title: Design of an MR image processing module on an FPGA chip.
abstract: We describe the design and implementation of an image processing module on a single-chip Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) for real-time image processing. We also demonstrate that through graphical coding the design work can be greatly simplified. The processing module is based on a 2D FFT core. Our design is distinguished from previously reported designs in two respects. No off-chip hardware resources are required, which increases portability of the core. Direct matrix transposition usually required for execution of 2D FFT is completely avoided using our newly-designed address generation unit, which saves considerable on-chip block RAMs and clock cycles. The image processing module was tested by reconstructing multi-slice MR images from both phantom and animal data. The tests on static data show that the processing module is capable of reconstructing 128×128 images at speed of 400 frames/second. The tests on simulated real-time streaming data demonstrate that the module works properly under the timing conditions necessary for MRI experiments.
authors.affiliation: Center for Basic MR Research, NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute, Evanston, IL, USA. Electronic address: LLi@northshore.org.
authors.forename: Limin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Center for Basic MR Research, NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute, Evanston, IL, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Alice M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wyrwicz
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003196:Computer Graphics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003199:Computer Systems; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012666:Semiconductors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*
keywords: 2D FFT; FPGA; Graphical coding; Image processing; Real time