DCE Pre-processing options

Here you specify settings related to the DCE analysis: 

Noise threshold

• Apply noise threshold: If checked, the specified noise threshold will be used to exclude background pixels (with intensity below the specified threshold) from the analysis. The noise level is shown in red on the input images.
• Auto detect: when checked, the noise level is determined automatically.
• The noise level can be modified using the slider
  

Pre-processing

Here you specify image processing that can be applied prior to the DCE analysis.

• Motion correction: applies a rigid body motion correction to the times series data prior to DCE analysis. Note that motion correction  should be performed prior to AIF determination  if  AIF  deconvolution is to be applied (see AIF deconvolution).
• Spatial smoothing: applies spatial smoothing (averaging of neighboring pixels). This reduces image noise but also the effective spatial resolution.
• Temporal smoothing: The dynamic time signal is smoothed (low-pass filtered), to reduce effects of noise and spikes in the dynamic signal response. This smoothing does not affect spatial resolution but may reduce the ability to detect rapid signal changes. Use of temporal smoothing may improve significantly the quality of the curve fitting procedure used to obtain estimate for the kinetic parameters in the DCE module.

Example of the application of temporal smoothing (low-pass filtering of input data). The original DCE curve to the left and the low-pass filtered result to the right.

Related topics:

Kinetic modeling theory