A general algorithm for magnetic resonance imaging simulation: a versatile tool to collect information about imaging artefacts and new acquisition techniques.

An innovative algorithm for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) capable of demonstrating the source of various artefacts and driving the hardware and software acquisition process is presented. The algorithm is based on the application of the Bloch equations to the magnetization vector of each point of the simulated object, as requested by the instructions of the MRI pulse sequence. The collected raw data are then used to reconstruct the image of the object. The general structure of the algorithm makes it possible to simulate a great range of imaging situations in order to explain the nature of unwanted artefacts and to study new acquisition techniques. The way the algorithm structures the sequence has also allowed the easy implementation of MRI data acquisition on a commercial general-purpose DSP-based data acquisition board, thus facilitating the comparison between simulated and experimental results.