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MRI simulators are powerful training tools—but not all simulators are created equal.
Some simulators fail to reflect input parameters accurately, lack real-world features, or offer poor image resolution—limiting their usefulness in clinical training. If you’re considering an MRI simulator, it’s crucial to understand its issues and limitations before relying on it for training.
This article covers the 10 most common problems with MRI simulators—and how Corsmed solves them with the most advanced, fully input-accurate MRI simulator available.
These 10 problems are:
This is the most critical problem in MRI simulators.
If your inputs are not accurately reflected in the resulting image—such as image contrasts, artifacts, and scan time—it can even be harmful to your MRI training. You may learn incorrect cause-effect relationships, leading to poor decisions that may hurt real patients.
When Dr. Khokhar, AOS MRI Program Director at CNI College, first encountered the Corsmed MRI simulator, he was skeptical.
He had seen other MRI simulators before, but they all had the same limitation:
But Corsmed was different.
Many software simulators rely on image banks—pre-compiled libraries of MRI images. When you adjust scan parameters, the simulator pulls the closest match from its library rather than generating a new image.
This approach has a deep flaw, because the image bank rarely has exactly the image that would accurately reflect all of your inputs. For example, if you change the Repetition Time (TR) from 1,000 to 1,050 milliseconds, the image bank may even give you the same image.
This makes image bank simulators unfit as training tools. A fully input-accurate image bank would need to store practically an infinite number of images to account for every case.
The only way an MRI simulator can be fully input-accurate is to create images dynamically—with the same process as a real MRI scanner.
That is what Corsmed does.
Corsmed digitally replicates every real-world step in MRI scanners—including excitation, relaxation, k-space mapping, etc.—to produce each image from scratch.
Every step is also simulated in microscopic detail to ensure complete accuracy. This is achieved through many advanced technologies, including:
Corsmed creates 3D digital patients using “digital tissues” that mirror the same magnetic properties — T1, T2, T2* relaxation and proton density — as real tissue. These tissues are applied on a sub-millimeter basis over millions of voxels (3D pixels) to form a 3D replica of a real patient.
These mathematical equations simulate how protons in the body respond to magnetic fields and RF pulses. Corsmed calculates these interactions for millions of protons, in millions of voxels, for many thousands of time steps in the sequence.
The computational load of Bloch equations is enormous. To simulate just a single advanced pulse sequence, Corsmed requires as much compute power as navigating 160 SpaceX Falcon 9 launches at simultaneously.
Corsmed achieves this using a cluster of GPUs to handle the calculations in parallel.
To learn how this process works in detail, see the article: How Does Corsmed’s MRI Simulator Work?
This advanced simulation ensures that every input change—no matter how small—gets reflected in your new image.
If you slightly adjust the TE from 100 ms to 120 ms, Corsmed’s simulator recalculates all the MRI physics and provides a new image from scratch that captures this change.
Even if a simulator has a fully accurate input reflection, its image output may have too low resolution to display all the inputs in detail.
For example, an image with only 1,000 pixels will look very blurry and over-simplified compared to an image with 1 million pixels.
To learn MRI effectively, however, you don’t always want the most high-resolution images possible.
The most effective way to learn is to match the image resolution to your current skill level.
Ideally, you want a simulator where you can customize the degree of image detail for each scan to fit your needs. You don't want to be limited to only over-simplified or only ultra-detailed images.
Corsmed’s simulator addresses this issue by offering 2 types of patient anatomical models—each with different degree of image detail that suits different user needs:
By allowing users to choose between these models, Corsmed ensures that both beginners and advanced users have the appropriate level of image detail for effective learning.
Even if an MRI simulator is 100% accurate, it’s not useful unless you can practice every protocol, every sequence, and every patient setup you need.
Many simulators don’t allow full customization of patient models or pathology selection. Others lack certain scanner settings, hardware configurations, or pulse sequences.
This prevents users from running real-world MRI exams the way they would in a hospital.
Corsmed offers the most comprehensive MRI training experience in the world, covering more clinical scenarios than any other simulator – or any real scanner – can offer.
The number of different MRI scans you can run on Corsmed is greater than 10⁵⁰—more than the total number of atoms on planet Earth.
This is because Corsmed lets you do many things that are not possible in a real clinical setting, such as:
A few highly advanced configurations—such as 7T magnetic field strength—are not yet included in our simulator. However, Corsmed will cover 99.5% of all MRI exams you’d ever need.
See the full list of available settings here: Complete MRI Simulator Settings List
You don’t learn MRI by just experimenting with scans in isolation.
You learn by practicing on real-world clinical cases—where you must decide for yourself what to do despite lack of clear information, and under time pressure.
Corsmed offers 46 practice cases of different anatomies and pathologies—from beginner to advanced.
As Zohreh Taghizadeh, MRI Program Specialist at CNI College, explains:
Practicing rare scans has set CNI’s graduates apart from the crowd of average MRI techs. They are now actively pursued by employers who seek top talent—for top salary.
Dr. Khokhar, CNI’s Program Director, has this story to share:
As a teacher, you can also create your own customized courses in Corsmed to fit your organization’s training needs and way of doing things. Not only can you add any text, images, videos, or files—you can create custom quiz exercises directly in the course, including:
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When creating these assignments, you can choose how many hints you give your students—many or none at all—slowly removing the “training wheels” until they can solve any unfamiliar challenge that comes their way.
As Zohreh Taghizadeh, MRI Program Specialist at CNI College, shares:
Even if realistic practice cases exist, they won’t do much good unless they are tailored to the individual’s skill level and knowledge gaps.
For example, just scanning routine brain protocols for 5 years won’t improve one’s scanning skills much after the first few months.
