Experiments in Real-Time MRI with RT-Hawk and Medusa

INTRODUCTION: Real-time MRI is indispensable for visualizing fast-evolving processes such as cardiac function. Successful real-time operation also imposes stiff requirements on software and hardware, including the need for efficient pulse sequences, optimized reconstruction routines, tight synchronization between software and scanner, high-speed low-latency data transfer, and an interactive user interface. To explore these requirements, we assembled a hardware and software suite using RT-Hawk, a real-time MRI software engine [1], and Medusa, an open-architecture scalable MRI console [2]. Using this system, we successfully demonstrated high-performance real-time MRI at 1.5T. We are investigating the limitations of the Medusa system architecture and Universal Serial Bus (USB) data transports and their resulting impact on real-time performance in MRI systems.