Welcome to OpenMRF!

OpenMRF is currently under active development. A corresponding publication describing the framework in detail will be released soon. Please watch out for this publication and use it for citation once available.

We will present OpenMRF at ISMRM 2026 in Cape Town:

Griesler T., Stebani J., Kaplan S., Angelov I., Albertova P., Blaimer M., Jakob P. M., Wech T., Zaitsev M., Chen Q., Wang X., Hamilton J., Nielsen J.-F., Nordbeck P., Seiberlich N., Gram M.
OpenMRF: A Modular, Vendor-Neutral Open-Source Framework for Reproducible Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting using Pulseq.
ISMRM 2026, Cape Town, Abstract #00659.

New to OpenMRF?

We strongly recommend getting started by reading the Quickstart guide carefully. For more detailed information on specific topics, refer to the wiki.

Introduction

OpenMRF is a modular and vendor-neutral open-source framework for Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (MRF) built on the Pulseq standard. It is built upon the MATLAB version of Pulseq by Kelvin J. Layton and Maxim Zaitsev (doi:10.1002/mrm.26235). OpenMRF unifies all core components of the MRF workflow within a single MATLAB-based toolbox: flexible sequence generation, automated Bloch-based dictionary simulation, and low-rank image reconstruction. The provided tools support a wide range of contrast preparations and readouts (e.g., spiral, radial, rosette) and include integrated solutions for trajectory calibration, spin-lock modeling, slice profile simulation, and metadata storage. Designed for reproducibility and portability, OpenMRF enables easy deployment of MRF protocols across multiple scanner platforms, including Siemens, GE, Philips and United Imaging systems.

Codebase overview

include_cwru/: Contains MRF-specific source code governed by a separate End User License Agreement (EULA) provided by Case Western Reserve University.
include_miitt/: Contains the low-rank reconstruction code provided by the MIITT group and Jeffrey Fessler's MIRT toolbox. Includes an installation script. Do not add this folder manually to your MATLAB path; use the install_OpenMRF.m script.
include_misc/: Miscellaneous utilities and helper functions.
include_pre_sim_library/: Library containing stored pre-simulated slice profiles, adiabatic efficiencies and compressed dictionaries.
include_pulseq_master/: Copy of the official Pulseq repository (GitHub link, v1.5.1, 09.03.2026).
include_pulseq_toolbox/: Contains standard imaging readouts (cartesian, radial, spiral, rosette) combined with various preparation modules (inversion recovery, saturation, MLEV-T2, spin-lock, adiabatic spin-lock, CEST). Also includes simulation tools which can be used for dictionary generation.
main_sequences/: Example Pulseq sequences and reconstruction scripts.
user_specifications/: User specific definitions (automatically generated via install_OpenMRF.m) and MRI system specifications (create a .csv file for your system's gradient limits and timings).

System Requirements

MATLAB tested with R2024b and R2025a on Win11 and Ubuntu 22.04.

MRF IP Notice

Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (MRF) technology implemented in parts of this repository is protected intellectual property owned by Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). The underlying methods and related technology are subject to patent protection.

MRF is protected by the following foundational patents:

United States: 8,723,518
United States: 10,241,174
United States: 10,416,259
United States: 10,627,468
Europe: EP 2897523
Japan: 6557710
South Korea: 10-1674848
China: ZL2013800592667

The foundational scientific publication describing this technology is:

Ma D, Gulani V, Seiberlich N, Liu K, Sunshine JL, Duerk JL, Griswold MA.
Magnetic resonance fingerprinting.
Nature. 2013 Mar 14;495(7440):187–192.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11971

Use of the MRF-specific source code and associated software components contained in this repository is governed by a separate End User License Agreement (EULA). The MRF technology remains the property of Case Western Reserve University and is provided subject to the terms and conditions defined in the applicable EULA.

By accessing or using the MRF functionality provided in this repository, users acknowledge and agree to comply with the terms described in the applicable EULA.