Mutual-information based optimal experimental design for hyperpolarized ^13 C-pyruvate MRI

key parameter of interest recovered from hyperpolarized (HP) MRI measurements is the apparent pyruvate-to-lactate exchange rate, k_PL , for measuring tumor metabolism. This manuscript presents an information-theory-based optimal experimental design approach that minimizes the uncertainty in the rate parameter, k_PL , recovered from HP-MRI measurements. Mutual information is employed to measure the information content of the HP measurements with respect to the first-order exchange kinetics of the pyruvate conversion to lactate. Flip angles of the pulse sequence acquisition are optimized with respect to the mutual information. A time-varying flip angle scheme leads to a higher parameter optimization that can further improve the quantitative value of mutual information over a constant flip angle scheme. However, the constant flip angle scheme, 35 and 28 degrees for pyruvate and lactate measurements, leads to an accuracy and precision comparable to the variable flip angle schemes obtained from our method. Combining the comparable performance and practical implementation, optimized pyruvate and lactate flip angles of 35 and 28 degrees, respectively, are recommended.