Hi Jerry,
    There are currently two ways.   1) buy the GE
functional package (about 100k and there are
limitations on the number of images/sec you can
collect or 2) implement the  epibold research psd.
The epibold psd source is available from GE if you
have a research agreement.   It will allow you to
collect raw data for as long as you want.  It is
limited by your BAM (bulk memory) and disk space
on your scanner.  Normal functional 8 minute runs
create about 200mg raw data files (called P files
on GE systems).  most scanners have about 1-2 gigs
free, so you can collect several runs before
having to move files to another machine.
    I know several physicists who have permission
from GE (provided everyone signs on the dotted
lines) that you might be able to contract with to
get you a compiled version of epibold.   Then you
will have to install the psd and save the raw
data.  Then offline reconstruct the data.  This
later step is fairly straightforward.     I can
provide code to convert the output of the offline
recon to convert to analyze format.

With respect to triggering, we simply tap into the
GE rf_out pulse (every rf excitation) and record
this pulse in our presentation package (so we are
synced to the scanner to the slice).  Our
presentation package is in house code and I can
provide details for you if you like (or anyone
else).

Hope this helps.
Best regards,
Kent




-------------------------------------------------
Kent A. Kiehl, Ph.D.
Director - Clinical Cognitive Neuroscience
Laboratory
Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital

Assistant Clinical Professor
Department of Psychiatry
Yale University School of Medicine

Mailing address and contact information:

Institute of Living
200 Retreat Avenue
Clinical Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory
Hartford, CT USA 06106
Tel: 860-545-7385; Fax: 860-545-7510
Email [log in to unmask]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jerry Allison" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2002 3:36 PM
Subject: 512 image limit and triggering


When attempting to run a conventional EPI sequence
to do functional MRI on my GE LX Horizon echospeed
(9.0 software), there seems to be a fundamental
limit to the maximum number of images that I can
acquire in one series: 512 images

This occurs even if I'm operating in "RESEARCH"
scan mode with "geservice" as the Patient ID.

Is there a way to acquire more than 512 images in
one series?

Also, is there a way to trigger each acquisition
using an external trigger pulse?

Jerry Allison
Medical College of Georgia