The Siemens Trio scanner offers several features for acquiring fMR imaging data.  The three main features for the scanner are:

• Motion Correction - Generates a second set of time series data using retrospective motion correction algorithms.
• Online Functional Maps - Generate a t-map from the fMR data based on a user defined paradigm.
• PACE - On-line prospective motion correction of EPI images that shifts the actual acquire slice in the scanner.  Follow the images below for sample EPI series with and without PACE:

The Siemens scanner has three types of image order that the user can select at the scanner console.  This selection affects the order in which slices will be acquired.  In Siemens conventions the negative direction is (Right, Anterior, Foot) and the positive direction is (Left, Posterior, Head). For axial slices, the inferior slices are collected first.  For sagittal slices, the right side of the brain is collected first. For coronal slices, the anterior part of the brain is collected first. The modes are:

• Ascending - In this mode, slices are acquired from the negative direction to the positive direction
• Descending - In this mode, slices are acquired from the positive direction to the negative direction
• Interleave - In this mode, the order of acquisition depends on the number of slices acquired.
  • If there is an odd number of slices, say 27, the slices will be collected as:
    • 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26.       
  • If there is an even number of slices (say 28) the slices will be collected as:
    • 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27.                 

This is based on information recently received from folks at Siemens (John Kirsch and Dave Purdy) and confirmed by Lee Friedman at the MIND Institute in NM with a small bottle of water and a slow interleaved EPI acquisition.

The maximum number of slices for a Siemens Gradient Echo EPI sequence is provided in the table below for different TE's and TR's:

NOTE - Most of the above scanning options for the Siemens Trio Scanner are also available for the Siemens Avanto Scanner, with two exceptions.PACE imaging is not possible on the Avanto scanner. Also, for Advanced Functional Neuro, Siemens on-line fMR viewing tools are available on the console.