title: An open source software for analysis of dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance images: UMMPerfusion revisited.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Perfusion imaging has become an important image based tool to derive the physiological information in various applications, like tumor diagnostics and therapy, stroke, (cardio-) vascular diseases, or functional assessment of organs. However, even after 20 years of intense research in this field, perfusion imaging still remains a research tool without a broad clinical usage. One problem is the lack of standardization in technical aspects which have to be considered for successful quantitative evaluation; the second problem is a lack of tools that allow a direct integration into the diagnostic workflow in radiology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five compartment models, namely, a one compartment model (1CP), a two compartment exchange (2CXM), a two compartment uptake model (2CUM), a two compartment filtration model (2FM) and eventually the extended Toft's model (ETM) were implemented as plugin for the DICOM workstation OsiriX. Moreover, the plugin has a clean graphical user interface and provides means for quality management during the perfusion data analysis. Based on reference test data, the implementation was validated against a reference implementation. No differences were found in the calculated parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We developed open source software to analyse DCE-MRI perfusion data. The software is designed as plugin for the DICOM Workstation OsiriX. It features a clean GUI and provides a simple workflow for data analysis while it could also be seen as a toolbox providing an implementation of several recent compartment models to be applied in research tasks. Integration into the infrastructure of a radiology department is given via OsiriX. Results can be saved automatically and reports generated automatically during data analysis ensure certain quality control.
authors.affiliation: Computer Assisted Clinical Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167, Mannheim, Germany. frank.zoellner@medma.uni-heidelberg.de.
authors.forename: Frank G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Zöllner
authors.affiliation: Computer Assisted Clinical Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167, Mannheim, Germany. markus.daab@medma.uni-heidelberg.de.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daab
authors.affiliation: Division of Biomedical Imaging, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. S.Sourbron@leeds.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Steven P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Sourbron
authors.affiliation: Computer Assisted Clinical Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167, Mannheim, Germany. lothar.schad@medma.uni-heidelberg.de.
authors.forename: Lothar R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Schad
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany. Stefan.schoenberg@umm.de.
authors.forename: Stefan O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Schoenberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany. gerald.weisser@umm.de.
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Weisser
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D055420:Perfusion Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D012984:Software; D014584:User-Computer Interface