A circuit for synchronizing external stimuli and events to the pulse sequence of a clinical magnetic resonance scanner. Issue 2 (April 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Qiu, Yujie; Yao, Wei; Kwok, Wing‐Chi Edmund; Hornak, Joseph P.
• Is Part Of: Concepts in magnetic resonance. Volume 44:Issue 2(2014)
• Page Start: 50
• Page End: 52
• Publication Date: 2014-04
• Subjects: triggering -- synchronization -- pulse sequence -- circuitry -- external stimuli -- clinical MR scanner; Magnetic resonance -- Periodicals; Nuclear magnetic resonance -- Periodicals; Biomedical engineering -- Periodicals; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy -- Periodicals; 538.36
• DOI: 10.1002/cmr.b.21266
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1552-5031

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Interfacing experiments to a clinical magnetic resonance imaging scanner which require synchronization with an imaging pulse sequence can be challenging unless access to a trigger‐out is available. We present a simple, alternative approach to synchronize an experiment to a scanner using an external trigger to drive the scanner through the peripheral optical pulse rate monitor and cardiac trigger available on most clinical imagers. A trigger circuit and pulse rate monitor interface are described for applying a stimulus in the form of a pulsed voltage to a sample at a specific time in a spin‐echo, echo planar imaging sequence. The apparatus and approach could be used for many other types and numbers of experimental stimuli or events. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part B (Magn Reson Engineering) 44B: 50–52, 2014