TY - JOUR A1 - Schenkl, Sebastian A1 - Muggenthaler, Holger A1 - Hubig, Michael A1 - Erdmann, Bodo A1 - Weiser, Martin A1 - Zachow, Stefan A1 - Heinrich, Andreas A1 - Güttler, Felix Victor A1 - Teichgräber, Ulf A1 - Mall, Gita T1 - Automatic CT-based finite element model generation for temperature-based death time estimation: feasibility study and sensitivity analysis JF - International Journal of Legal Medicine N2 - Temperature based death time estimation is based either on simple phenomenological models of corpse cooling or on detailed physical heat transfer models. The latter are much more complex, but allow a higher accuracy of death time estimation as in principle all relevant cooling mechanisms can be taken into account. Here, a complete work flow for finite element based cooling simulation models is presented. The following steps are demonstrated on CT-phantoms: • CT-scan • Segmentation of the CT images for thermodynamically relevant features of individual geometries • Conversion of the segmentation result into a Finite Element (FE) simulation model • Computation of the model cooling curve • Calculation of the cooling time For the first time in FE-based cooling time estimation the steps from the CT image over segmentation to FE model generation are semi-automatically performed. The cooling time calculation results are compared to cooling measurements performed on the phantoms under controlled conditions. In this context, the method is validated using different CTphantoms. Some of the CT phantoms thermodynamic material parameters had to be experimentally determined via independent experiments. Moreover the impact of geometry and material parameter uncertainties on the estimated cooling time is investigated by a sensitivity analysis. KW - temperature based death time estimation KW - finite element method KW - CT segmentation KW - sensitivity analysis Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/doi:10.1007/s00414-016-1523-0 VL - 131 IS - 3 SP - 699 EP - 712 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Krämer, Martin A1 - Maggioni, Marta A1 - Brisson, Nicholas A1 - Zachow, Stefan A1 - Teichgräber, Ulf A1 - Duda, Georg A1 - Reichenbach, Jürgen T1 - T1 and T2* mapping of the human quadriceps and patellar tendons using ultra-short echo-time (UTE) imaging and bivariate relaxation parameter-based volumetric visualization JF - Magnetic Resonance Imaging N2 - Quantification of magnetic resonance (MR)-based relaxation parameters of tendons and ligaments is challenging due to their very short transverse relaxation times, requiring application of ultra-short echo-time (UTE) imaging sequences. We quantify both T1 and T2⁎ in the quadriceps and patellar tendons of healthy volunteers at a field strength of 3 T and visualize the results based on 3D segmentation by using bivariate histogram analysis. We applied a 3D ultra-short echo-time imaging sequence with either variable repetition times (VTR) or variable flip angles (VFA) for T1 quantification in combination with multi-echo acquisition for extracting T2⁎. The values of both relaxation parameters were subsequently binned for bivariate histogram analysis and corresponding cluster identification, which were subsequently visualized. Based on manually-drawn regions of interest in the tendons on the relaxation parameter maps, T1 and T2⁎ boundaries were selected in the bivariate histogram to segment the quadriceps and patellar tendons and visualize the relaxation times by 3D volumetric rendering. Segmentation of bone marrow, fat, muscle and tendons was successfully performed based on the bivariate histogram analysis. Based on the segmentation results mean T2⁎ relaxation times, over the entire tendon volumes averaged over all subjects, were 1.8 ms ± 0.1 ms and 1.4 ms ± 0.2 ms for the patellar and quadriceps tendons, respectively. The mean T1 value of the patellar tendon, averaged over all subjects, was 527 ms ± 42 ms and 476 ms ± 40 ms for the VFA and VTR acquisitions, respectively. The quadriceps tendon had higher mean T1 values of 662 ms ± 97 ms (VFA method) and 637 ms ± 40 ms (VTR method) compared to the patellar tendon. 3D volumetric visualization of the relaxation times revealed that T1 values are not constant over the volume of both tendons, but vary locally. This work provided additional data to build upon the scarce literature available on relaxation times in the quadriceps and patellar tendons. We were able to segment both tendons and to visualize the relaxation parameter distributions over the entire tendon volumes. Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mri.2019.07.015 VL - 63 IS - 11 SP - 29 EP - 36 ER -