PARAMAP: An Automated Imaging Analysis Tool for Quantitative CEST Molecular Imaging: Validation in Vitro

Julien Flament¹, Benjamin Marty¹, Sbastien Mriaux¹, Julien Valette¹, Christelle Medina², Caroline Robic², Marc Port², Franck Lethimonnier¹, Fawzi Boumezbeur¹

CEST agents are promising new contrast agents for MR molecular imaging. Yet, their susceptibility to parameters such as B₀ or B₁ is a real issue to achieve truly quantitative CEST imaging. In this study, we acquired B₀ and B₁ maps along with the CEST on and off-resonance images to generate quantitative CEST maps using a home-made imaging analysis software called PARAMAP. PARAMAP is based on the numerical simulation of the Bloch equations modified for chemical exchange incorporating B₀ and B₁ dependencies. The efficiency of our analysis tool was verified in vitro.