A REAL-TIME NMR IMAGE-RECONSTRUCTION SYSTEM USING ECHO-PLANAR IMAGING AND A DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSOR

A real-time NMR image reconstruction system using echo-planar imaging (EPI) and a single-chip digital signal processor (TMS320C30) has been developed. The image reconstruction time for one 64 x 64-pixel image is about 50 ms. This system has achieved image refresh intervals of less than 100 ms for 64 x 64 pixel images using the EPI sequence with a data acquisition time of about 40 ms. An experiment performed using a sphere falling through static water has demonstrated that this system is a powerful tool for interactive observation of unsteady phenomena for long periods.