Many simulators don’t offer such tailored practice cases. And on real MRI scanners, you have little to no ability to choose what clinical cases you get to practice on. In real clinics, you likely get too much practice on the simple routine cases, and too little practice on the rare advanced cases.
Teesside University—before they implemented Corsmed—experienced this problem in particular. As Sarah Cutler, Radiography Course Lead, recalls:
Corsmed’s MRI simulator comes bundled with a structured curriculum of 7 self-study courses, and the 500-page digital textbook Boyd’s Comprehensive Guide to MRI by Doug Boyd.
These 7 courses cover the core MRI concepts and a wide variety of clinical applications:
Each course includes several practice exercises on the simulator, letting you instantly implement the theory in practice. Regardless of your skill level, they will help fill in knowledge gaps and sharpen your scan performance.
And as previously mentioned, you can customize to what degree external random factors—e.g., patient movements or machine artifacts—should influence your scans. This lets you tailor the learning environment to perfectly challenge your skill level.
How did the situation at Teesside University change after implementing Corsmed?
Sarah Cutler, Radiography Course Lead, gives the final verdict:
To learn MRI, you need feedback and guidance to understand where your skill gaps are and how to improve.
Most MRI simulators don’t provide any such guidance. Even if their simulated scans are accurate, this lack of corrective feedback slows learning down.
In Corsmed’s own courses, assignments have automatic grading that offers instant feedback on your scans, pointing out where you can improve—and tips for what to adjust.
Teachers can also create their own custom courses and assignments for their students, and use automatic grading tool. If they prefer, they can also grade assignments manually, providing even more personalized feedback.
And just like real scanners when you plan a sequence, Corsmed also shows key stats about the sequence before you run it—such as SNR, scan time, and resolution.
This gives you instant feedback on your sequence, helping you master protocol optimization.
Not all MRI simulators can be accessed 24/7, on-demand from a laptop—and with a payment structure that encourages you to practice as much as possible.
Corsmed’s MRI simulator can be accessed 24/7 from any laptop with an internet connection—just like any modern web app.
Corsmed’s licenses can be bought on a 3, 6, or 12-month basis (or longer) and they follow an “all-you-can-scan” payment model.
While your license is active, you can perform as many simulated scans as you want, no additional costs or hidden fees. We have deliberately chosen this payment structure to encourage you to practice as much as possible, without worrying about usage costs.
This unlimited, 24/7 available practice has been a game-changer for the students at CNI College. Says Zohreh Taghizadeh, MRI Program Specialist:
Teesside University is another success case. Sarah Cutler, Radiography Course Lead, explains:
Every MRI scanner vendor—Siemens, GE, Phillips, etc.—has a slightly different interface.
You’d think that an ideal simulator should let you customize the interface, so you can practice MRI on exactly the same scanner interface as you will use in your clinic.
But actually, if the goal is to master MRI, it’s not always best to use a simulator that lets you choose from multiple interfaces.
Corsmed provides one vendor-agnostic interface that follows all the industry standards on how an MRI scanner interface should look like.
A single vendor-agnostic interface actually improves the degree to which you can transfer your skills learned on the simulator to the real world. Here’s why:
MRI is already complex enough as it is. There are so many sequences, scanner settings, patient factors, and parameter adjustments to learn.
Adding interface variability would only add more complexity and detract focus from the real goal of using a simulator—to build a deep understanding of MRI physics and protocol optimization, regardless of what clinical setting you find yourself in.
As Dr. Khokhar, MRI Program Director at CNI College, shares:
How could CNI students scan with any interface after practicing only on Corsmed?
Because Corsmed helped them master the MRI fundamentals, enabling them to adapt to any interface.
MRI is a very complex topic, with many parameters and settings.
A good simulator must include all the same parameters and settings as a real scanner to be accurate. However, this can easily create an overwhelming interface for first-time users.
Corsmed has a simple and intuitive interface that any user—even those who normally struggle with technology—can understand.
Dr. Khokhar, MRI Program Director at CNI College, recalls one particular story:
Sarah Cutler, Radiography Course Lead at Teesside University, has her own story to share:
Sarah goes on to add:
Besides a naturally simple interface, Corsmed offers guided user tours to first-time users. These guided tours help new users to find their way around the platform one easy step at a time, and learn where all the key settings are.
Corsmed also provides white-glove onboarding, free expert support, and a knowledge base of tutorials that help new users make full use of the powerful functionality the simulator offers.
Many simulators provide little to no technical support and rarely update their software based on user feedback.
When choosing an MRI simulator, superb technical support is essential to ensure you can fully utilize all features. Without it, even a great simulator becomes frustrating and hard to use.
Corsmed ensures users always have expert support through four channels:
And as a focused startup, Corsmed has no corporate bureaucracy that stops us from listening to customers and acting on their requests.
As a Corsmed customer, you can email a feature request straight to our CEO, and see it added in weeks or months—not years.
Says Zohreh Taghizadeh, MRI Program Specialist at CNI College:
Zohreh continues to add:
For full details on our customer support, visit: What Customer Support Is Included in a Corsmed License?
MRI simulation is a powerful tool for education—but only if the simulator accurately reflects real-world scanning.
Many platforms suffer from flawed image generation, limited scan options, or outdated training methods. Without high-resolution images, adjustable parameters, and real-world practice cases, MRI training becomes incomplete.
Corsmed is the only simulator that fully replicates the MRI scanning process—from physics-based image generation to customizable patient conditions. With an extensive training curriculum, live support, and rapid feature updates, Corsmed ensures users at any skill level can master MRI scanning with confidence.
This is why leading MRI colleges and hospitals use Corsmed to train their students and technologists, including:
Want to learn more about how Corsmed can enhance your MRI training program?
Book a free consultation with one of our experts today, and discover how Corsmed can take your MRI training to the next level.
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