From Offline to Inline Without Pain: A Practical Framework for Translating Offline <scp>MR</scp> Reconstructions to Inline Deployment Using the Gadgetron Platform
PURPOSE: To develop and validate a practical, open-source framework to overcome common issues in inline deployment of established offline MR reconstruction, including (1) scan disruption from lengthy reconstructions, (2) limited support for multi-scan input reconstructions, (3) needs to adapt scripts for different raw-data formats, and (4) limited guidance and experience in retaining scanner reconstructions and applying scanner-based post-processing to custom-reconstructed images. METHODS: The framework builds upon the Gadgetron platform as implemented on Siemens scanners and includes: (1) a general input converter to convert Gadgetron-used ISMRMRD format raw into a Siemens format raw structure, facilitating reuse of code; (2) an asynchronous trigger-and-retrieve mechanism enabling long custom reconstructions without delaying scanner processes; (3) resource-aware scheduling for parallel execution of reconstructions; (4) integrated file management to support multi-scan inputs; and (5) preservation of scanner-based reconstructions and post-processing. The framework was validated on 2 Siemens scanners for SENSE, AlignedSENSE, and NUFFT reconstructions, and in a large-cohort study. RESULTS: Minimum code modification for inline deployment was demonstrated, and all reconstructions were successfully executed inline without disrupting scanner workflows. Images were retrieved automatically via retrieval scans or manually via retro-reconstruction, with scanner-based post-processing applied to custom outputs. Multi-sequence reconstructions were executed using GPU-aware scheduling, confirming feasibility for large-scale applications. In 480 examinations, inline reconstructions were retrieved in 99% of cases without disruptions. CONCLUSION: The framework lowers the technical barrier to inline deployment of offline reconstructions, enabling robust, scalable, and post-processing-compatible integration. It is openly available with documentation and demonstration cases to support reproducibility and community adoption.
Authors
- Claire J. Steves (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4910-0489)
- Yasmin Blunck (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3600-9958)
- Shaihan Malik (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8925-9032)
- Sarah McElroy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4271-5931)
- Yannick Brackenier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9210-5939)
- Jana Hutter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3476-3500)
- Anthony N. Price (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6907-7554)
- Jon O. Cleary (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8836-9934)
- D Tournier
- Philippa Bridgen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8051-8139)
- Joseph V. Hajnal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2690-5495)
- David Leitão (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5853-8602)
- Inka Granlund
- Samuel Rot
- Pierluigi Di Ciò (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0457-9449)
- Rebecca Thornley
- Sara Neves Silva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7520-081X)
- Dr Marc Modat
- Lucy Billimoria (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2222-6945)
- Davide Poccecai
- Rene Kerosi
- Liane S. Canas
- Lucilio Cordero‐Grande
- Andrew Cantell
- Zihan Ning
- Michela Cleri
- Sebastien Ourselin
Institutions
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- Queen Mary University of London (GB)
- King's College London (GB)
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- Siemens (United Kingdom) (GB)
- NIHR Queen Square Dementia Biomedical Research Unit (GB)
- University College London (GB)
- European Telecommunications Standards Institute (FR)
- Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ES)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
- Published
- 2026-04-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/mrm.70304
- Primary Topic
- Advanced MRI Techniques and Applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Wellcome Trust
- Chronic Disease Research Foundation
- Cystinosis Research Network
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust/Institute of Cancer Research
- Versus Arthritis
- Medical Research Council