Abdominal DIXON-MRI model (UNETR) for kidney segmentation
Authors/Creators
Description
Title:
Kidney Segmentation Model for Post-Contrast MRI (Dixon) in DKD Patients
Description:
This repository contains a PyTorch-based deep learning model (.pth file) for automated segmentation of the left and right kidneys from post-contrast Dixon MRI images. This Dixon MRI dataset was acquired with the following imaging parameters: a field of view (FoV) of 400 mm in both the read and phase directions, and a slice thickness of 1.5 mm. The repetition time (TR) was 4.01 ms, with two echo times (TE): TE1 at 1.34 ms and TE2 at 2.57 ms. A total of 144 slices per slab were obtained.
The model requires 4D axial data with 4 input channels: out-phase, in-pase, water and fat. The model was trained using data from 58 patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD), based on high-quality semi-automated segmentations. See the dixon_masks_unetr.gif file for a 2D example of individual kidney segmentation per slice, or view the 3d_mask.gif for a 3D mask visualization.
API
The model can be applied to data using the function kidney_pc_dixon from the miblab python package [documentation].
Model Details:
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Format: PyTorch
.pthcheckpoint -
Architecture: UNETR (Transformer-based UNet)
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Input: 4D array [contrast, x, y, z] from post-contrast Dixon MRI (in-phase images, out-phase images, water map and fat map)
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Output: Binary segmentation masks for left and right kidneys
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Post-processing: Optionally retains only the largest connected component for each kidney to reduce false positives.
Training Data:
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Dataset: 58 patients with diabetes
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Annotations: Semi-automated expert segmentations
- Modality: Post-contrast Dixon MRI
Version History:
| Version | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| v1.0 | Apr 22, 2024 | Initial release. Two-channel UNETR (.pth model). |
| v2.0 | Nov 29, 2024 | Four-channel UNETR (.pth model). |
| v3.0 | May 25, 2025 | Added two example .gif files: dixon_masks_unetr.gif and 3d_mask.gif. |