title: Real-time interactive MRI on a conventional scanner.
abstract: A real-time interactive MRI system capable of localizing coronary arteries and imaging arrhythmic hearts in real-time is described. Non-2DFT acquisition strategies such as spiral-interleaf, spiral-ring, and circular echo-planar imaging provide short scan times on a conventional scanner. Real-time gridding reconstruction at 8-20 images/s is achieved by distributing the reconstruction on general-purpose UNIX workstations. An X-windows application provides interactive control. A six-interleaf spiral sequence is used for cardiac imaging and can acquire six images/s. A sliding window reconstruction achieves display rates of 16-20 images/s. This allows cardiac images to be acquired in real-time, with minimal motion and flow artifacts, and without breath holding or cardiac gating. Abdominal images are acquired at over 2.5 images/s with spiral-ring or circular echo-planar sequences. Reconstruction rates are 8-10 images/s. Rapid localization in the abdomen is demonstrated with the spiral-ring acquisition, whereas peristaltic motion in the small bowel is well visualized using the circular echo-planar sequence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, California, USA.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pauly
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Macovski
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Nishimura
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008280:Magnetics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity