02 November 2020: A new set of milestones achieved!

Dear colleagues,

The OSIPI task forces have completed a number of new milestones:

Task Force 1.1 (ASL software inventory) contacted ASL-pipeline developers through several channels with a questionnaire about their software. Twelve developers returned the questionnaire and a draft of the inventory has been created based on their responses. The task force is currently preparing an ISMRM abstract and a user-friendly layout for osipi.org. In the next 3 months, the inventory will be finalised and results will be summarised in a journal review paper.

Link to draft ASL software inventory

Task Force 1.2 (DCE/DSC software inventory) has completed their second milestone. A total of 48 descriptors have been added to the DCE/DSC software inventory. These descriptors provide factual information encompassing software accessibility, support, implementation, and functionality, and also includes relevant publications specific to each tool. We are on track to complete our first deliverable in February, where all descriptors will be defined for each software tool.

Link to draft DCE/DSC software inventory.

Task Force 2.2 (ASL code contributions) has reached out to various groups soliciting code contributions for intermediate and advanced ASL developers. So far detailed matlab code has been recieved from 1 developer (Ze Wang, ASLtbx) and 4-6 more groups have expressed an interest to contribute. The next 3 months the task force will approach other developers with a request for specific code to offer a comprehensive coverage of ASL functionality.

Taskforce 2.3 (DCE/DSC code contributions) has established a Github repository for collecting DCE/DSC code in Python (milestone lead: Sudarshan Ragunathan). At present the library contains code for T1 mapping, including automated unit testing and test coverage monitoring. We continue to refine the process for integration and testing of code contributions, and we will expand the range of DC functionality in future milestones. The repository provides tested, open-source code for researchers and developers, and will ultimately be used to create a single harmonised DCE/DSC code library.

Link to DCE/DSC software repository.

Task force 3.1 (DRO’s and phantoms) has collated responses from the initial call for contributions, listing 7 offers for contributions including 4 DRO’s. The list will be released once formal permissions have been obtained from the contributors. In the next 3 months, TF3.1 will aim to identify additional DRO’s in the literature, define a formal structure for the inventory and release a first draft.

Link to draft DRO and phantom inventory (embargoed until sharing permissions recieved).

Task force 3.2 (Clinical and preclinical data) has completed the description of repositories that contain perfusion data and has prepared an initial list of the attributes that will accompany the public perfusion datasets in the inventory. The list of dataset descriptors based on the defined list of attributes is in this spreadsheet. This list is open to revisions based on the experience assembling the inventory. We also welcome community suggestions for the refinement of the proposed list.

Link to repositories that contain perfusion data

Link to inventory of perfusion data populated based on the inventory list above.

Link to perfusion data attributes.

Task force 4.1 (ASL lexicon) has completed their second milestone: comprehensive lists of advanced ASL techniques and output parameters, including advanced ASL labeling strategies, multi-time-point ASL, vessel-selective ASL, ASL angiography and modified ASL methods for special derivatives.

Link to ASL Lexicon - advanced methods

Link to ASL Lexicon - standard methods

Task Force 4.2 (DCE/DSC lexicon) has collected feedback from the OSIPI community on the Lexicon draft, incorporated comments and revised the structure of the Lexicon accordingly. Detailed tables of quantities have been extended and referred to separate sections. A formalism has been developed which enables encoding of descriptive pipelines using the items defined by the lexicon. For feedback please contact the task force leads.

Link to DCE/DSC Lexicon.

Task Force 6.1 (ASL challenge) has developed a mature draft of the challenge design and completed data design. Population-based data are finalised and synthetic data preparation underway. An abstract on the challenge design will be submitted to ISMRM and if accepted the challenge will run as an official ISMRM challenge.

Link to abstract on ASL challenge design (embargoed until ISMRM deadline).

Task Force 6.2 (DCE challenge) has completed preparation of data including a DRO for DCE-MRI of the brain and test-retest DCE-MRI data for 10 patients. The challenge outline is drafted and registration for the challenge has opened. An abstract on the challenge design will be submitted to ISMRM and if accepted the challenge will run as an official ISMRM challenge.

Link to DCE challenge design (draft)

Link to DCE challenge registration

Best wishes,

The OSIPI Executive & Management Board