Very fast approximate reconstruction of MR images

The ultra fast Fourier transform (UFFT) provides the means for a very fast computation of a magnetic resonance (MR) image, because it is implemented using only additions and no multiplications at all. It achieves this by approximating the complex exponential functions involved in the Fourier transform (FT) sum with computationally simpler periodic functions. This approximation introduces erroneous spectrum peaks of small magnitude. We examine the performance of this transform in some typical MRI signals. The results show that this transform can very quickly provide an MR image. It is proposed to be used as a replacement of the classically used FFT whenever a fast general overview of an image is required.