The Pulseq course held in November 2023 as part of the ISMRM Virtual Meeting was an in-depth event focusing on vendor-agnostic pulse sequence programming using the Pulseq framework. While the course has concluded, all materials, including slides and tutorials, are now archived and available in the course repository.

Course Overview

Pulseq is a vendor-independent MR pulse programming platform that allows users to create and analyze MRI sequences in interactive programming environments such as MATLAB or Python. The course, supported by NIH U24-NS120056, covered a broad range of topics over three days:

Day 1: Introduction to Pulseq

  • Basic Pulseq Concepts: A foundational session introducing the Pulseq framework.
  • Working with Pulseq Objects: A deeper dive into the Pulseq object model.
  • Basic Sequence Tutorials: Practical examples and hands-on exercises to help beginners get started with Pulseq.
  • Sequence Analysis Tools: Tools and techniques for analyzing MRI sequences.
  • Pulseq in Python: A session dedicated to using Pulseq with Python for sequence programming.

Day 2: Advanced Pulseq Techniques

  • What’s New in Pulseq: Updates and new features in the Pulseq framework.
  • Vendor-Specific Implementations: Detailed sessions on implementing Pulseq on Siemens and GE MRI scanners.
  • Image Reconstruction: Focused on the Gadgetron reconstruction framework.
  • Advanced Sequence Examples: Case studies demonstrating complex sequence designs.

Day 3: Practical Applications and New Tools

  • Pulseq Simulator in Python: An introduction to simulating MRI sequences using Python.
  • KomaMRI.jl for Quantitative MRI: Overview of using the KomaMRI.jl package for quantitative MRI.
  • Fat-Water Imaging with Pulseq: Techniques for fat-water imaging using Pulseq.
  • Spiral TSE and Multiparametric Mapping: Advanced applications of Pulseq for specific imaging techniques.
  • Philips Pulseq Interpreter: Discussions on interpreting Pulseq sequences on Philips scanners.

Repository Contents

The repository pulseq/ISMRM-Virtual-Meeting–November-15-17-2023 hosts all the course materials, including:

  • Slides: PDF versions of all presentations, including those from Thomas Roos.
  • Tutorials: Detailed tutorials covering various topics such as RF spoiling and noise scans.
  • Zoom Chats: Archived chat logs from the Zoom sessions.

Access and Participation

Even though the course has ended, the materials are an excellent resource for anyone looking to get started with or deepen their understanding of Pulseq. The repository will continue to be a valuable reference, and participants are encouraged to engage with the Pulseq community through the repository’s Discussions tab.

To explore the materials, visit the Pulseq course repository.

This post provides an overview of the archived Pulseq course materials. The repository is a comprehensive resource for those interested in MRI sequence programming and the Pulseq platform.