The SIMRI project: a versatile and interactive MRI simulator

This paper gives an overview of SIMRI, a new 3D MRI simulator based on the Bloch equation. This simulator proposes ail efficient management of the T; effect, and in a unique simulator integrates most of the simulation features that are offered in different simulators. It takes into account the main static field value and enables realistic simulations of the chemical shift artifact, including off-resonance phenomena. It also simulates the artifacts linked to the static field inhomogeneity like those induced by Susceptibility variation within an object. It is implemented in the C language and the MRI sequence programming is done using high level C functions with a simple programming interface. To manage large simulations, the magnetization kernel is implemented in a parallelized way that enables simulation on PC grid architecture. Furthermore, this simulator includes a ID interactive interface for pedagogic purpose illustrating the magnetization vector motion as well as the MRI contrasts. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.