Cross-vendor repeatability and reproducibility of quantitative MRI for prostate cancer applications

Motivation: Variability in quantitative MRI (qMRI) parameter estimates across different vendor's systems can hinder translation of predictive modeling approaches. Goal(s): To develop cross-vendor protocols and perform quantitative phantom and in vivo measurements to assess repeatability and reproducibility. Approach: MRI data was acquired on phantoms and two volunteers on three sites each with a different vendor's systems to assess multiple qMRI parameters including T1, T2 and ADC. Results: Cross-vendor protocols were implemented, and initial phantom and in vivo studies have been performed. The coefficient of variation within and between sites was assessed. Impact: This work demonstrates initial results at characterizing repeatability and reproducibility of quantitative MRI (qMRI) across vendors and sites, a critical step needed to harmonize results prior to evaluating their use in developed computer-aided diagnostic tools for prostate cancer.