Quantifying Repeatability of a 3D-MRF Protocol During Scanner Software Upgrades

Motivation: Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting relies on the stable performance of vendor hardware and software through-time. However, the effects of software upgrades on the repeatability of quantitative protocols require evaluation. Goal(s): Measure changes to MRF-derived T1 and T2 values resulting from a vendor-provided software upgrade. Approach: 8 healthy volunteers were imaged before and after a software upgrade. Regional T1 and T2 changes were evaluated using correlation plots and MNI-derived regional means. Results: The evaluated sequence was similarly repeatable in both the intra-version test-retest case (T1: -0.49+/- 3.85%, T2: -0.53+/-7.59%) and pre- to post-upgrade (T1: -0.01+/-4.23% , T2: -2.10+/-8.44%). Impact: Showing similar repeatability of 3D MRF maps before and after vendor software upgrade establishes performance reliability. The automated analysis pipeline does not require qualitative images and can be used to test MRF reproducibility in various stages of longitudinal studies.