Real-time retrospective image calculation for MR imaging

In MR imagining, it is possible to enhance the contrast between tissues of interest by varying TE, TR, θ, and T1. To do this experimentally for several different values of the imaging variables requires significant acquisition time and results in unnecessary expense. Calculational techniques for retrospective image calculation do exist but, to date, their utility for clinical applications has been limited because of long calculation times. The development system was a graphics computer with a rated peak performance of 16 Mips and 16 Mflops per processor. All software was developed with C language and X-windows under the Unix operating system, and hence should be readily portable to other Unix platforms. The authors demonstrate the feasibility of doing real-time retrospective image calculation for MR imaging from a data set of T1, T2, and hydrogen-density images. The system allows the user to adjust TE and TR by means of dials and view the resultant image in real time