From raw data to data-analysis for magnetic resonance spectroscopy--the missing link: jMRUI2XML

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Biophysics
• Computational Biology

Background:

• Non-invasive metabolic information from living tissues is provided by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).
• Limited multi-center clinical studies exist due to a lack of standardized digital formats for processed MRS data.
• Current DICOM standards do not adequately support processed spectroscopy data exchange.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce jMRUI2XML, a plugin for jMRUI software, to address the limitations in documenting and exchanging processed MRS data.
• To enable flexible and standardized processing and sharing of MRS data across different platforms and institutions.

Main Methods:

• Development of jMRUI2XML, a Java-based plugin for the jMRUI software platform.
• Implementation of automated preprocessing capabilities for MRS data.
• Outputting processed data in a self-descriptive extensible markup language (XML) format.

Main Results:

• jMRUI2XML facilitates common preprocessing of MRS data across multiple scanners, automating the process.
• The plugin generates exchangeable MRS data in XML format, including preprocessing parameters and anonymization.
• Data processing templates can be saved, enabling easier data sharing and pattern recognition analysis on multi-center data.

Conclusions:

• jMRUI2XML offers a self-contained, self-descriptive format for digital MRS data exchange and automated processing.
• The tool enhances data traceability, crucial for pattern recognition analyses.
• This work proposes a minimum information standard for processed MRS spectra, improving study transferability.