Chemical shift encoding based double bonds quantification in triglycerides using deep image prior

Fatty acid can potentially serve as biomarker for evaluating metabolic disorder and inflammation condition, and quantifying the double bonds is the key for revealing fatty acid information. This study presents an assessment of a deep learning approach utilizing deep image prior (DIP) for the quantification of double bonds and methylene-interrupted double bonds of triglyceride derived from chemical-shift encoded multi-echo gradient echo images, all achieved without the necessity for network training. The methodology implemented a cost function grounded in signal constraints to continually refine the neural network's parameters on a single slice of images through iterative processes. Validation procedures encompassed both phantom experiments and in-vivo scans. The outcomes evidenced a concordance between the quantified values and the established reference standards, notably exemplified by a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.96 (P=0.0005) derived from the phantom experiments. The results in water-oil phantom also demonstrate the quantification reliability of the DIP method under the condition of having a relatively low-fat signal. Furthermore, the in-vivo assessments showcased the method's competency by showcasing consistent quantification results that closely mirrored previously published findings concerning subcutaneous fat. In summary, the study underscores the potential of DIP in enabling the quantification of double bonds and methylene-interrupted double bonds from chemical-shift encoded multi-echo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, suggesting potential avenues for future research and clinical applications in the field.