4D MAP MRI Image Reconstruction

Conventional MRI reconstruction techniques are susceptible to artifacts when imaging moving organs. In this paper, a reconstruction algorithm is developed that accommodates respiratory motion instead of using only navigator-gated data. The maximum a posteriori (MAP) algorithm uses the raw k-space time-stamped data and the 1D diaphragm navigator signal to reconstruct the images and estimate deformations in anatomy simultaneously. The algorithm eliminates blurring due to binning the data and increases signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by using all of the collected data. The algorithm is tested in a simulated torso phantom and is shown to increase image quality by dramatically reducing motion artifacts.