Bolus Arrival Time

Node Icon

This node estimates the bolus arrival time (BAT) in a tissue region of interest (ROI) from a DCE-MRI time series. Internally, it uses a standard Parker-based AIF model [1] to create a reference enhancement curve. It then fits or “synchronizes” this reference curve to the measured signal in the selected tissue, determining the time offset at which the bolus is likely to have arrived. The estimated BAT can be used in subsequent kinetic analyses or as a reference for aligning other signals.

Optionally, a mask can be provided to restrict BAT estimation to a specific region.

Inputs

Time Series

Time-resolved signal data from a DCE-MRI sequence.

Type: NodeIOImage, Required, Single

Mask

Optional binary mask to limit BAT estimation to a specific region.

Type: NodeIOMask, Optional, Single

Outputs

BAT

The estimated bolus arrival time in seconds.

Type: NodeIONumericArray

BAT Volume Index

Index in the time-series array at which the bolus arrives (dimensionless).

Type: NodeIONumericArray

Sync. Plot

A table containing the synchronized AIF and the tissue curve, useful for visualization.

Type: NodeIOTable

Settings

Fit Duration [s] Decimal Number

The maximum time span used to fit the arrival time.

Time step [s] Decimal Number

Temporal step size used for shifting and synchronizing the AIF with the measured tissue curve.

Maximum Bolus Arrival Time [s] Decimal Number

Upper bound on the estimated bolus arrival time.