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Combination of complex‐based and magnitude‐based multiecho water‐fat separation for accurate quantification of fat‐fraction
Author(s) -
Yu Huanzhou,
Shimakawa Ann,
Hines Catherine D. G.,
McKenzie Charles A.,
Hamilton Gavin,
Sirlin Claude B.,
Brittain Jean H.,
Reeder Scott B.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
magnetic resonance in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.696
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1522-2594
pISSN - 0740-3194
DOI - 10.1002/mrm.22840
Subject(s) - fraction (chemistry) , magnitude (astronomy) , phase (matter) , separation (statistics) , chemistry , biological system , analytical chemistry (journal) , computer science , chromatography , physics , machine learning , organic chemistry , astronomy , biology
Multipoint water–fat separation techniques rely on different water–fat phase shifts generated at multiple echo times to decompose water and fat. Therefore, these methods require complex source images and allow unambiguous separation of water and fat signals. However, complex‐based water–fat separation methods are sensitive to phase errors in the source images, which may lead to clinically important errors. An alternative approach to quantify fat is through “magnitude‐based” methods that acquire multiecho magnitude images. Magnitude‐based methods are insensitive to phase errors, but cannot estimate fat‐fraction greater than 50%. In this work, we introduce a water–fat separation approach that combines the strengths of both complex and magnitude reconstruction algorithms. A magnitude‐based reconstruction is applied after complex‐based water–fat separation to removes the effect of phase errors. The results from the two reconstructions are then combined. We demonstrate that using this hybrid method, 0–100% fat‐fraction can be estimated with improved accuracy at low fat‐fractions. Magn Reson Med, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.