Physics Informed Neural Networks for Estimation of Tissue Properties from Multi-echo Configuration State MRI

Samuel I. Adams-Tew, Henrik Odéen, Dennis L. Parker, Cheng-Chieh Cheng, Bruno Madore, Allison Payne, Sarang C. Joshi

Abstract: This work investigates the use of configuration state imaging together with deep neural networks to develop quantitative MRI techniques for deployment in an interventional setting. A physics modeling technique for inhomogeneous fields and heterogeneous tissues is presented and used to evaluate the theoretical capability of neural networks to estimate parameter maps from configuration state signal data. All tested normalization strategies achieved similar performance in estimating \(T_2\) and \(T_2^*\). Varying network architecture and data normalization had substantial impacts on estimated flip angle and \(T_1\), highlighting their importance in developing neural networks to solve these inverse problems. The developed signal modeling technique provides an environment that will enable the development and evaluation of physics-informed machine learning techniques for MR parameter mapping and facilitate the development of quantitative MRI techniques to inform clinical decisions during MR-guided treatments.