DeepFittingNet: A deep neural network-based approach for simplifying cardiac T 1 and T 2 estimation with improved robustness

To develop and evaluate a deep neural network (DeepFittingNet) for T /T estimation of the most commonly used cardiovascular MR mapping sequences to simplify data processing and improve robustness. DeepFittingNet is a 1D neural network composed of a recurrent neural network (RNN) and a fully connected (FCNN) neural network, in which RNN adapts to the different number of input signals from various sequences and FCNN subsequently predicts A, B, and T of a three-parameter model. DeepFittingNet was trained using Bloch-equation simulations of MOLLI and saturation-recovery single-shot acquisition (SASHA) T mapping sequences, and T -prepared balanced SSFP (T -prep bSSFP) T mapping sequence, with reference values from the curve-fitting method. Several imaging confounders were simulated to improve robustness. The trained DeepFittingNet was tested using phantom and in-vivo signals, and compared to the curve-fitting algorithm. In testing, DeepFittingNet performed T /T estimation of four sequences with improved robustness in inversion-recovery T estimation. The mean bias in phantom T and T between the curve-fitting and DeepFittingNet was smaller than 30 and 1 ms, respectively. Excellent agreements between both methods was found in the left ventricle and septum T /T with a mean bias