessment in the lung for radiotherapy.